Oscillator including varactor circuit and method of operation thereof

• US 10,523,154 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Song, Gyeongseok, Kim, Kang-jik, Seong, Chang-kyung, Jung, Hyung-jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/959,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20190058442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 331117 R
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/004 including a variable capacitance, e.g. a varicap, a varactor or a variable capacitance of a diode or transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/04 Modifications of generator to compensate for variations in physical values, e.g. power supply, load, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1212 the amplifier comprising a pair of transistors, wherein an output terminal of each being connected to an input terminal of the other, e.g. a cross coupled pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1228 the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1243 the means comprising voltage variable capacitance diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/097 using a comparator for comparing the voltages obtained from two frequency to voltage converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/099 concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop

Abstract

An oscillator and method for operation of the oscillator are provided. The oscillator includes a control voltage generator configured to generate a control voltage based on dividing a power voltage that was received, an offset voltage generator configured to generate an offset voltage based on dividing the power voltage that was received, a phase locked loop (PLL) including a varactor circuit configured to modify a capacitance based on the control voltage and the offset voltage, and a calibration logic circuit configured to provide a selection control signal to the control voltage generator based on the oscillation signal, and configured to provide an offset control signal to the offset voltage generator based on the oscillation signal.

Claims

1. An oscillator, comprising:

a control voltage generator configured to generate a control voltage based on dividing a power voltage that was received;

an offset voltage generator configured to generate an offset voltage based on dividing the power voltage that was received;

a phase locked loop (PLL) comprising a varactor circuit configured to modify a capacitance based on the control voltage and the offset voltage, wherein the PLL is configured to output an oscillation signal comprising an oscillation frequency based on the capacitance; and

a calibration logic circuit configured to provide a selection control signal to the control voltage generator based on the oscillation signal, and configured to provide an offset control signal to the offset voltage generator based on the oscillation signal,

wherein the calibration logic circuit comprises;

a register configured to store frequency information associated with the oscillation signal;

a calculation logic circuit configured to calculate a first value based on the frequency information stored in the register;

a comparator circuit configured to provide a result signal responsive to determining whether the first value is greater than a reference value; and

a control logic circuit configured to output the selection control signal and the offset control signal based on the result signal from the comparator circuit.

2. The oscillator of claim 1,

wherein the calculation logic circuit is configured to calculate the first value based on a first frequency information, a second frequency information, and/or a third frequency information that are associated with the oscillation signal,

wherein the first frequency information is based on a first frequency of the oscillation signal which is output responsive to a first control voltage of the control voltage and a first offset voltage of the offset voltage,

wherein the second frequency information is based on a second frequency of the oscillation signal which is output responsive to a second control voltage of the control voltage and the first offset voltage,

wherein the third frequency information is based on a third frequency of the oscillation signal responsive to a third control voltage of the control voltage and the first offset voltage,

wherein the second control voltage is higher than the first control voltage, and

wherein the third control voltage is higher than the second control voltage.

3. The oscillator of claim 2, wherein

the first value=the third frequency information−

(2*the second frequency information)+the first frequency information.

4. The oscillator of claim 2,

wherein a level of the second control voltage is a medium level of the first control voltage and a level of the third control voltage.

5. The oscillator of claim 1,

wherein the control voltage generator comprises a voltage distribution circuit comprising one or more resistors and one or more switches, and is configured to receive the power voltage, and

wherein the one or more switches are controlled by the selection control signal.

6. The oscillator of claim 1,

wherein the offset voltage generator comprises a voltage distribution circuit comprising one or more resistors and one or more switches, and is configured to receive the power voltage, and

wherein the one or more switches are controlled by the offset control signal.

7. The oscillator of claim 1, further comprising:

a counter that is configured to receive the oscillation signal, count clocks of the oscillation signal, and provide a result value to the calibration logic circuit.

8. The oscillator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selection control signal and the offset control signal is a digital code.

9. A method of operating of an oscillator comprising a phase locked loop that is configured to generate an oscillation signal, wherein the phase locked loop comprises a varactor circuit, the method comprising:

acquiring frequency information associated with the oscillation signal by applying a plurality of control voltages to the varactor circuit, wherein the varactor circuit is configured to modify a capacitance based on a control voltage and an offset voltage;

modifying the offset voltage based on the frequency information; and

applying the offset voltage to the varactor circuit responsive to the modifying the offset voltage,

wherein the varactor circuit is in a fixed offset voltage state under a calibration mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the acquiring the frequency information comprises:

acquiring first frequency information associated with the oscillation signal by applying a first control voltage;

acquiring second frequency information associated with the oscillation signal by applying a second control voltage, wherein the second control voltage is higher than the first control voltage; and

acquiring third frequency information associated with the oscillation signal by applying a third control voltage, wherein the third control voltage is higher than the second control voltage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the modifying the offset voltage comprises:

determining a first value based on the first frequency information, the second frequency information, and the third frequency information; and

modifying the offset voltage based on the first value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the first value=the third frequency information−

(2*the second frequency information)+the first frequency information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the modifying the offset voltage comprises:

responsive to the first value being less than a reference value, modifying the offset voltage and acquiring the first, second, and/or third frequency information again.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein responsive to the first value being greater than the reference value, determining that the offset voltage has been completely changed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the reference value is ‘

0’

.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the applying the offset voltage to the varactor circuit occurs when the first value is near a reference value.

17. A method of operating of an oscillator, the method comprising:

applying a control voltage, based on a selection control signal and an offset signal responsive to a offset control signal, to a varactor circuit provided in a phase locked loop under a calibration mode;

changing the selection control signal into different levels based on an oscillation signal from the phase locked loop;

acquiring frequency information based on the oscillation signal from the phase locked loop;

determining a first value based on the frequency information;

determining whether to change the offset control signal based on the first value; and

determining an offset voltage to be applied to the varactor circuit based on the offset control signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the acquiring the frequency information comprises:

changing the selection control signal to a first level, then to a second level higher than the first level, and then to a third level higher than the second level; and

acquiring first frequency information of the oscillation signal when the selection control signal is at the first level, second frequency information of the oscillation signal when the selection control signal is at the second level, and third frequency information of the oscillation signal when the selection control signal is at the third level.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein in the determining whether to change the offset control signal occurs when the first value is less than a reference value.