Clock circuit and method for recalibrating an injection oscillator coupled to kick-start a crystal oscillator

• US 10,673,383 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2018
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Powell, Matthew, Sarkar, Sudipta
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Jeffrey M
• Application Number:
  US16/136,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20200099337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0074 Locking of an oscillator by injecting an input signal directly into the oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0094 Measures to ensure starting of oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/06 Modifications of generator to ensure starting of oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/26 frequency-determining element being part of bridge circuit in closed ring around which signal is transmitted; frequency-determining element being connected via a bridge circuit to such a closed ring, e.g. Wien-Bridge oscillator, parallel-T oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/362 the amplifier being a single transistor H03B5/364 - H03B5/368 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/366 and comprising means for varying the frequency by a variable voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 21/38 Starting, stopping or resetting the counter counters with a base other than a power of two H03K23/48, H03K23/66
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 3/00 Starting of generators
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/08 Details of the phase-locked loop
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/10 for assuring initial synchronisation or for broadening the capture range

Abstract

Embodiments of clock circuits disclosed herein include a crystal oscillator circuit, an injection oscillator coupled to kick-start the crystal oscillator circuit and a digital frequency calibration circuit coupled to recalibrate the injection oscillator. The crystal oscillator circuit is configured to generate a clock signal at a resonant frequency. The injection oscillator is coupled to supply an oscillation signal at an injection frequency to the crystal oscillator circuit to reduce a start-up time of the crystal oscillator circuit. The digital frequency calibration circuit is coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency as inputs, and configured to supply a digital control signal to the injection oscillator to set the injection frequency of the injection oscillator substantially equal to the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit. Methods are provided herein to recalibrate the injection frequency of an injection oscillator over time, temperature and/or supply voltage.

Claims

1. A clock circuit, comprising:

a crystal oscillator circuit configured to generate a clock signal at a resonant frequency;

an injection oscillator coupled to supply an oscillation signal at an injection frequency to the crystal oscillator circuit to reduce a start-up time of the crystal oscillator circuit; and

a digital frequency calibration circuit coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency as inputs, and configured to supply a digital control signal to the injection oscillator to set the injection frequency of the injection oscillator substantially equal to the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit;

wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit comprises a digital up/down counter coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency; and

wherein the digital up/down counter is configured to generate a first digital signal based upon an increasing count value and a decreasing count value corresponding to the injection frequency as measured by the resonant frequency.

2. The clock circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit comprises digital control logic, which is coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency and configured to generate the digital control signal.

3. The clock circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit is configured to set the injection frequency of the injection oscillator equal to the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit with a frequency accuracy better than ±

0.25%.

4. The clock circuit as recited in claim 1, further comprising decision circuitry coupled for supplying a recalibration signal to the digital frequency calibration circuit to update the digital control signal supplied to the injection oscillator.

5. The clock circuit as recited in claim 4, wherein the decision circuitry is configured to supply the recalibration signal to the digital frequency calibration circuit if a time duration since a previous update of the digital control signal exceeds a specified limit.

6. The clock circuit as recited in claim 4, the decision circuitry is configured to supply the recalibration signal to the digital frequency calibration circuit if a temperature change associated with the clock circuit exceeds a specified limit.

7. The clock circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the injection oscillator comprises an RC oscillator including a variable capacitor and a variable resistor, wherein a capacitance of the variable capacitor is controlled by a first set of trim bits, and wherein a resistance of the variable resistor is controlled by a second set of trim bits.

8. A clock circuit, comprising:

a crystal oscillator circuit configured to generate a clock signal at a resonant frequency;

an injection oscillator coupled to supply an oscillation signal at an injection frequency to the crystal oscillator circuit to reduce a start-up time of the crystal oscillator circuit; and

a digital frequency calibration circuit coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency as inputs, and configured to supply a digital control signal to the injection oscillator to set the injection frequency of the injection oscillator substantially equal to the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit;

wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit further comprises a subtractor coupled to an output of the digital up/down counter, wherein the subtractor is configured to generate a second digital signal corresponding to a difference between the first digital signal and a target count value supplied to the subtractor.

9. The clock circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit further comprises a multiplier coupled to an output of the subtractor, wherein the multiplier is configured to generate a third digital signal by multiplying the second digital signal by a gain term supplied to the multiplier.

10. The clock circuit as recited in claim 9, wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit further comprises an adder coupled to an output of the multiplier, wherein the adder is configured to update the digital control signal by adding the third digital signal to the digital control signal.

11. A clock circuit, comprising:

a crystal oscillator circuit configured to generate a clock signal at a resonant frequency;

an injection oscillator coupled to supply an oscillation signal at an injection frequency to the crystal oscillator circuit to reduce a start-up time of the crystal oscillator circuit; and

a digital frequency calibration circuit coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency as inputs, and configured to supply a digital control signal to the injection oscillator to set the injection frequency of the injection oscillator substantially equal to the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit;

wherein the injection oscillator comprises an RC oscillator including a variable capacitor and a variable resistor, wherein a capacitance of the variable capacitor is controlled by a first set of trim bits, and wherein a resistance of the variable resistor is controlled by a second set of trim bits; and

wherein one of the first and second sets of trim bits is determined either during factory calibration and stored within non-volatile memory or by the digital frequency calibration circuit each time the clock circuit is started, and wherein the other of the first and second set of trim bits is supplied to the injection oscillator as the digital control signal.

12. A method for recalibrating an injection frequency supplied by an injection oscillator to a crystal oscillator circuit, the method comprising:

receiving the injection frequency of the injection oscillator and a resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit;

increasing a first count value for each pulse of the injection frequency received during the receiving step, decreasing a second count value for each pulse of the resonant frequency received during the receiving step, and outputting the first count value when the second count value reaches zero;

subtracting a target count value from the first count value to generate a count difference;

multiplying the count difference by a gain term to generate an adjustment term;

generating an updated digital control signal by adding the adjustment term to a digital control signal previously supplied to the injection oscillator to control the injection frequency; and

supplying the updated digital control signal to the injection oscillator to recalibrate the injection frequency, so that the injection frequency of the injection oscillator is substantially equal to the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the steps of receiving, increasing/decreasing/outputting, subtracting, multiplying, generating and supplying are repeated in response to at least one of the following:

a time duration since the injection frequency was last calibrated exceeds a first specified limit;

a temperature change since the injection frequency was last calibrated exceeds a second specified limit; and

a supply voltage change since the injection frequency was last calibrated exceeds a third specified limit.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising resetting a time count upon supplying the updated digital control signal to the injection oscillator to recalibrate the injection frequency of the injection oscillator, and repeating the method steps when the time count exceeds a specified limit.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising recording a temperature upon supplying the updated digital control signal to the injection oscillator to recalibrate the injection frequency of the injection oscillator, and repeating the method steps if the temperature changes more than a specified limit.

16. A transceiver circuit, comprising:

a clock circuit coupled to generate a clock signal, the clock signal comprising;

a crystal oscillator circuit configured to generate a clock signal at a resonant frequency;

an injection oscillator coupled to supply an oscillation signal at an injection frequency to the crystal oscillator circuit to reduce a start-up time of the crystal oscillator circuit; and

a digital frequency calibration circuit coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency as inputs, and configured to supply a digital control signal to the injection oscillator to set the injection frequency of the injection oscillator substantially equal to the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator circuit;

wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit comprises;

a digital up/down counter, which is coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency and configured to generate a first digital signal corresponding to the injection frequency as measured by the resonant frequency;

a subtractor, which is coupled to an output of the digital up/down counter and configured to generate a second digital signal corresponding to a difference between the first digital signal and a target count value supplied to the subtractor;

a multiplier, which is coupled to an output of the subtractor and configured to generate a third digital signal by multiplying the second digital signal by a gain term supplied to the multiplier; and

an adder, which is coupled to an output of the multiplier and configured to update the digital control signal by adding the third digital signal to the digital control signal; and

a local oscillator coupled to receive the clock signal generated by the clock circuit and configured to use the clock signal as a reference clock signal for generating one more local clock signals.

17. The transceiver circuit as recited in claim 16, wherein the transceiver circuit comprises:

a receive (RX) path including a first amplifier, a pair of RX mixers and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC); and

a transmit (TX) path including a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a pair of TX mixers and a second amplifier; and

wherein the local oscillator is coupled for supplying the one or more local clock signals to one or more of the RX mixers, TX mixers, ADC and DAC.

18. The transceiver circuit as recited in claim 16, wherein the digital frequency calibration circuit consists of digital control logic, which is coupled to receive the resonant frequency and the injection frequency and configured to generate the digital control signal.

19. The transceiver circuit as recited in claim 16, further comprising decision circuitry, which is coupled to supply a recalibration signal to the digital frequency calibration circuit to update the digital control signal supplied to the injection oscillator.

20. The transceiver circuit as recited in claim 19, wherein the decision circuitry is configured to supply the recalibration signal to the digital frequency calibration circuit in response to at least one of the following:

a time duration since the injection frequency was last calibrated exceeds a first specified limit; and

a temperature change since the injection frequency was last calibrated exceeds a second specified limit; and

a supply voltage change since the injection frequency was last calibrated exceeds a third specified limit.