Device and method for digitally generating equidistant synchronous frequency-multiplied clock pulses
First Claim
1. A synchronization method for a distributed control system including a transmission unit transmitting cyclically emitted synchronization signals, a reception unit receiving and feeding synchronization signals to a clock generator via a phase regulator of a phase-locked loop, the clock generator outputting at least one subordinate clock signal having a plurality of clock pulses occuring between at least first and second synchronization signals, comprising the steps of:
- i determining an instantaneous phase error of at least one subordinate clock signal with respect to said first and second synchronization signals;
ii calculating a substantially uniform correction value for each clock pulse of said subordinate clock signal; and
iii correcting said subordinate clock signal based on said correction value such that said instantaneous phase error is substantially uniformly distributed over the pulses of the subordinate clock signal between said first and second synchronization signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Uniform distribution of a correction determined by a PLL over the subordinate clock signals is undertaken by dividing a phase-regulated value by the number of subordinate clock signals. Division by way of successive addition is performed such that time conflicts with subordinate clock signals generated in real time are successfully avoided despite the required time duration of such a division. The synchronicity can be further raised by also uniformly distributing a division remainder. A particularly effective implementation of this division employs subsequent rounding for real time use.
11 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A synchronization method for a distributed control system including a transmission unit transmitting cyclically emitted synchronization signals, a reception unit receiving and feeding synchronization signals to a clock generator via a phase regulator of a phase-locked loop, the clock generator outputting at least one subordinate clock signal having a plurality of clock pulses occuring between at least first and second synchronization signals, comprising the steps of:
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i determining an instantaneous phase error of at least one subordinate clock signal with respect to said first and second synchronization signals;
ii calculating a substantially uniform correction value for each clock pulse of said subordinate clock signal; and
iii correcting said subordinate clock signal based on said correction value such that said instantaneous phase error is substantially uniformly distributed over the pulses of the subordinate clock signal between said first and second synchronization signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A reception unit comprising:
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a means for receiving at least two synchronization signals;
b means, coupled to said receiving means, for generating subordinate clock signals for said at least two synchronization signals;
c means, coupled to said generating means, determining a set of instantaneous phase errors between said subordinate clock signals and said at least two synchronization signals;
d means, coupled to said determining means, for determining an instantaneous phase-regulated value for correcting subordinate clock signals; and
e means, coupled to said means for determining an instantaneous phase-regulated value, for correcting said subordinate clock signals between said at least two synchronization signals to make subordinate signals essentially equidistant from one another by distributing the instantaneous phase-regulated value virtually uniformly over subordinate clock signals and determining a respective correction value for each subordinate clock signal.
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14. A synchronization method for a reception unit comprising the steps of:
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a receiving at least first and second synchronization signals;
b generating at least one subordinate clock signal having a plurality of clock pulses between said first and second synchronization signals;
c determining instantaneous phase errors between said subordinate clock signals and said first and second synchronization signals;
d determining an instantaneous phase-regulated value for correcting said subordinate signals;
e correcting said subordinate clock signal such that the clock pulses of the subordinate clock signal are essentially equidistant from one another by applying the instantaneous phase-regulated value substantially uniformly over the clock pulses of the subordinate clock signal.
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Specification