Oscillator and data processing equipment using the same and voltage control oscillator and data processing equipment using voltage control oscillator

• US 20070103248A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Takahiro, Masuda, Toru, Mori, Hiroshi, Hayashi, Norio, Kitamura, Tomomitsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 331/167
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2201/0208 the means being an element with a variable capacitance, e.g. capacitance diode
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2201/0216 the means being an element with a variable inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1215 the current source or degeneration circuit being in common to both transistors of the pair, e.g. a cross-coupled long-tailed pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1218 the generator being of the balanced type
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1228 the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1231 the amplifier comprising one or more bipolar transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1243 the means comprising voltage variable capacitance diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1253 the transistors being field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1265 switched capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1293 having means for achieving a desired tuning characteristic, e.g. linearising the frequency characteristic across the tuning voltage range
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1296 the feedback circuit comprising a transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 3/007 by converting the oscillations into two quadrature related signals H03D3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/10 Tuning of a resonator by means of digitally controlled capacitor bank
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/20 of single resonant circuit by varying inductance only or capacitance only

Abstract

An LC resonant circuit of an oscillator includes a parallel circuit of an inductor, a first fine adjustable capacitor and a first capacitor bank, and a series circuit of a second fine adjustable capacitor and a second capacitor bank. A frequency conversion gain of the oscillator is the sum of a frequency conversion gain of the oscillator based upon the first fine adjustable capacitor which decreases according to increase of a capacitance value of the capacitor bank and a frequency conversion gain based upon the second fine adjustable capacitor which increases according to increase of a capacitance value of the second capacitor bank. Accordingly, an LC resonant circuit for an oscillator with reduced fluctuation of a frequency conversion gain, and an oscillator and a data processing equipment using the same are provided.

Claims

1. An oscillator comprising:

first and second power source voltage terminals of parallel capacitors;

first and second power source voltage terminals of series capacitors;

an inductor connected between the first power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitors and the second power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitors;

a parallel capacitor including a first capacitor bank composed of variable capacitors which are connected in parallel and whose capacitance values vary from small to large value according to a first control signal group and a first fine adjustable capacitor whose capacitance value varies according to a second control signal, the first capacitor bank and the first fine adjustable capacitor being connected to each other in parallel between the first power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitors and the second power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitors; and

a series capacitor including a second capacitor bank composed of variable capacitors which are connected in parallel and whose capacitor values vary from small to large value according to a third control signal group and a second fine adjustable capacitor whose capacitance value varies according to the second control signal, the second capacitor bank and the second fine adjustable capacitor being connected to each other in series between the first power source voltage terminal of series capacitors and the second power source voltage terminal of series capacitors.

2. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein the parallel capacitor is configured such that an occupation ratio of a capacitance value of the first fine adjustable capacitor in the total capacitance that is the sum of capacitance values of the parallel capacitors and the series capacitors lowers according to increase of a capacitance value of the first capacitor bank and a changing rate of the total capacitance to the second control signal decreases, and

the series capacitor is configured such that an occupation ratio of a capacitance value of the second fine adjustable capacitor in the total capacitance increases according to increase of a capacitance value of the second capacitor bank and a changing rate of the total capacitance to the second control signal increases.

3. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein when a capacitance value of the second fine adjustable capacitor is represented as C_V2 and a capacitance value of the first capacitor bank is represented as C_M1,

a total capacitance value C_TOTAL that is the total capacitance value including capacitance values of the parallel capacitor and the series capacitor is approximated by (C_V2+C_M1).

4. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein the parallel capacitor, the series capacitor, and the inductor are connected in parallel, and

the parallel capacitor, the series capacitor, and the inductor have terminals whose one ends grounded in AC manner and the other ends inputted with AC signals.

5. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein the third control signal group is synchronized with the first control signal group, and the capacitance value of the first capacitor bank and the capacitance value of the second capacitor bank change simultaneously according to the first and third signals.

6. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein the parallel capacitor and the inductor are connected in parallel,

the parallel capacitor and the inductor have terminals whose one ends grounded in AC manner and the other ends inputted with an alternating current signal, and

the series capacitor is connected to a second inductor that is magnetically coupled to the inductor via mutual inductance in series.

7. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein the first fine adjustable capacitor and the second fine adjustable capacitor are semiconductor pn junction capacitors, and the second control signal is applied across both ends of the pn junction capacitors.

8. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein the first fine adjustable capacitor and the second fine adjustable capacitor are MOS capacitors based on MOS transistors, and

the second control signal is applied between the gate and the source/drain of the MOS transistors.

9. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of variable capacitors constituting the first capacitor bank and the second capacitor bank is each of MOS capacitors based on MOS transistors, and the first and third control signal groups independently inputted for the plurality of MOS capacitors are applied between the gates and the sources/drains of the MOS transistors.

10. The oscillator according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of variable capacitors is composed of a fixed capacitor and a switch connected to the fixed capacitor in series,

opening/closing of the switch is controlled by the first and third control signal groups independently inputted to the plurality of variable capacitors, and

a capacitance value of each of the plurality of variable capacitors varies from small to large value according to opening/closing of the switch.

14. The oscillator according to claim 1,

further comprising

a negative conductance generating circuit connected to a resonant circuit including the inductor, the parallel capacitor, and the series capacitor, for generating negative conductance, wherein

a frequency of a signal to be outputted is determined based upon a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit and stability of oscillation is determined based upon negative conductance generated by the negative conductance generating circuit.

15. The oscillator according to claim 14,

wherein the parallel capacitor is configured such that an occupation ratio of a capacitance value of the first fine adjustable capacitor in the total capacitance that is the sum of capacitance values of the parallel capacitor and the series capacitor lowers according to increase of a capacitance value of the first capacitor bank and a changing rate of the total capacitance to the second control signal decreases, and

the series capacitor is configured such that an occupation ratio of a capacitance value of the second fine adjustable capacitor in the total capacitance increases according to increase of a capacitance value of the second capacitor bank and a changing rate of the total capacitance to the second control signal increases.

16. The oscillator according to claim 14,

wherein a first capacitor is connected between a first electrode and a second electrode of a transistor, a second capacitor is connected between a third electrode and the second electrode of the transistor, and an inductor is connected between the third electrode and the second electrode, and

the negative conductance generating circuit is formed between the third electrode and the second electrode.

17. The oscillator according to claim 14,

wherein the negative conductance generating circuit is constituted by mutually connecting an input terminal of one transistor of two transistors and an output terminal of the other transistor, mutually connecting ground terminals of the one transistor and the other transistor, and connecting a constant current source to a connecting point of the ground terminals.

11. An oscillator comprising a variable capacitor and an inductor,

wherein the variable capacitor has

a first variable capacitor including a first capacitor bank whose capacitance value changes according to a control signal and whose frequency conversion gain increases according to increase of the capacitance value of the first capacitor bank, and

a second variable capacitor connected to the first variable capacitor in parallel and including a second capacitor bank whose capacitance value changes according to a control signal and whose frequency conversion gain decreases according to increase of the capacitance value of the second capacitor bank.

12. The oscillator according to claim 11,

wherein the first variable capacitor includes a parallel capacitor comprising the first capacitor bank and a first fine adjustable capacitor,

the second variable capacitor includes a series capacitor comprising the second capacitor bank and a second fine adjustable capacitor, and

a capacitance value changing rate of the series capacitor according to lowering of a resonant frequency becomes larger than a capacitance value changing rate of the parallel capacitor according to lowering of an oscillation frequency.

13. The oscillator according to claim 11,

wherein the inductor has

a pair of inductors magnetically coupling the first variable capacitor and the second variable capacitor via mutual inductance.

18. A data processing equipment comprising:

an oscillator;

a low noise amplifier that amplifies a reception signal received by an antenna;

a modulator that modulates a baseband signal to be transmitted to output two signals orthogonal to each other;

an orthogonal modulator that is inputted with the two orthogonal signals to output an orthogonal modulation signal using a local oscillation signal outputted from the oscillator;

a power amplifier that amplifies the orthogonal modulation signal; and

a switch that supplies the reception signal from the antenna to the low noise amplifier at a time of signal reception and supplies the orthogonal modulation signal outputted from the power amplifier to the antenna at a time of signal transmission,

wherein the oscillator comprises;

first and second power source voltage terminals of parallel capacitor;

first and second power source voltage terminals of series capacitor;

an inductor connected between the first power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitor and the second power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitor;

a parallel capacitor composed of a first capacitor bank including variable capacitors which are connected in parallel and whose capacitor values vary from small to large value according to a first control signal group and a first fine adjustable capacitor whose capacitance value varies according to a second control signal, the first capacitor bank and the first fine adjustable capacitor being connected to each other in parallel between the first power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitor and the second power source voltage terminal of parallel capacitor; and

a series capacitor composed of a second capacitor bank including variable capacitors which are connected in parallel and whose capacitor values vary from small to large value according to a third control signal group and a second fine adjustable capacitor whose capacitance value varies according to the second control signal, the second capacitor bank and the second fine adjustable capacitor being connected to each other in series between the first power source voltage terminal of series capacitor and the second power source voltage terminal of series capacitor.

19. The data processing equipment according to claim 18,

wherein the parallel capacitor is configured such that an occupation ratio of a capacitance value of the first fine adjustable capacitor in the total capacitance that is the sum of capacitance values of the parallel capacitor and the series capacitor lowers according to increase of a capacitance value of the first capacitor bank and a changing rate of the total capacitance to the second control signal decreases, and

the series capacitor is configured such that an occupation ratio of a capacitance value of the second fine adjustable capacitor in the total capacitance increases according to increase of a capacitance value of the second capacitor bank and a changing rate of the total capacitance to the second control signal increases.

20. The data processing equipment according to claim 18,

wherein the oscillator, the low noise amplifier, the modulator, and the orthogonal modulator together are formed on a single semiconductor device.

21-40. -40. (canceled)