MILLIMETER-WAVE PHASE-LOCKED LOOP WITH INJECTION-LOCKED FREQUENCY DIVIDER USING QUARTER-WAVELENGTH TRANSMISSION LINE AND METHOD OF CALIBRATION
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A millimeter-wave phase-locked loop (PLL) comprising:
- an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) to generate a divided output frequency from an injected millimeter-wave frequency;
calibration circuitry to determine values for an ILFD control signal to be applied to the ILFD for a selected oscillating frequency band to cause the ILFD to operate at or near a center of a locking range of the ILFD; and
a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to generate the injected millimeter-wave frequency as an output frequency of the PLL based at least in part on the divided output frequency generated by the ILFD.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of a millimeter-wave phase-locked loop with an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, the ILFD uses a quarter-wavelength transmission line. A method of calibrating an ILFD is also provided to allow the ILFD to operate at or near the center of its locking range for each of a plurality of VCO oscillating frequency bands.
23 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A millimeter-wave phase-locked loop (PLL) comprising:
-
an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) to generate a divided output frequency from an injected millimeter-wave frequency; calibration circuitry to determine values for an ILFD control signal to be applied to the ILFD for a selected oscillating frequency band to cause the ILFD to operate at or near a center of a locking range of the ILFD; and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to generate the injected millimeter-wave frequency as an output frequency of the PLL based at least in part on the divided output frequency generated by the ILFD. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) to generate a divided output frequency from an injected millimeter-wave frequency comprising:
-
a pseudo-differential pair of transistors; a quarter-wavelength transmission line coupled between the pseudo-differential pair and ground to receive the injected millimeter-wave frequency; and a pair of transistors operating as voltage-controlled resistors responsive to an ILFD control signal selected to cause the ILFD to operate at or near a center of a locking range of the ILFD. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of calibrating an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) comprising:
-
measuring a further divided down output frequency for different settings of an ILFD control signal when applied to the ILFD for a selected VCO oscillating frequency band to identify a locking range for the ILFD; and selecting a value for the ILFD control signal for the selected VCO oscillating frequency band that causes the ILFD to operate at or near a center of the locking range. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A wireless communication device comprising front-end circuitry for communicating millimeter-wave signals, wherein the front-end circuitry comprises a millimeter-wave phase-locked loop (PLL) for use in generating the millimeter-wave signals, and wherein the millimeter-wave PLL comprises:
-
an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) to generate a divided output frequency from an injected millimeter-wave frequency; calibration circuitry to determine values for an ILFD control signal to be applied to the ILFD for a selected VCO oscillating frequency band to cause the ILFD to operate at or near a center of a locking range of the ILFD; and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to generate the injected millimeter-wave frequency as an output frequency of the PLL based at least in part on the divided output frequency generated by the ILFD. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification