PLL CIRCUIT

• US 20090160508A1
• Filed: 02/07/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Masuda, Noboru
• Granted Patent: US 7,541,848 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/156
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018528 with at least one differential stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0898 the source or sink current values being variable H03L7/0896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/095 using a lock detector H03L7/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0995 the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/113 using frequency discriminator
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/18 using a frequency divider or counter in the loop H03L7/20, H03L7/22 take precedence

Abstract

Phase jitter of the hybrid control type PLL circuit in a steady state is reduced. A steady state detection circuit determining whether an output of a phase comparison circuit in the hybrid control type PLL circuit frequently changes is provided, determination that a steady state has not been reached is made if the output of the phase comparison circuit does not change for a while, determination that the steady state has been reached if the output of the phase comparison circuit frequently changes, and based on a result of the determination, a control width of controlling a oscillation frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator circuit by a digital control signal is changed or (and) a frequency of changing an analog control signal is changed. Thereby, a control width of the oscillation frequency by the digital control signal after reaching the steady state can be reduced without damaging convergence before reaching the steady state. Therefore, the phase jitter in the steady state can be reduced.

Claims

1. A PLL circuit comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator controlled by an analog control signal controlling an oscillation frequency over a first range and a digital control signal controlling the oscillation frequency over a range narrower than the first range;

a frequency comparison circuit comparing one of a frequency of an output of the voltage controlled oscillator and a frequency of a signal obtained by frequency-dividing the output of the voltage controlled oscillator; and

a frequency of a reference signal; and

a phase comparison circuit comparing one of a phase of the output of the voltage controlled oscillator and a phase of the signal obtained by frequency-dividing the output of the voltage controlled oscillator; and

a phase of the reference signal,

wherein the PLL circuit is configured to control the oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator so that a frequency and a phase of one of the output of the voltage controlled oscillator and the signal obtained by frequency-dividing the output of the voltage controlled oscillator conform to the frequency and the phase of the reference signal,

wherein a first circuit determining whether control of the oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator has reached a steady state is provided, and

wherein at least one of a second circuit operating only when determination that the steady state has not been reached is made and a third circuit operating only when determination that the steady state has been reached is made is provided.

2. The PLL circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the first circuit has a function determining whether a comparison result of the phase comparison circuit is in a same state for a time longer than or equal to a first time.

3. The PLL circuit according to claim 2,

wherein the first time is a time corresponding to four cycles of the reference signal.

4. The PLL circuit according to claim 1,

wherein a frequency of changing the analog control signal is reduced when the first circuit determines that the steady state has not been reached, in comparison with a case when the first circuit determines that the steady state has been reached.

5. The PLL circuit according to claim 2,

wherein a frequency of changing the analog control signal is reduced when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit is in a same state for a time longer than or equal to the first time, in comparison with a case when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit changes in a time shorter than the first time.

6. The PLL circuit according to claim 3,

wherein a frequency of changing the analog control signal is reduced when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit is in a same state for a time longer than or equal to the first time, in comparison with a case when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit changes in a time shorter than the first time.

7. The PLL circuit according to claim 4,

wherein the analog control signal is changed for every second time when the first circuit determines that the steady state has not been reached, and

wherein the analog control signal is changed for every one cycle of the reference signal when the first circuit determines that the steady state has been reached.

8. The PLL circuit according to claim 5,

wherein the analog control signal is changed for every second time when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit is in a same state for a time longer than or equal to the first time, and

wherein the analog control signal is changed for every one cycle of the reference signal when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit changes in a time shorter than the first time.

9. The PLL circuit according to claim 6,

wherein the analog control signal is changed for every second time when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit is in a same state for a time longer than or equal to the first time, and

wherein the analog control signal is changed for every one cycle of the reference signal when the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit changes in a time shorter than the first time.

10. The PLL circuit according to claim 7,

wherein the second time corresponds to a time longer than or equal to eight cycles of the reference signal.

11. The PLL circuit according to claim 8,

wherein the second time corresponds to a time longer than or equal to eight cycles of the reference signal.

12. The PLL circuit according to claim 9,

wherein the second time corresponds to a time longer than or equal to eight cycles of the reference signal.

13. The PLL circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the digital control signal is composed of a digital signal of at least two bits,

wherein only one bit of the digital control signal is changed based on a comparison result of the phase comparison circuit and other bit or other bits are fixed at predetermined values respectively when the first circuit determines that the steady state has been reached, and

wherein at least the other bit or the other bits are changed based on the comparison result of the phase comparison circuit when the first circuit determines that the steady state has not been reached.