Phase-locked loop delay line
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A circuit for providing a signal having a precise delay with respect to a digital input signal, comprising:
- a single reference frequency source for generating a periodic input signal of constant period;
a variable delay circuit for receiving the input signal and generating an output signal which is delayed with respect to the input signal, herein the delay circuit includes a control voltage input to control the amount of delay;
control means for comparing the phase between the input signal and the output signal and varying the amount of delay provided by the delay circuit to achieve and maintain a desired delay equal to an integer multiple of said constant period, wherein the control means includes;
means for generating the control voltage as a function of the phase difference between the input signal and output signal, andmeans, coupled to the means for generating, for determining whether the phase of the input signal leads or lags the phase of the output signal,wherein the means for generating the control voltage includes a charge pump having a capacitor which is charged or discharged, wherein the voltage across the capacitor is the control voltage, andwherein the means for determining generates a first signal causing the charge pump to charge the capacitor in a first direction when the phase of the input signal leads the phase of the output signal and generates a second signal causing the charge pump to charge the capacitor in the opposite direction when the phase of the input signal lags the phase of the output signal.
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Abstract
A circuit for providing precise delays includes a phase-locked loop driven by a reference frequency source such as a crystal oscillator and including a variable delay circuit. The output of the oscillator is applied to the delay circuit and the non-delayed and delayed signals are compared in a phase comparator. An error signal representative of phase error is developed and applied to vary the amount of delay until the phase error is eliminated. A precise delay referenced to the oscillator frequency is therefore achieved.
244 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A circuit for providing a signal having a precise delay with respect to a digital input signal, comprising:
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a single reference frequency source for generating a periodic input signal of constant period; a variable delay circuit for receiving the input signal and generating an output signal which is delayed with respect to the input signal, herein the delay circuit includes a control voltage input to control the amount of delay; control means for comparing the phase between the input signal and the output signal and varying the amount of delay provided by the delay circuit to achieve and maintain a desired delay equal to an integer multiple of said constant period, wherein the control means includes; means for generating the control voltage as a function of the phase difference between the input signal and output signal, and means, coupled to the means for generating, for determining whether the phase of the input signal leads or lags the phase of the output signal, wherein the means for generating the control voltage includes a charge pump having a capacitor which is charged or discharged, wherein the voltage across the capacitor is the control voltage, and wherein the means for determining generates a first signal causing the charge pump to charge the capacitor in a first direction when the phase of the input signal leads the phase of the output signal and generates a second signal causing the charge pump to charge the capacitor in the opposite direction when the phase of the input signal lags the phase of the output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A phase-locked circuit for providing an output signal having precise delay with respect to a single periodic digital input signal, comprising:
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means for providing a single periodic digital input signal of a reference frequency and having a constant period; variable delay means for receiving the input signal and generating an output signal which is delayed with respect to the input signal by an integer multiple of said constant period; phase-locked control means for receiving the input signal and the output signal and controlling the variable delay means so that the output signal is locked in phase with respect to the input signal and maintained at a delay of an integer multiple of said constant period, wherein the phase-lock control means includes a phase comparator for comparing the phase of the input signal with the phase of the output signal and generating a first error signal when the phase of the input signal leads the phase of the output signal and a second error signal when the phase of the input signal lags the phase of the output signal; and correction means coupled to the phase-lock control means and the variable delay means, for generating a control signal in response to the error signals to control the amount of delay of the delay means, wherein the correction means includes a charge pump having a first capacitor which is charged in a first direction in response to the first error signal and in a second direction in response to the second error signal, wherein the voltage across the capacitor is the control signal for controlling the delay means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A circuit for providing a controlled amount of delay to a digital input signal, comprising:
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reference frequency means for providing a periodic output signal having a constant period; a first variable delay circuit for receiving the output of the reference frequency means and providing an output signal having a delay determined by a control signal; phase lock means for comparing the phase of the output signal of the reference frequency means with the phase of the output signal of the first variable delay circuit and generating the control signal to the first variable delay circuit which causes the output signal of the first variable delay circuit to lock onto the phase of the output of the reference frequency means and be maintained at a delay of an integer multiple of said constant period; and a second variable delay circuit for receiving a digital input signal and providing an output signal which is delayed with respect to the input signal and maintained at a delay of an integer multiple of said constant period, wherein the control signal is applied to the second variable delay circuit to control the amount of delay and wherein the variation in delay of the first variable delay circuit in response to a change in the control signal is proportional to the change in the amount of delay of the second variable delay circuit in response to the same change in the control signal.
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19. A phase-locked loop circuit for provided a signal which is precisely delayed with respect to a single period reference signal of constant period, comprising:
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a single reference frequency source for providing the single periodic reference signal of constant period; a variable delay circuit having a first input for receiving the reference signal and a control input for receiving a control signal, the variable delay circuit providing a periodic output signal which has the same frequency as the reference signal and is delayed with respect to the reference signal by an amount, determined by the control signal, equal to an integer multiple of said constant period; control means for comparing the phase between the reference signal and the output signal and providing the control signal to the variable delay circuit to vary the amount of delay to achieve a desired phase relationship and maintain said delay at an integer multiple of said constant period, wherein the control means includes; means, coupled to the control means, for setting the control signal to an initial value which will result in a delay that causes the initial phase error to be in a known direction, a phase detector for comparing the phases of the reference signal and the output signal and generating a first error signal when a phase error of a first direction is detected and a second error signal when a phase error of a second direction is detected, and a charge pump, coupled to the means for setting, for receiving the error signals and generating the control signal in response to the error signals. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A phase-locked loop circuit for providing a signal which is precisely delayed with respect to a periodic reference signal having a constant period, comprising:
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a reference frequency source for providing the periodic reference signal of constant period; a variable delay circuit having a first input for receiving the reference signal and a control input for receiving a control signal, the delay circuit providing a periodic output signal which has the same frequency as the reference signal and is delayed with respect to the reference signal by an amount determined by the control signal equal to an integer multiple of said constant period; control means, coupled to the reference frequency source and the variable delay circuit, for comparing the phase between the reference signal and the output signal and providing the control signal to the delay circuit to vary the amount of delay to achieve a desired phase relationship and maintain said delay at an integer multiple of said constant period, the control means including means for determining the direction of phase error between the reference signal and output signal and varying the control signal in a direction which will reduce the phase error, wherein the means for determining includes; a phase detector for comparing the phase of the reference signal and the output signal and generating a first error signal when a phase error of a first direction is detected and a second error signal when a phase error of a second direction is detected; and a charge pump for receiving the error signals and generating the control signal in response to the error signals, wherein the phase detector includes; a first D-type flip-flop clocked by a rising edge of the reference signal; a second D-type flip-flop clocked by a rising edge of the output signal; phase comparison control means for enabling the flip-flops in response to a first rising edge of the reference signal whereby the first flip-flop may be clocked by the next rising edge of the reference signal and the second flip-flop may be clocked by the next rising edge of the output signal; and logic means connected to the outputs of the flip-flops for generating the error signals, wherein the phase comparison control means includes a third D-type flip-flop clocked by a rising edge of the reference signal, wherein the output of the third flip-flop controls the enabling of the first and second flip-flops. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A phase-locked circuit for providing an output signal having precise delay with respect to a period digital input reference signal, comprising:
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means for providing a periodic digital input reference signal of a constant reference frequency and period; first variable delay means for receiving the input reference signal and generating an output reference signal which is delayed with respect to the input reference signal; phase-lock control means for receiving the input reference signal and the output reference signal and controlling the delay means so that the output signal is locked in phase with respect to the input reference signal and maintained at a delay of an integer multiple of said constant period; and second variable delay means for receiving an input data signal and generating an output data signal which is delayed with respect to the input data signal, the amount of delay of the second variable delay means being controlled by the phase-lock control means, wherein the change in the delay of the first variable delay means results in a proportional change in the amount of delay of the second variable delay means.
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24. A digital delay circuit for delaying one or more digital signals by a precise time delay, comprising:
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a reference node for receiving a single periodic reference signal; master delay means, coupled to the reference node, for receiving the reference signal and delaying the reference signal by an adjustable first time delay having a magnitude and outputting a first delayed signal having a frequency identical to the reference signal and a phase which is delayed relative to the reference signal by said first time delay; delay detecting means, coupled to the reference node and the master delay means, for detecting the phase relationship between the reference signal and the first delayed signal and for outputting a phase difference signal indicative of the magnitude of the first time delay; delay control means, coupled to the delay detecting means and the master delay means, for supplying a delay control signal to the master delay means in response to the phase difference signal so as to cause the first time delay indicated by the phase difference signal to converge on a predetermined value and be maintained at said value; and slave delay means, coupled to the delay control means and having delay characteristics substantially identical to those of the master delay means, for receiving a supplied digital input signal and outputting a second delayed signal having a frequency which is identical to the digital input signal and a phase which is delayed relative to the digital input signal by a second time delay determined in accordance with the delay control signal supplied by the delay control means. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification