Radio transceiver having PLL synthesizer

• US 5,319,798 A
• Filed: 10/31/1991
• Issued: 06/07/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Nozomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAILE, ANDREW I
• Application Number:
  US07/785,548
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 455/76, 455/259, 455/260, 455/265, 455/264, 455/85-87, 455/165.1, 455/180.3, 455/183.1, 455/77, 455/78, 331/17, 331/25, 331/64, 370/95.1, 370/95.3
• US Class Current: 455/76
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/095 using a lock detector H03L7/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

A radio transceiver including a PLL synthesizer and is adaptable to a TDMA system in which the frequency of a radio frequency carrier is switched frequently at high speed. When an unlock alarm of the PLL synthesizer is used as one of the device alarms, the unlock alarm to be generated in an initial unlock period which is usually provided every switching of an output frequency of the PLL synthesizer is not used as one of the device alarms. The prohibition of generation of this unlock alarm is started in synchronism with a frequency control signal supplied from a control portion of the radio transceiver to a frequency divider of the PLL synthesizer for switching the carrier frequency and is limited to an OFF period of the carrier transmitting/receiving period.

Claims

1. A radio transceiver comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a first radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal;

receiving means for receiving a second radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal;

frequency synthesizer means including a phase locked loop for supplying a local oscillating signal having frequencies related in a predetermined manner to said first frequency and said second frequency, the local oscillating signal being supplied to said transmitting means and said receiving means;

alarm means responsive to an alarm control signal for providing a device alarm;

frequency control means for controlling said transmitting means, said receiving means and said synthesizer such that frequencies of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier are switched; and

alarm control means for supplying said alarm control signal;

wherein said transmitting means and said receiving means comprise means for transmitting and receiving said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier respectively in the form of bursts by ON/OFF controlling of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier;

and wherein said frequency synthesizer further comprises;

frequency switching means responsive to a frequency control signal from said frequency control means to switch a frequency of said local oscillating signal;

unlock state generation means responsive to an unlock state of said phase locked loop for supplying an unlock state signal to said alarm control means; and

alarm prohibition means responsive to said frequency control means for prohibiting said alarm control means from generating said alarm control signal during a predetermined time immediately after a frequency switching of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier.

2. The transceiver claimed in claim 1, wherein said frequency control signal comprises:

a frequency assigning signal for assigning the frequency of said local oscillating signal; and

a strobe signal supplied after said frequency assigning signal to activate said frequency assigning signal.

3. The transceiver claimed in claim 2, wherein said alarm prohibition means comprises means for prohibiting said alarm control signal generation starting in response to said strobe signal.

4. The transceiver claimed in claim 1, wherein said transceiver is a radio transceiver of a time division multiple access (TDMA) system capable of selectively setting timing of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier going to an ON state and the frequencies of said carriers, and wherein said predetermined time is shorter than a time during which said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier are not in an ON state.

17. The transceiver claimed in claim 1, wherein the alarm means comprises an alarm display means.

5. A radio transceiver including a transmitting means for transmitting a first radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal to be transmitted through an antenna, a receiving means for receiving a second radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal to be received through said antenna, a frequency synthesizer, including a phase locked loop for supplying local oscillating signals having frequencies related in a predetermined manner to said first frequency and said second frequency, the local oscillating signals being supplied to said transmitting means and said receiving means, alarm means responsive to an alarm control signal for providing a device alarm, frequency control means for controlling said transmitting means, said receiving means and said synthesizer such that frequencies of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier are switched and alarm control means for supplying said alarm control signal;

said transmitting means and said receiving means comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier respectively in the form of bursts by ON/OFF controlling of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier;

said frequency synthesizer comprising;

a voltage controlled oscillator responsive to a control voltage to produce a local oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency;

variable frequency divider means responsive to a dividing data signal from said frequency control means, said dividing data signal being indicative of a frequency dividing ratio, and a strobe signal for activating said dividing data signal to frequency-divide said local oscillating signal thereby to produce a comparative signal;

a reference oscillating means for producing a reference signal having a reference frequency;

phase detection means responsive to a phase difference between said comparative signal and said reference signal to produce a phase difference signal and an oscillator control signal;

low-pass filter means for integrating said oscillator control signal and supplying said oscillatory control signal to said voltage controlled oscillating means as said control voltage;

unlock alarm generation means for producing an unlock alarm from said phase difference signal; and

unlock alarm prohibition means for controlling said unlock alarm generation means to prohibit generation of said unlock alarm for a predetermined time, said unlock alarm prohibition means comprising means for prohibiting generation of said unlock alarm starting in response to said strobe signal.

6. The transceiver claimed in claim 5, wherein said transceiver comprises a radio transceiver of a time division multiple access (TDMA) system capable of selectively setting timing of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier going to an ON state and the frequencies of said carriers, and wherein said predetermined time is shorter than a time during which said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier are not in an ON state.

18. The transceiver claimed in claim 5, wherein the alarm means comprises an alarm display means.

7. A radio transceiver including a transmitting means for transmitting a first radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal to be transmitted through an antenna, a receiving means for receiving a second radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal to be received through said antenna, a frequency synthesizer, including a phase locked loop for supplying local oscillating signals having frequencies related in a predetermined manner to said first frequency and said second frequency, the local oscillating signals being supplied to said transmitting means and said receiving means, alarm means responsive to an alarm control signal for providing a device alarm, and frequency control means for controlling said transmitting means, said receiving means and said synthesizer such that frequencies of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier are switched;

said transmitting means and said receiving means comprising transceiver means adaptable to a time division multiple access (TDMA) system for transmitting and receiving said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier respectively in the form of bursts by ON/OFF controlling of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier;

said frequency synthesizer comprising;

a voltage controlled oscillator responsive to a control voltage to produce a local oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency;

variable frequency divider means responsive to a dividing data signal from said frequency control means, said dividing data signal being indicative of a frequency dividing ratio, and a strobe signal for activating said dividing data signal to frequency-divide said local oscillating signal thereby to produce a comparative signal;

a reference oscillating means for producing a reference signal having a reference frequency;

phase detection means responsive to a phase difference between said comparative signal and said reference signal to produce a phase difference signal and an oscillator control signal;

low-pass filter means for integrating said oscillator control signal and for supplying said oscillator control signal to said voltage controlled oscillating means as said control voltage;

pulse generator means responsive to said strobe signal to produce a gate pulse signal having a predetermined duration;

gate means responsive to said gate pulse signal to gate said phase difference signal thereby to produce an output signal; and

pulse detection means responsive to said output signal to produce an unlock alarm signal comprising said alarm control signal, said unlock alarm signal being prohibited for a predetermined time after said switching of said radio frequency carriers.

8. The transceiver claimed in claim 7, wherein said unlock alarm signal produced by said pulse detection means comprises a high level with a predetermined time constant when said output signal is not detected and changes state to a low level when said output signal is detected.

9. The transceiver claimed in claim 7, wherein said pulse detection means comprises:

an FET having a gate as an input terminal for said output signal and a source connected to ground;

a diode having a cathode connected to a drain of said FET and an anode as an output terminal for said unlock alarm signal;

a capacitor connected between said anode of said diode and said ground; and

a resistor connected between a positive source and said anode of said diode.

19. The transceiver claimed in claim 7, wherein the alarm means comprises an alarm display means.

10. A frequency synthesizer including a phase locked loop and producing a high frequency output having a frequency variable according to a frequency control signal, said synthesizer comprising:

unlock alarm generation means responsive to an unlocked state of said phase locked loop to produce an unlock alarm signal; and

unlock prohibition means for prohibiting generation of said unlock alarm signal for a predetermined time immediately after a frequency switching caused by said frequency control signal.

11. The synthesizer claimed in claim 10, wherein said frequency control signal comprises:

a frequency assigning signal for assigning a frequency of a local oscillating signal of a local oscillator of said phase locked loop; and

a strobe signal supplied after said frequency assigning signal to activate said frequency assigning signal.

12. The synthesizer claimed in claim 11, wherein the unlock prohibition means comprises means for prohibiting generation of said unlock alarm starting in response to said strobe signal.

13. A synthesizer comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator responsive to a control voltage to produce a local oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency;

variable frequency divider means responsive to a dividing data signal from a frequency control means, said dividing data signal being indicative of a frequency dividing ratio, and a strobe signal for activating said dividing data signal to frequency-divide said local oscillating signal thereby to produce a comparative signal;

a reference oscillating means for producing a reference signal having a reference frequency;

phase detection means responsive to a phase difference between said comparative signal and said reference signal to produce a phase difference signal and an oscillator control signal;

low-pass filter means for integrating said oscillator control signal and supplying said oscillator control signal to said voltage controlled oscillating means as said control voltage;

unlock alarm generation means for producing an unlock alarm from said phase difference signal; and

unlock alarm prohibition means for controlling said unlock alarm generation means to prohibit generation of said unlock alarm for a predetermined time, said unlock alarm prohibition means comprising means for prohibiting the generation of said unlock alarm starting in response to said strobe signal.

14. A synthesizer comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator responsive to a control voltage to produce a local oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency;

variable frequency divider means responsive to a dividing data signal from a frequency control means, said dividing data signal being indicative of a frequency dividing ratio, and a strobe signal for activating said dividing data signal to frequency-divide said local oscillating signal thereby to produce a comparative signal;

a reference oscillating means for producing a reference signal having a reference frequency;

phase detection means responsive to a phase difference between said comparative signal and said reference signal to produce a phase difference signal and an oscillator control signal;

low-pass filter means for integrating said oscillator control signal and supplying said oscillator control signal to said voltage controlled oscillating means as said control voltage;

pulse generator means responsive to said strobe signal to produce a gate pulse signal having a predetermined duration;

gate means responsive to said gate pulse signal to produce an output pulse signal; and

pulse detection means responsive to said output pulse signal to produce an unlock alarm signal indicative of an unlock state of said comparative signal produced by said variable frequency divider means with said reference signal produced by said reference oscillating means, said unlock alarm signal being prohibited for a predetermined time after said switching of said radio frequency carriers.

15. The synthesizer claimed in claim 14, wherein said unlock alarm signal produced by said pulse detection means comprises a high level with a predetermined time constant when said output pulse signal is not detected and changes state to a low level immediately when said output pulse is detected.

16. The synthesizer claimed in claim 15, wherein said pulse detection means comprises:

an FET having a gate as an input terminal for said output pulse signal and a source connected to ground;

a diode having a cathode connected to a drain of said FET and an anode as an output terminal for said unlock alarm signal;

a capacitor connected between said anode of said diode and said ground; and

a resistor connected between a positive source and said anode of said diode.

20. A radio transceiver comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a first radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal;

receiving means for receiving a second radio frequency carrier modulated with an information signal;

frequency synthesizer means including a phase lock loop for supplying a local oscillating signal having switchable frequencies related to the first frequency and the second frequency, the local oscillator signal being supplied to said transmitting means and said receiving means;

frequency control means for controlling said transmitting means, said receiving means and said synthesizer such that frequencies of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier are switched;

the frequency synthesizer further comprising;

frequency switching means responsive to a frequency control signal from said frequency control means for switching a frequency of said local oscillating signal;

means responsive to an unlock state of said phase lock loop for supplying an unlock state signal; and

means responsive to said unlock state signal for prohibiting generation of an alarm signal indicative of an unlock state of said phase lock loop during a predetermined time immediately after a frequency switching of at least one of said first radio frequency carrier and said second radio frequency carrier.

21. A method of controlling generation of an alarm signal indicative of an unlock state of a phase locked loop used in a frequency synthesizer, comprising the steps of:

supplying a local oscillating signal from said frequency synthesizer to a receiver and transmitter;

switching, in response to a first control signal, the frequency of said local oscillating signal;

supplying, in response to an unlock state of said phase locked loop, an unlock state signal; and

prohibiting, in response to a second control signal, generation of said alarm signal indicative of the unlock state of said phase locked loop during a predetermined time immediately after the frequency switching of said local oscillating signal.