GPS reference clock generator

• US 5,717,402 A
• Filed: 12/09/1994
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter Chu
• Original Assignee: Peter Chu
• Inventors: Chu, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/353,071
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 342/352, 342/357, 331/73, 331/139, 331/155, 331/158, 331/175
• US Class Current: 342/357.27
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/02 the radio signal being sent by a satellite, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 40/02 by phase locking
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 40/06 by computing the time value implied by the radio signal

Abstract

The GPS-disciplined clock consists of two digital phase locked loops. The first, Loop 1, tracks the crystal oscillator'"'"'s third overtone vs. fundamental frequency variation with a numerical controlled oscillator, NCO1; The second digital phase locked loop, Loop 2, tracks the GPS satellite receiver'"'"'s 1PPS signal vs. the crystal oscillator'"'"'s frequency counter output variation with another numerical controlled oscillator, NCO2. When the satellites are in view, the embedded computer writes the two NCOs tracking record onto a memory; while the satellites are not in view, the computer directs a digital frequency synthesizer to generate frequency according to the tracking records stored in the memory. The hardware implementation of the inventive design is mostly digital, but a very-large-scale ASIC can be used to miniaturize the whole GPS-Synchronized clock system, making it a battery-powered, truly portable, and easy to be integrated into other instruments.

Claims

1. A Look-Up Table system for use with a satellite outputting an accurate clock signal comprising:

a Read/Write RAM and control device;

a micro computer controlled crystal oscillator having a crystal;

means, for storing and retrieving data contained in a calibration look-up table, said table containing data relating said crystal'"'"'s frequency characteristics and a GPS satellite time reference, frequency accuracy in a crystal oscillator time system;

a GPS satellite synchronous direct digital synthesizer;

recording means, connected to the direct digital synthesizer and said crystal oscillator, for outputting an accurate clock signal when the satellite is in view and recording information in said look-up table of the frequency of said direct digital synthesizer versus the frequency of said micro computer controlled crystal oscillator as the frequency of said crystal oscillator drifts.

2. The Look-Up Table system for use with a satellite as recited in claim 1 wherein said crystal oscillator is an SC-cut crystal oscillator.