Temperature compensated frequency generating circuit

• US 5,870,004 A
• Filed: 10/16/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Utron Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Lu, Hung-Pin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mis, David
• Application Number:
  US08/951,735
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 331/57, 331/66, 331/111, 331/116 FE, 331/143, 331/176, 331/177 R, 331/186
• US Class Current: 331/176
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0231 Astable circuits H03K3/0315 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/03 Astable circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0322 with differential cells
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/022 by indirect stabilisation, i.e. by generating an electrical correction signal which is a function of the temperature H03L1/021 takes precedence

Abstract

The frequency of an integrated oscillator is held constant by using temperature compensation to compensate for the component variations due to temperature variations. A voltage controlled oscillator, which has temperature dependent components, is compensated with a temperature dependent control voltage. The frequency of many kinds of oscillators such as a relaxation oscillators and ring oscillators can be held constant when the operating current is held constant. The operating current is often derived from a current source, which is a voltage to current converter with a current equal to the ratio of a control voltage to a resistance. Since semiconductor resistance has a positive temperature coefficient is used to obtain a temperature invariant current source. The positive temperature coefficient is obtained with the difference junction voltage of two forward-biased pn junction voltages. The magnitude can be controlled by junction areas of the two junctions. The magnitude can also be amplified.

Claims

1. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) generator having a frequency controlled by a control voltage which varies with temperature to compensate for the temperature dependency of said frequency to obtain a temperature compensated frequency,

means to derive said control voltage by connecting a first forward-biased pn junction voltage which has a negative temperature coefficient in series with a voltage difference of two forward-biased pn junctions, said voltage difference having a positive temperature coefficient.

2. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the positive temperature coefficient is greater than the magnitude of the negative temperature coefficient to obtain a net positive temperature coefficient.

3. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the positive temperature coefficient is adjusted by using different junction areas for said two forward biased pn junctions.

4. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 2, wherein said frequency generator is a voltage-controlled relaxation oscillator.

5. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 4, wherein the frequency of the generator is determined by the charging and discharging time of a capacitor.

6. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 5, wherein the current for charging and discharging said capacitor is kept constant with varying temperature.

7. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 6, wherein said current is derived from current source which is temperature compensated.

8. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 7, wherein said current source is a voltage to current converter comprising an operational amplifier driving the gate of an MOSFET,

said operational amplifier having an inverting input connected to the source of said MOSFET and to ground through a semiconductor resistance which has a positive temperature coefficient, and

a non-inverting input connected to said control voltage with positive temperature coefficient such that the drain of said MOSFET delivers a constant current at different temperatures.

9. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 1, wherein said pn junctions are emitter junctions of two bipolar transistors with common base connected to a fixed potential, and said difference of two junction voltages derived from a voltage developed across a first resistance connected between the emitter of one of the two bipolar transistors with a lower current density and the emitter of another of the two bipolar transistors with a higher current density.

10. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 9, wherein the current flowing through said first resistance also flows throuigh a second resistance to develop a voltage across said second resistance proportional to said difference voltage and having said positive temperature coefficient.

11. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 10, wherein said voltage developed across said second resistance is connected with the emitter junction voltage of the BJT with the higher density to obtain said control voltage.

12. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 11, wherein said positive temperature coefficient is increased by increasing the ratio of said second resistance to said first resistance.

13. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 6, wherein said generator is a voltage-controlled ring oscillator with odd number inverters are connected in cascade in a ring and each one of said inverters is fed with said current source.

14. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 13, wherein said inverters are differential inverters.

15. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 13, wherein each one of said inverters is a pair of complementary MOSFETs connected in series.

16. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 1, wherein a programmable voltage buffer is used to support flexible control of said control voltage.

17. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 1, further comprises a programmable voltage buffer as a supply voltage to said VCO as an adjustable control voltage.

18. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 17, wherein said programmable voltage is temperature compensated.

19. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 1, further comprises a fixed-gain voltage buffer as a supply voltage to said VCO for fixed frequency requirement.

20. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 19, wherein said supply voltage is temperature compensated.

21. A temperature compensated constant frequency generator as described in claim 19, wherein said fixed gain is unity.