Crystal oscillator with controlled duty cycle

• US 6,028,491 A
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Seymour, Michael J., Stanchak, Carl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIS, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US09/069,696
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 331/66, 331/74, 331/75, 331/111, 331/116 FE, 331/143, 331/158, 331/175, 331/176, 332/109, 332/110, 375/238, 327/175
• US Class Current: 331/75
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/011 Modifications of generator to compensate for variations in physical values, e.g. voltage, temperature to maintain energy constant H03K3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/017 Adjustment of width or dutycycle of pulses pulse width modulation H03K7/08 ; to maintain energy constant H03K3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0231 Astable circuits H03K3/0315 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0233 Bistable circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/1565 the output pulses having a constant duty cycle

Abstract

An oscillator circuit having a first node oscillating with a first indeterminate duty cycle and having a second node oscillating with a predetermined second duty cycle. Both nodes oscillate at similar frequencies. A variable current source and a switch are coupled in series between Vcc and ground with the output of the variable current source being the second node. The first node controls the switch, which is closed when the first node is at a first logic state and is opened when it is at a second logic state. During each cycle, a monitoring circuit measures the time span that the first node is at the first logic state and adjusts the magnitude of the variable current source to make it directly proportional to the measured time span. By adjusting the variable current source, the second node can be made to reach a desired voltage level in a desired amount of time during each cycle. In a second embodiment, a current limiting transistor is inserted between the second node and the switch. The current limiting transistor is controlled by the monitoring circuit and is made to reduce the influence of the switch on the second node as the duty cycle of the first node approaches the predetermined second duty cycle.

Claims

1. An oscillator with controlled duty cycle comprising:

a first power rail and a second power rail;

a variable current source having a first terminal, a second terminal and a first control input, said first terminal being coupled to said first power rail, said second terminal being coupled to an intermediate output node;

a switching means having a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and further having a second control input for receiving an oscillating signal having a first duty cycle and oscillating between a first logic state and a second logic state, said third terminal being coupled to said intermediate output node, said fourth terminal being coupled to said second power rail, said switching means being effective for closing and coupling said third terminal to said second power rail in response to said oscillating signal being at said first logic state and effective for opening and isolating said third terminal from said second power rail in response to said oscillating signal being at said second logic state;

a duty cycle monitoring means including a logic inverter, a current starved inverter, a first constant current source having a first control current, and a second constant current source having a second control current, said logic inverter being responsive to said intermediate output node, the output of said logic inverter being coupled to said current starved inverter, said current starved inverter having a pull-up rate dependent on said first control current and having a pull-down rate dependent on said second control current, said current starved inverter being effective for generating a magnitude control output;

coupling means for coupling said magnitude control output to said first control input of said variable current source, said variable current source being effective for generating a current magnitude proportional to said magnitude control output, the ratio of said first control current to said second control current being effective for establishing a predetermined second duty cycle at said intermediate output node.

2. The oscillator of claim 1, wherein said current magnitude generated by said variable current source in response to said magnitude control output is effective for raising said intermediate node to a predetermined voltage value in a predetermined amount of time during each cycle of said oscillating signal.

3. The oscillator of claim 2, wherein said variable current source has a maximum current magnitude sufficient for raising said intermediate output node to said predetermined voltage value in said predetermined amount of time while said switching means is closed.

4. The oscillator of claim 1 further including a variable resistor coupled between said first terminal of said variable current source and said first power rail, said variable resistor being responsive to a power and temperature insensitive control circuit.

5. The oscillator of claim 1 further including a variable resistor coupled between said intermediate output node and said third terminal of said switching means, said variable resistor being responsive to said magnitude control output.

6. The oscillator of claim 1 further including a second switching means coupled between said intermediate output node and said third terminal of said first switching means, said second switching means being responsive to said duty cycle monitoring means and effective for isolating said intermediate output node from said first switching means in response to said oscillating signal being at said first logic state for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The oscillator of claim 6 wherein said second switching means is responsive to said magnitude control output from said duty cycle monitoring means.

8. The oscillator of claim 1 wherein said intermediate output node is coupled to an amplifier.

9. The oscillator of claim 1 further including a non-inverting amplifier circuit responsive to said logic inverter and effective for producing an output clock pulse having a duty cycle substantially similar to said predetermined second duty cycle.

10. The oscillator of claim 1 wherein said coupling means for coupling said magnitude control output to said first control input of said variable current source is a low pass filter.

11. The oscillator of claim 10 wherein said low pass filter includes a capacitor coupled between said first control input of said variable current source and said second power rail.

12. The oscillator of claim 1 further including a crystal oscillator circuit for producing said oscillating signal, said crystal oscillator circuit including a crystal, a resistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a transistor, and a constant current source;

said crystal and said resistor being coupled in parallel between a first oscillator node and a second oscillator node, said first capacitor being coupled between said first oscillator node and said second power rail, said second capacitor coupled between said second oscillator node and said second power rail;

said transistor having a source electrode, a drain electrode and a control gate, said source electrode being coupled to said second power rail, said drain electrode being coupled to said second oscillator node and said control gate being coupled to said first oscillator node, said constant current source being coupled between said drain electrode and said first power rail.

13. An oscillator with controlled duty cycle comprising:

a first power rail and a second power rail;

a variable current source having a first terminal, a second terminal and a first control input, said first terminal being coupled to said first power rail, said second terminal being coupled to an intermediate output node;

a transistor having a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and further having a second control input for receiving an oscillating signal having a first duty cycle and oscillating between a first logic state and a second logic state, said third terminal being coupled to said intermediate output node, said fourth terminal being coupled to said second power rail, said transistor being turned ON and moving the voltage potential at said third terminal toward said second power rail at a fixed rate in response to said oscillating signal being at said first logic state and being turned OFF and isolating said third terminal from said second power rail in response to said oscillating signal being at said second logic state;

a duty cycle monitoring means including a logic inverter, a current starved inverter, a first constant current source having a first control current, and a second constant current source having a second control current, said logic inverter being responsive to said intermediate output node, the output of said logic inverter being coupled to said current starved inverter, said current starved inverter having a pull-up rate dependent on said first control current and having a pull-down rate dependent on said second control current, said current starved inverter being effective for producing a magnitude control output, the ratio of said first control current to said second control current being effective for establishing a predetermined second duty cycle at said intermediate output node;

coupling means for coupling said magnitude control output to said first control input of said variable current source, said variable current source being effective for generating a current magnitude proportional to said magnitude control output and effective for moving the voltage potential of said intermediate output node toward said first power rail at a rate dependent on said current magnitude.

14. The oscillator of claim 13, wherein said current magnitude generated by said variable current source in response to said magnitude control output is effective for raising said intermediate node to a predetermined voltage value in a predetermined amount of time during each cycle of said oscillating signal.

15. The oscillator of claim 14, wherein said variable current source has a maximum current magnitude effective for raising said intermediate node to said predetermined voltage value in said predetermined amount of time while said transistor is ON.

16. The oscillator of claim 13 further including a variable resistor coupled between said first terminal of said variable current source and said first power rail, said variable resistor being responsive to a power and temperature insensitive control circuit.

17. The oscillator of claim 13 further including a variable resistor coupled between said intimidate output and said third terminal of said transistor, said variable resistor being responsive to said magnitude control output from said duty cycle monitoring means.

18. The oscillator of claim 13 further including a switching means coupled between said intermediate output node and said third terminal of said transistor, said switching means being responsive to said duty cycle monitoring means and effective for isolating said intermediate output node from said transistor in response to said oscillating signal being at said first logic state for a predetermined amount of time.

19. The oscillator of claim 18 wherein said switching means is responsive to said magnitude control output from said duty cycle monitoring means.

20. The oscillator of claim 13 wherein said intermediate output node is coupled to a noninverting amplifier.

21. The oscillator of claim 13 further including a non-inverting amplifier circuit responsive to said logic inverter and effective for producing an output clock pulse having a duty cycle substantially similar to said predetermined second duty cycle.

22. The oscillator of claim 13 wherein said coupling means for coupling said magnitude control output to said first control input of said variable current source is a low pass filter.

23. The oscillator of claim 22 wherein said low pass filter includes a capacitor coupled between said first control input of said variable current source and said second power rail.

24. The oscillator of claim 13 further including a crystal oscillator circuit for producing said oscillating signal, said crystal oscillator circuit including a crystal, a resistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a second transistor, and a constant current source;

said crystal and said resistor being coupled in parallel between a first oscillator node and a second oscillator node, said first capacitor being coupled between said first oscillator node and said second power rail, said second capacitor coupled between said second oscillator node and said second power rail;

said transistor having a source electrode, a drain electrode and a control gate, said source electrode being coupled to said second power rail, said drain electrode being coupled to said second oscillator node and said control gate being coupled to said first oscillator node, said constant current source being coupled between said drain electrode and said first power rail.

25. An oscillator with controlled duty cycle comprising:

a first power rail and a second power rail;

a variable current source having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a first control input, said first terminal being coupled to said first power rail, said second terminal being coupled to an intermediate output node;

a first transistor having a third terminal, a fourth terminal, and a second control input, said third terminal being coupled to said intermediate output node;

a first switching means having a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal, and further having a third control input for receiving an oscillating signal having a first duty cycle and oscillating between a first logic state and a second logic state, said fifth terminal being coupled to said fourth terminal of said first transistor, said sixth terminal being coupled to said second power rail, said first switching means being effective for closing and coupling said fifth terminal to said second power rail in response to said oscillating signal being at said first logic state and effective for opening and isolating said fifth terminal from said second power rail in response to said oscillating signal being at said second logic state;

a duty cycle monitoring means for triggering a magnitude control output in response to said oscillating signal being at said first logic state, the triggering of said magnitude control output causing it to vary with time in a manner indicative of time, said magnitude control output being coupled to said second control input, said first transistor being effective for isolating said intermediate output node from said first switching means in response to said oscillating signal being at said first logic state for a predetermined amount of time;

coupling means for coupling said magnitude control output to said first control input of said variable current source.

26. The oscillator of claim 25 wherein said variable current source is effective for generating a current magnitude proportional to said magnitude control output and effective for moving the voltage potential of said intermediate output node toward said first power rail at a rate dependent on said current magnitude.

27. The oscillator of claim 25 wherein said duty cycle monitoring mean is coupled to said third control input of said first switching means and effective for observing said oscillating signal directly.

28. The oscillator of claim 25 wherein said duty cycle monitoring mean is coupled to monitor said intermediate output node.

29. The oscillator of claim 25 further including a variable resistor coupled between said first terminal of said variable current source and said first power rail, said variable resistor being responsive to a power and temperature insensitive control circuit.

30. The oscillator of claim 25 wherein said intermediate output node is coupled to an amplifier.

31. The oscillator of claim 25 wherein said first control input of said variable current source is connected to said second control input of said first transistor.

32. The oscillator of claim 31 wherein said first switching means is a second transistor.

33. The oscillator of claim 32 wherein said first and second transistors are MOS transistors.

34. The oscillator of claim 31 wherein said duty cycle monitoring means includes a logic inverter, a current starved inverter, a first constant current source having a first control current, and a second constant current source having a second control current;

said logic inverter being responsive to said intermediate output node, the output of said logic inverter being coupled to said current starved inverter, said current starved inverter having a pull-up rate dependent on said first control current and having a pull-down rate dependent on said second control current, said current starved inverter being effective for generating said magnitude control output, the ratio of said first control current to said second control current being effective for establishing a predetermined second duty cycle at said intermediate output node.

35. The oscillator of claim 34 further including a non-inverting amplifier circuit responsive to said logic inverter for producing an output clock pulse having a duty cycle substantially similar to said predetermined second duty cycle.

36. The oscillator of claim 34 wherein said coupling means for coupling said magnitude control output to said first control input of said variable current source is a low pass filter.

37. The oscillator of claim 36 wherein said low pass filter includes a capacitor coupled between said first control input of said variable current source and said second power rail.

38. The oscillator of claim 36 wherein said variable current source is a second transistor and said first switching means is a third transistor.

39. The oscillator of claim 38 further including a power and temperature insensitive current source, a first current mirror, a second current mirror, a third current mirror, and a crystal oscillator circuit;

said crystal oscillator circuit being effective for producing said oscillating signal and further including a crystal, a resistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a fourth transistor, and a fourth current mirror, said crystal and said resistor being coupled in parallel between a first oscillator node and a second oscillator node, said first capacitor being coupled between said first oscillator node and said second power rail, said second capacitor coupled between said second oscillator node and said second power rail, said fourth transistor having a source electrode, a drain electrode and a control gate, said source electrode being coupled to said second power rail, said drain electrode being coupled to said second oscillator node and said control gate being coupled to said first oscillator node, said fourth current mirror being coupled between said drain electrode and said first power rail and being effective for providing a first reference current proportional to said power and temperature insensitive current source;

said first current mirror being coupled between said first power rail and said variable current source and being effective for providing a second reference current proportional to said power and temperature insensitive current source;

said second current mirror being said first constant current source and said first control current being proportional to said power and temperature insensitive current source;

said third current mirror being said second constant current source and said second control current being proportional to said power and temperature insensitive current source.