Phase detector

• US 7,046,042 B1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marvell Israel Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell Semiconductor Israel, Ltd.
• Inventors: Moshe, David, Dino, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai L.
• Application Number:
  US10/868,897
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 327 2- 4, 327 7- 10, 327/12, 327 39- 47, 327/49, 327/162, 327/163, 331/25
• US Class Current: 327/3
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 13/004 the logic means delivering pulses at more than one terminal, e.g. up and down pulses

Abstract

A phase detector includes a first flip-flop responsive to a reference clock signal, a first inverter responsive to an output of the first flip-flop, a second flip-flop responsive to a feedback clock signal, a second inverter responsive to an output of the second flip-flop, a third inverter responsive to an output of the first inverter, a fourth inverter responsive to an output of the second inverter, a first conjunction circuit responsive to the output of the first inverter and to an output of the fourth inverter, and a second conjunction circuit responsive to the output of the second inverter and to an output of the third inverter. The first conjunction circuit outputs a first alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal, and the second conjunction circuit outputs a second alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

Claims

1. A phase detector, comprising:

a first bistable circuit,

wherein the first bistable circuit is configured to receive a reference clock signal, and

wherein an output of the first bistable circuit is in communication with a first inverter circuit; and

a second bistable circuit,

wherein the second bistable circuit is configured to receive a feedback clock signal,

wherein an output of the second bistable circuit is in communication with a second inverter circuit,

wherein an output of the first inverter circuit is in communication with a first conjunction circuit and a third inverter circuit,

wherein an output of the second inverter circuit is in communication with a second conjunction circuit and a fourth inverter circuit,

wherein an output of the third inverter circuit is in communication with the second conjunction circuit, wherein an output of the fourth inverter circuit is in communication with the first conjunction circuit, and

wherein the first conjunction circuit is configured to output a first alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal and the second conjunction circuit is configured to output a second alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

2. The phase detector of claim 1, comprising:

a third bistable circuit,

wherein the third bistable circuit is configured to receive an enable signal for enabling the phase detector and to receive an inverted reference clock signal,

wherein the third bistable circuit is in communication with each of the first and second bistable circuits, and

wherein the third bistable circuit is configured to output a reset signal to each of the first and second bistable circuits.

3. The phase detector of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third bistable circuits each comprise a flip-flop circuit.

4. The phase detector of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third flip-flop circuits each comprise a D flip-flop circuit.

5. The phase detector of claim 1, wherein the first and second bistable circuits are each configured to receive an assert signal.

6. The phase detector of claim 1, wherein the first and second conjunction circuits each comprise an AND gate circuit.

7. The phase detector of claim 1, wherein the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal are each sampled on a negative edge of the reference clock signal.

8. The phase detector of claim 1, wherein the phase detector is formed on a monolithic substrate.

9. The phase detector of claim 1, comprising:

alignment circuitry for aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal,

wherein the alignment circuitry is in communication with the phase detector.

10. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a first flip-flop responsive to a reference clock signal;

a first inverter responsive to an output of the first flip-flop;

a second flip-flop responsive to a feedback clock signal;

a second inverter responsive to an output of the second flip-flop;

a third inverter responsive to an output of the first inverter;

a fourth inverter responsive to an output of the second inverter;

a first AND gate responsive to the output of the first inverter and to an output of the fourth inverter; and

a second AND gate responsive to the output of the second inverter and to an output of the third inverter.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the first AND gate is configured to output a first alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal and the second AND gate is configured to output a second alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 11, comprising:

alignment circuitry for aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 11, comprising:

a third flip-flop responsive to an enable signal and an inverted reference clock signal,

wherein an output of the third flip-flop is configured to reset each of the first and second flip-flops.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the first, second and third flip-flops each comprise a D flip-flop.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the first and second flip-flops are each configured to receive an assert signal.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal are each sampled on a negative edge of the reference clock signal.

17. A phase detector for aligning a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal, wherein the phase detector is formed on a monolithic substrate, the phase detector comprising:

a first flip-flop responsive to the reference clock signal and an assert signal;

a first inverter responsive to an output of the first flip-flop;

a second flip-flop responsive to the feedback clock signal and the assert signal;

a second inverter responsive to an output of the second flip-flop;

a third inverter responsive to an output of the first inverter;

a fourth inverter responsive to an output of the second inverter;

a first AND gate responsive to the output of the first inverter and an output of the fourth inverter;

a second AND gate responsive to the output of the second inverter and an output of the third inverter;

a third flip-flop responsive to an enable signal for enabling the phase detector and to an inverted reference clock signal,

wherein an output of the third flip-flop is configured to reset each of the first and second flip-flops, and

wherein the first AND gate is configured to output a first alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal and the second AND gate is configured to output a second alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

18. The phase detector of claim 17, wherein the first, second and third flip-flops each comprise a D flip-flop.

19. The phase detector of claim 17, wherein the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal are each sampled on a negative edge of the reference clock signal.

20. The phase detector of claim 17, comprising:

alignment circuitry for aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal.

21. A phase detector, comprising:

a first bistable means for receiving a reference clock signal and for outputting a first logical signal to a first inverter means; and

a second bistable means for receiving a feedback clock signal and for outputting a second logical signal to a second inverter means,

wherein an output of the first inverter means is in communication with a first conjunction means and a third inverter means,

wherein an output of the second inverter means is in communication with a second conjunction means and a fourth inverter means,

wherein an output of the third inverter means is in communication with the second conjunction means,

wherein an output of the fourth inverter means is in communication with the first conjunction means, and

wherein the first conjunction means is configured to output a first alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal and the second conjunction means is configured to output a second alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

22. The phase detector of claim 21, comprising:

a third bistable means for receiving an enable signal for enabling the phase detector, for receiving an inverted reference clock signal, and for outputting a reset signal to each of the first and second bistable means.

23. The phase detector of claim 22, wherein the first, second and third bistable means each comprise a flip-flop means.

24. The phase detector of claim 22, wherein the first, second and third flip-flop means each comprise a D flip-flop means.

25. The phase detector of claim 21, wherein the first and second bistable means are each configured to receive an assert signal.

26. The phase detector of claim 21, wherein the first and second conjunction means each comprise an AND gate means.

27. The phase detector of claim 21, wherein the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal are each sampled on a negative edge of the reference clock signal.

28. The phase detector of claim 21, wherein the phase detector is formed on a monolithic substrate.

29. The phase detector of claim 21, comprising:

means for aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal,

wherein the aligning means is in communication with the phase detector.

30. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a first flip-flop means for receiving a reference clock signal;

a first inverter means for receiving an output of the first flip-flop means;

a second flip-flop means for receiving a feedback clock signal;

a second inverter means for receiving an output of the second flip-flop means;

a third inverter means for receiving an output of the first inverter means;

a fourth inverter means for receiving an output of the second inverter means;

a first AND gate means for conjunctively receiving the output of the first inverter means and an output of the fourth inverter means; and

a second AND gate means for conjunctively receiving the output of the second inverter means and an output of the third inverter means.

31. The integrated circuit of claim 30, wherein the first AND gate means is configured to output a first alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal and the second AND gate means is configured to output a second alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

32. The integrated circuit of claim 31, comprising:

means for aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal.

33. The integrated circuit of claim 31, comprising:

a third flip-flop means for receiving an enable signal, for receiving an inverted reference clock signal, and for outputting a reset signal to each of the first and second flip-flop means.

34. The integrated circuit of claim 33, wherein the first, second and third flip-flop means each comprise a D flip-flop means.

35. The integrated circuit of claim 30, wherein the first and second flip-flop means are each configured to receive an assert signal.

36. The integrated circuit of claim 30, wherein the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal are each sampled on a negative edge of the reference clock signal.

37. A phase detector for aligning a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal, wherein the phase detector is formed on a monolithic substrate, the phase detector comprising:

a first flip-flop means for receiving the reference clock signal and an assert signal;

a first inverter means for receiving an output of the first flip-flop means;

a second flip-flop means for receiving the feedback clock signal and the assert signal;

a second inverter means for receiving an output of the second flip-flop means;

a third inverter means for receiving an output of the first inverter means;

a fourth inverter means for receiving an output of the second inverter means;

a first AND gate means for conjunctively receiving the output of the first inverter means and an output of the fourth inverter means;

a second AND gate means for conjunctively receiving the output of the second inverter means and an output of the third inverter means;

a third flip-flop means for receiving an enable signal for enabling the phase detector, for receiving an inverted reference clock signal, and for outputting a reset signal to each of the first and second flip-flop means,

wherein the first AND gate means is configured to output a first alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal and the second AND gate is configured to output a second alignment signal when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

38. The phase detector of claim 37, wherein the first, second and third flip-flop means each comprise a D flip-flop means.

39. The phase detector of claim 37, wherein the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal are each sampled on a negative edge of the reference clock signal.

40. The phase detector of claim 37, comprising:

means for aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal.

41. A method of aligning a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal, comprising the steps of:

a.) receiving the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal;

b.) generating a first logical output signal utilizing the reference clock signal and an assert signal;

c.) generating a second logical output signal utilizing the feedback clock signal and the assert signal;

d.) inverting the first logical output signal to generate a first inverted logical signal;

e.) inverting the first inverted logical signal to generate a second inverted logical signal;

f.) inverting the second logical output signal to generate a third inverted logical signal;

g.) inverting the third inverted logical signal to generate a fourth inverted logical signal;

h.) conjunctively combining the first inverted logical signal and the fourth inverted logical signal to output a first alignment signal,

wherein the first alignment signal is output when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal; and

i.) conjunctively combining the second inverted logical signal and the third inverted logical signal to output a second alignment signal,

wherein the second alignment signal is output when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal.

42. The method of claim 41, comprising the steps of:

j.) receiving an enable signal and an inverted reference clock signal;

k.) generating a reset signal utilizing the enable signal and the inverted clock signal; and

l.) resetting steps (b) and (c) utilizing the reset signal.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein step (k) comprises the step of:

m.) sampling the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal on a negative edge of the reference clock signal.

44. The method of claim 41, comprising the step of:

j.) aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal.

45. A method of aligning a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal, comprising the steps of:

a.) receiving an enable signal and an inverted reference clock signal;

b.) generating a reset signal utilizing the enable signal and the inverted clock signal;

c.) receiving the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal;

d.) sampling the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal on a negative edge of the reference clock signal utilizing the reset signal;

e.) generating a first logical output signal utilizing the reference clock signal and an assert signal;

f.) generating a second logical output signal utilizing the feedback clock signal and the assert signal;

g.) inverting the first logical output signal to generate a first inverted logical signal;

h.) inverting the first inverted logical signal to generate a second inverted logical signal;

i.) inverting the second logical output signal to generate a third inverted logical signal;

j.) inverting the third inverted logical signal to generate a fourth inverted logical signal;

k.) conjunctively combining the first inverted logical signal and the fourth inverted logical signal to output a first alignment signal,

wherein the first alignment signal is output when the feedback clock signal is earlier than the reference clock signal;

l.) conjunctively combining the second inverted logical signal and the third inverted logical signal to output a second alignment signal,

wherein the second alignment signal is output when the feedback clock signal is later than the reference clock signal; and

m.) aligning the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal utilizing one of the first alignment signal and the second alignment signal.