Phase locked loop frequency synthesizer

• US 7,292,119 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Urakawa, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US11/087,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 331/179, 331/16, 331/44, 331/11, 331/117.R
• US Class Current: 331/179
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/099 concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop

Abstract

The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer, includes: an LC-tank circuit which includes an inductor and a variable capacitor in which the capacity changes depending on the input voltage; a group of fixed-value capacitors which is connected to the LC-tank circuit in parallel; a voltage control oscillating unit which outputs a signal with a frequency determined by the LC-tank circuit and the group of fixed-value capacitors; a phase control unit which generates an output current based on an error operator between a first signal with a divided frequency of a reference frequency and a second signal with a divided frequency of the frequency output from the voltage control oscillating unit; a fixed-value capacitor controlling unit which outputs a selection signal which determines the combination of the fixed-value capacitors to be connected to the LC-tank circuit in parallel based on a frequency dividing ratio setting signal including information about dividing ratio of the second signal, and controls the connection of the fixed-value capacitors selected from the group of fixed-value capacitors based on the selection signal to the LC-tank circuit in parallel; and a variable capacitor controlling unit which selects either one of a fixed bias voltage and the voltage obtained by converting the output current output from the phase control unit and inputs the selected voltage to the variable capacitor of the LC-tank circuit.

Claims

1. A phase locked loop frequency synthesizer, comprising:

an LC-tank circuit which includes an inductor and a variable capacitor in which a capacitance changes depending on an input voltage;

a group of fixed-value capacitors which are selectively connected to said LC-tank circuit in parallel;

a voltage controlled oscillating unit which outputs a signal with a frequency determined by said LC-tank circuit and said group of fixed-value capacitors;

a phase control unit which generates an output current based on an error operator between a first signal with a divided frequency of a reference frequency and a second signal with a divided frequency of said frequency output from said voltage controlled oscillating unit;

a fixed-value capacitor controlling unit which outputs a selection signal which determines a combination of said fixed-value capacitors to be connected to said LC-tank circuit based on a frequency dividing ratio setting signal including information about a dividing ratio of said second signal, and controls the connection of said fixed-value capacitors selected from said group of fixed-value capacitors based on said selection signal; and

a variable capacitor controlling unit which selects either one of a fixed bias voltage and a voltage obtained by converting said output current output from said phase control unit and inputs the selected voltage to said variable capacitor of said LC-tank circuit,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes;

a first counter which counts said first signal;

a second counter which counts a count number of said second signal while said first counter counts predetermined numbers of said first signal;

a calculation unit that calculates an ideal value for said count number of said second signal while said predetermined numbers of said first signal is counted; and

a comparator which compares said count number counted by said second counter and said ideal value and outputs a differential operator thereof,

said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit correcting said selection signal based on said differential operator.

2. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit is operated to change the selection signal to determine an optimal selection signal while said variable capacitor controlling unit selects said fixed bias voltage, and said variable capacitor controlling unit is operated to select said voltage obtained by converting said output current output from said phase control unit while said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit is fixed to output said optimal selection signal.

3. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 2, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on said frequency dividing ratio setting signal.

4. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 2, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a count number setting unit which accepts a setting of a judgment accuracy of said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit and sets said predetermined numbers of said first signal based on said judgment accuracy.

5. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 2, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a memory unit which stores said differential operator obtained by said comparator when said selection signal is determined based on a center of frequency of a used frequency bandwidth, as an initial differential operator,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on said initial differential operator when said initial differential operator is stored in said memory unit.

6. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on said frequency dividing ratio setting signal.

7. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 6, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a count number setting unit which accepts a setting of a judgment accuracy of said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit and sets said predetermined numbers of said first signal based on said judgment accuracy.

8. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 6, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a memory unit which stores said differential operator obtained by said comparator when said selection signal is determined based on a center of frequency of a used frequency bandwidth, as an initial differential operator,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on said initial differential operator when said initial differential operator is stored in said memory unit.

9. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a count number setting unit which accepts a setting of a judgment accuracy of said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit and sets said predetermined numbers of said first signal based on said judgment accuracy.

10. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 9, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a memory unit which stores said differential operator obtained by said comparator when said selection signal is determined based on a center of frequency of a used frequency bandwidth, as an initial differential operator,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on said initial differential operator when said initial differential operator is stored in said memory unit.

11. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 9, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a judging unit which judges whether said differential operator output from said comparator is within a predetermined convergence range,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit outputs a termination signal indicating a termination of the a process of said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit.

12. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a memory unit which stores said differential operator obtained by said comparator when said selection signal is determined based on a center of frequency of a used frequency bandwidth, as an initial differential operator,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on said initial differential operator when said initial differential operator is stored in said memory unit.

13. The phase locked loop frequency synthesizer as set forth in claim 12, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a judging unit which judges whether said differential operator output from said comparator is within a predetermined convergence range,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit outputs a termination signal indicating a termination of a process of said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit.

14. A fixed-value capacitor controlling unit for a phase locked loop frequency synthesizer, said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit comprising:

a first counter which counts a first signal representing a reference frequency;

a second counter which counts, while said first counter counts predetermined numbers of said first signal, a second signal representing a frequency output by an oscillating unit of said phase locked loop frequency synthesizer;

a calculation unit that calculates an ideal value for said count number of said second signal; and

a comparator which compares said count number counted by said second counter and said ideal value to output a differential operator thereof,

said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit providing, based on said differential operator, a selection signal which determines a combination of fixed-value capacitors to be connected to an LC-tank circuit of said phase locked loop frequency synthesizer.

15. The fixed-value capacitor controlling unit as set forth in claim 14, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on a frequency dividing ratio setting signal.

16. The fixed-value capacitor controlling unit as set forth in claim 14, wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit includes a count number setting unit which accepts a setting of a judgment accuracy of said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit and sets a size of said predetermined numbers of said first signal based on said judgment accuracy.

17. The fixed-value capacitor controlling unit as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a memory unit which stores said differential operator obtained by said comparator when said selection signal is determined based on a center of frequency of a used frequency bandwidth, as an initial differential operator,

wherein said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit determines an initial value of said selection signal based on said initial differential operator when said initial differential operator is stored in said memory unit.

18. A phase locked loop frequency synthesizer, comprising:

a fixed-value capacitor controlling unit comprising;

a first counter which counts a first signal representing a reference frequency;

a second counter which counts a second signal representing a frequency output by an oscillating unit of said phase locked loop frequency synthesizer;

a calculation unit that calculates an ideal value for said count number of said second signal; and

a comparator which compares said count number counted by said second counter and said ideal value to output a differential operator thereof,

said fixed-value capacitor controlling unit correcting, based on said differential operator to output to voltage control oscillating, a selection signal which determines a combination of fixed-value capacitors to be connected to an LC-tank circuit of said phase locked loop frequency synthesizer.