Phase locked loop with charge pump

• US 8,368,437 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Huang, Ming-Chieh, Lin, Chih-Chang, Chung, Tao Wen, Chern, Chan-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): HOUSTON, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/039,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20120223752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 327/147, 327/156
• US Class Current: 327/156
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/089 the phase or frequency detector generating up-down pulses H03L7/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0893 the up-down pulses controlling at least two source current generators or at least two sink current generators connected to different points in the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0896 the current generators being controlled by differential up-down pulses

Abstract

A phase locked loop (PLL) includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to supply an output signal. A phase frequency detector (PFD) is configured to receive a reference frequency signal and to provide a first control signal. A first charge pump is configured to receive the first control signal and to provide a first voltage signal in order to control the VCO. A second charge pump is configured to receive the first control signal and to provide a second voltage signal. A comparator is configured to receive a reference voltage signal, to compare the reference voltage signal and the second voltage signal, and to provide a second control signal. The PFD is configured to adjust at least one side slope of the first control signal based on the second control signal.

Claims

1. A phase locked loop (PLL), comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to supply an output signal;

a phase frequency detector (PFD) configured to receive a reference frequency signal and to provide a first control signal;

a first charge pump configured to receive the first control signal and to provide a first voltage signal in order to control the VCO;

a second charge pump configured to receive the first control signal and to provide a second voltage signal; and

a comparator configured to receive a reference voltage signal, to compare the reference voltage signal and the second voltage signal, and to provide a second control signal,

wherein the PFD is configured to adjust at least one side slope of the first control signal based on the second control signal.

2. The PLL of claim 1, further comprising a loop filter coupled between the first charge pump and the VCO.

3. The PLL of claim 2, wherein the loop filter is a low pass filter.

4. The PLL of claim 1, further comprising a frequency divider coupled between the VCO and the PFD.

5. The PLL of claim 1, wherein the first control signal comprises an up signal for increasing a VCO frequency of the output signal, and a down signal for decreasing the VCO frequency of the output signal.

6. The PLL of claim 5, wherein the PFD is configured to change a rising slope of the down signal based on the second control signal.

7. The PLL of claim 6, wherein the down signal is supplied through an inverter.

8. The PLL of claim 6, wherein the rising slope of the down signal is adjusted by adjusting a current capacity of a pull-up circuit.

9. The PLL of claim 8, wherein the pull-up circuit comprises a PMOS transistor and the current capacity of the pull-up circuit is adjusted by tuning a resistance coupled to the pull-up PMOS transistor.

10. The PLL of claim 8, wherein the pull-up circuit comprises at least two parallel PMOS transistors and the current capacity of the pull-up circuit is adjusted by selectively enabling the at least two parallel PMOS transistors.

11. A method for a phase locked loop (PLL), comprising:

supplying a reference frequency signal to a phase frequency detector (PFD);

the PFD providing a first control signal;

a first charge pump receiving the first control signal;

the first charge pump providing a first voltage signal;

a second charge pump receiving the first control signal;

the second charge pump providing a second voltage signal;

a comparator receiving a reference voltage signal;

the comparator providing a second control signal based on the reference voltage signal and the second voltage signal;

the PFD adjusting at least one side slope of the first control signal based on the second control signal; and

a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) supplying an output signal based on the first voltage signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising filtering the first voltage signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising supplying the filtered first voltage signal to the VCO.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the filtering is performed utilizing a low pass filter.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling a feedback signal from the output signal to the PFD.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the PFD comparing the feedback signal and the reference frequency signal.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising dividing a frequency of the output signal from the VCO by a frequency divider.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising supplying the divided output signal to the PFD.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first control signal comprises an up signal for increasing a VCO frequency of the output signal, and a down signal for decreasing the VCO frequency of the output signal, and the at least one side slope of the first control signal is a rising slope of the down signal.

20. A phase locked loop (PLL), comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to supply an output signal;

a phase frequency detector (PFD) configured to receive a reference frequency signal and to provide a first control signal;

a frequency divider arranged to receive the output signal of the VCO and coupled to the PFD;

a first charge pump configured to receive the first control signal and to provide a first voltage signal in order to control the VCO;

a second charge pump configured to receive the first control signal and to provide a second voltage signal;

a low pass filter coupled between the first charge pump and the VCO; and

a comparator configured to receive a reference voltage signal, to compare the reference voltage signal and the second voltage signal, and to provide a second control signal,

wherein the PFD is configured to adjust at least one side slope of the first control signal based on the second control signal.