System and method for variable frequency clock generation

• US 8,933,737 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV), STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Nitin, Yousuf, Junaid, Gupta, Nitin, Dautriche, Pierre, Chatterjee, Kallol
• Primary Examiner(s): HOUSTON, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US14/046,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20150002197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 327147-149, 327156-159
• US Class Current: 327/159
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/095 using a lock detector H03L7/087 takes precedence

Abstract

A variable frequency clock generator. In aspects, a clock generator includes a droop detector circuit configured to monitor a voltage supply to an integrated circuit. If the supply voltage falls below a specific threshold, a droop voltage flag may be set such that a frequency-locked loop is triggered into a droop voltage mode for handling the voltage droop at the supply voltage. In response, a current control signal that is input to an oscillator that generates a system clock signal is reduced by sinking current away from the current control signal to the oscillator. This results in an immediate reduction on the system clock frequency. Such a state remains until the voltage droop has dissipated when the current path is removed for sinking some of the current.

Claims

1. A clock generation circuit, comprising:

a detection circuit configured to detect a change in a voltage supply signal coupled to the clock generation circuit; and

a control circuit coupled to the detection circuit and configured to alter a control signal for regulating a current-controlled oscillator in response to detecting the change.

2. The clock generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to detect a voltage droop in the voltage supply signal beyond a threshold.

3. The clock generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to generate a flag indicative of the change and configured to actuate a switch in the control circuit.

4. The clock generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the current-controlled oscillator comprises a digital current-controlled oscillator.

5. The clock generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the control circuit further comprises a frequency-locked loop having:

a digital current-controlled oscillator;

a digital counter coupled to the digital current-controlled oscillator and configured to count edges of a clock signal generated by the digital current-controlled oscillator; and

a digital integrator coupled to the digital counter and configured to generate a digital control word in response to the digital counter and further configured to alter an output of the digital current-controlled oscillator in response to the generated digital control word.

6. The clock generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the oscillator further comprises:

a first digital-to-analog converter configured to provide a first control current signal to the current-controlled oscillator; and

a second digital-to-analog converter configured to remove current from the current control signal when engaged.

7. The clock generation circuit of claim 6, wherein the current-controlled oscillator further comprises a control circuit having:

a first transistor having a first conduction node coupled to a first supply node, a second conduction node coupled to the first digital-to-analog converter and a control node coupled to the second conduction node;

a second transistor having a first conduction node coupled to the first supply node, a second conduction node coupled to the second digital-to-analog converter and a control node coupled to the control node of the first transistor;

a third transistor having a first conduction node coupled to the first supply node, a second conduction node coupled to the oscillator and a control node coupled to the control node of the first transistor;

a fourth transistor having a first conduction node coupled to a second supply node, a second conduction node coupled to the second digital-to-analog converter and a control node coupled to the second conduction node of the fourth transistor;

a fifth transistor having a first conduction node coupled to the second supply node, a second conduction node and a control node coupled to the control node of the fourth transistor; and

a switch controllable by the detection circuit and coupled between the oscillator and the second conduction node of the fifth transistor.

8. The clock generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit further comprises:

a comparator configured to compare a supply voltage signal to a threshold signal;

a resistor ladder coupled to the comparator and configured to generate the threshold signal; and

a controller coupled to the resistor ladder and configured to control the generation of the threshold signal.

9. The clock generation circuit of claim 8, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to generate a flag if the comparator determines that the supply voltage signal falls below the threshold signal, the flag configured to cause the control circuit to alter the control signal used to regulate the oscillator.

10. A method, comprising:

monitoring a supply voltage;

generating a digital control word for generating the clock signal; and

in response to detecting the supply voltage falling below a threshold, causing a clock signal to be reduced by ramping the digital control word toward generating a clock signal with a lower frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reduction of the clock signal further comprises reducing the clock signal to half.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a control current having a first magnitude for generating the clock signal prior to the detecting the supply voltage falling below a threshold; and

generating the control current having a second magnitude that is one half of the first magnitude after the detecting the supply voltage falling below a threshold.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a condition flag in response to the detecting the supply voltage falling below a threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising closing a switch in response to the generation of the condition flag.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising counting the clock cycles during the time that the condition flag is set and clearing the condition flag after a threshold count is reached.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising clearing the condition flag in response to detecting the supply voltage rising above the threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating a digital control word configured to ramp the clock frequency toward an initial frequency.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the ramp comprises a linear ramp.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the ramp comprises an exponential ramp.

20. A method, comprising:

generating a clock signal in a frequency locked loop, the frequency of the clock signal controlled by a control signal;

in response to detecting a supply voltage falling below a threshold voltage;

subtracting current from the control signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the current subtracted comprises one half of the current of the control signal prior to the detecting.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the current subtracted is subtracted immediately after the detecting.

23. A system, comprising:

a voltage supply node

a first electronic component having a clock generator circuit and coupled to the voltage supply node, including;

a detection circuit configured to detect a change in voltage at the voltage supply node; and

a control circuit coupled to the detection circuit and configured to alter a control signal for regulating a current-controlled oscillator in response to detecting the change; and

a second electronic component coupled to the first electronic component.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein one of the first and second electronic components comprises a processor.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein one of the first and second electronic components comprises single integrated circuit die.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein one of the first and second electronic components comprises multiple integrated circuit dies.

27. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a voltage supply node;

a detection circuit configured to detect a change in voltage at the voltage supply node; and

a control circuit coupled to the detection circuit and configured to subtract current from a control signal for regulating a system clock in response to detecting the change.

28. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a voltage supply node

a detection circuit configured to detect a change in voltage at the voltage supply node; and

a control circuit coupled to the detection circuit and configured to engage a current sink that sinks half of a current of a control signal for regulating a system clock in response to detecting the change.

29. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a voltage supply node

a detection circuit configured to detect a change in voltage at the voltage supply node; and

a control circuit coupled to the detection circuit and configured to immediately ramp a system clock signal in response to detecting the change.