Producing a desired frequency using a controlled oscillator with known temperature sensitivity

• US 8,975,970 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Sonntag, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US12/774,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 331/1.A, 331/1.R, 331/16, 331/18, 331/34, 331/44, 331 46- 49, 331/65, 331/66, 331/176, 327/146, 327/147, 327/155, 327/156, 375373-376
• US Class Current: 331/34
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/099 concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop

Abstract

A controlled oscillator is tuned to produce a desired, temperature independent frequency. A first frequency ratio is determined between a first frequency of the output signal generated by the controlled oscillator and a frequency of an output signal from another oscillator. The first frequency is determined based on a sensed temperature. A desired frequency of the output signal of the controlled oscillator is used to determine a desired frequency ratio between the desired frequency and the frequency of the output signal from the other oscillator. The controlled oscillator is tuned and the frequency ratio measured until the tuning has caused the desired frequency ratio to be achieved, thereby causing the controlled oscillator to provide the desired frequency.

Claims

1. A method of producing an output signal having a desired frequency from a controlled oscillator comprising:

measuring a temperature associated with the controlled oscillator at a predetermined setting of the controlled oscillator;

determining a first frequency of the output signal of the controlled oscillator based on the measured temperature;

receiving the output signal and another output signal from another oscillator at a frequency ratio measuring circuit;

calculating a first frequency ratio in the frequency ratio measuring circuit by comparing the determined first frequency of the output signal generated by the controlled oscillator and a second frequency of the other output signal from the other oscillator;

calculating a desired frequency ratio between the desired frequency of the output signal generated by the controlled oscillator and the second frequency of the other output signal from the other oscillator, using the first frequency ratio and the desired frequency;

changing the output signal to have the desired frequency by tuning the controlled oscillator until the desired frequency ratio is substantially achieved.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein changing the output signal to have the desired frequency further comprises determining respective additional frequency ratios responsive to respective changes in the tuning until the desired frequency ratio is substantially achieved.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

determining a first plurality of the additional frequency ratios in the frequency ratio measuring circuit using a first measurement interval; and

using a second measurement interval, longer than the first, to determine at least one of the additional frequency ratios.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising setting the first measurement interval by supplying a first counter clocked with the other output signal with a first predetermined value and setting the second measurement by supplying the first counter with a second predetermined value.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the tuning of the controlled oscillator comprises employing a search algorithm to determine tuning control values.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein measuring the first frequency ratio comprises:

counting a predetermined value in a first counter clocked using the other output signal from the other oscillator; and

counting in a second counter clocked using the output signal from the controlled oscillator and stopping counting when the predetermined value has been counted by the first counter, a value in the second counter upon stopping corresponding to the first frequency ratio.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the predetermined value is fixed.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

after achieving the desired frequency ratio, adjusting tuning of the controlled oscillator in response to a temperature change.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the desired frequency ratio (R_desired) is calculated as

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting coarse tuning of the controlled oscillator responsive to one or more frequency ratios and adjusting fine tuning of the controlled oscillator responsive to another of the frequency ratios to substantially reach the desired frequency ratio.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second oscillator output signal has a frequency that is not accurately known.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising after the desired frequency ratio is substantially achieved, producing the output signal with the desired frequency from the controllable oscillator without use of the other oscillator.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a controlled oscillator to supply a controlled oscillator output signal;

a second oscillator to supply a second oscillator output signal;

a frequency ratio measurement circuit coupled to the controlled oscillator output signal and the second oscillator output signal, and to generate and to supply respective indications of measured frequency ratios between the controlled oscillator output signal and the second oscillator output signal; and

a control circuit coupled to receive the indications of the measured frequency ratios and compare the measured frequency ratios to a desired frequency ratio and to adjust tuning of the controlled oscillator until the desired frequency ratio is substantially achieved between a desired frequency of the controlled oscillator output signal and the second oscillator output signal,

wherein the desired frequency ratio is calculated using the desired frequency and a first frequency ratio, wherein the first frequency ratio is calculated by comparing a determined first frequency of the controlled oscillator output signal and a second frequency of the second oscillator output signal.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to supply a temperature measurement to the control circuit.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the frequency ratio measurement circuit further comprises:

a first counter coupled to count the controlled oscillator output signal; and

a second counter coupled to count the second oscillator output signal;

wherein the first counter is configured to begin counting when the second counter begins counting and to stop counting when the second counter has counted a predetermined value.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein after the first counter stops counting, a count value in the first counter corresponds to the indication of the frequency ratio.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the control circuit controls a duration during which each of the frequency ratios is determined by supplying the predetermined value.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein the control circuit is configured to vary the duration during which at least one of the frequency ratios is determined as compared to other of the frequency ratios, by using a different predetermined value during determination of the at least one of the frequency ratios.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the control circuit is configured to employ a search algorithm to adjust tuning of the controlled oscillator, until the measured frequency ratio is substantially the same as the desired frequency ratio.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the controlled oscillator and second oscillator are disposed on a single integrated circuit die.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the control circuit is operable to adjust coarse tuning of the controlled oscillator responsive to one or more of the measured frequency ratios and adjust fine tuning of the controlled oscillator responsive to another of the measured frequency ratios.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the first frequency of the controlled oscillator output signal based on a measured temperature associated with the controlled oscillator at a predetermined setting of the controlled oscillator.

23. A computer program stored on computer readable storage media, operable when executed on a processor to cause the processor:

to determine a first frequency of a controlled oscillator output signal from a controlled oscillator based on a measured temperature at a predetermined setting of the controlled oscillator to thereby determine a known first frequency;

to calculate a first frequency ratio between the known first frequency of the controlled oscillator output signal and a second frequency of a second oscillator output signal from a second oscillator;

to calculate a desired frequency ratio between a desired frequency of the controlled oscillator output signal and a frequency of a second oscillator output signal from a second oscillator, using the first frequency ratio and the desired frequency; and

to iteratively provide control values to tune the controlled oscillator until a measured frequency ratio between the controlled oscillator output signal and the second oscillator output signal is substantially equal to the desired frequency ratio.

24. The computer program stored as recited in claim 23 wherein the desired frequency ratio (R_desired) is