Lock detector for phase lock loop
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to provide a plurality of phases of a local clock signal;
a phase comparator configured to receive a phase of the local clock signal and a reference clock signal, and configured to detect a phase error between the phase of the local clock signal and the reference clock and to responsively output a phase-error signal;
a frequency-lock assist (FLA) circuit configured to receive two or more phases of the local clock signal and the reference clock signal, and configured to generate an FLA signal by detecting a number of phases of the two or more phases of the local clock signal having transitions of latched values, the FLA signal indicative of a magnitude of a frequency error between the reference clock signal and the local clock signal; and
an error accumulator circuit configured to receive the phase-error signal and the FLA signal, and to responsively provide to the VCO a VCO control signal to lock the local clock signal to the reference clock signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are described for generating, using a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a plurality of phases of a local clock signal, generating a phase-error signal using a phase comparator receive a phase of the local clock signal and a reference clock signal, and configured to output the phase-error signal, generating a frequency-lock assist (FLA) signal using a FLA circuit receiving one or more phases of the local clock signal and the reference clock signal, the FLA signal indicative of a magnitude of a frequency error between the reference clock signal and the local clock signal, and generating a VCO control signal using an error accumulator circuit receiving the phase-error signal and the FLA signal, and responsively providing the VCO control signal to the VCO to lock the local clock signal to the reference clock signal.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to provide a plurality of phases of a local clock signal; a phase comparator configured to receive a phase of the local clock signal and a reference clock signal, and configured to detect a phase error between the phase of the local clock signal and the reference clock and to responsively output a phase-error signal; a frequency-lock assist (FLA) circuit configured to receive two or more phases of the local clock signal and the reference clock signal, and configured to generate an FLA signal by detecting a number of phases of the two or more phases of the local clock signal having transitions of latched values, the FLA signal indicative of a magnitude of a frequency error between the reference clock signal and the local clock signal; and an error accumulator circuit configured to receive the phase-error signal and the FLA signal, and to responsively provide to the VCO a VCO control signal to lock the local clock signal to the reference clock signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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generating, using a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a plurality of phases of a local clock signal; receiving a phase of the local clock signal and a reference clock signal at a phase comparator and responsively generating and outputting a phase-error signal; generating a frequency-lock assist (FLA) signal using a FLA circuit receiving one or more phases of the local clock signal and the reference clock signal, the FLA signal generated by detecting a number of phases of the two or more phases of the local signal having transitions of latched values, the FLA signal indicative of a magnitude of a frequency error between the reference clock signal and the local clock signal; and generating a VCO control signal using an error accumulator circuit receiving the phase-error signal and the FLA signal, and responsively providing the VCO control signal to the VCO to lock the local clock signal to the reference clock signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification