An oscillator for use in pulse communication of pulse signals with a startup latency and a pulse oscillation signal (such as for use in a transmitter for OOK pulse communication with pulse modulation). The oscillator includes an LC resonator having a tank impedance, and including a high-side node (Vp), and a low-side node Vn, and having a tank voltage corresponding to [Vp-Vn]. A pulse startup circuit, includes a PMOS transistor with a source connected to a supply voltage VDD, and a drain connected through a resistance R to the Vp node (where R is significantly larger than the tank impedance), and connected to an attenuation capacitance, in parallel with the resistance R. The PMOS control terminal is coupled to receive a kick start pulse to initiate a pulse signal. the oscillator can include high-side and low-side pulse startup circuits.

This document presents an oscillator circuit and method. The oscillator circuit has a crystal to generate an oscillating voltage signal, a load capacitor coupled to the crystal, a capacitive element, and a switching circuit. The switching circuit alternately connects the capacitive element to the load capacitor and disconnects the capacitive element from the load capacitor. The presented oscillator circuit shows the advantages of a lower power consumption and a smaller circuit area.

A switching inductor device having a first port and a second port includes a first inductor and a second inductor with a switch circuit. The first inductor is coupled between the first port and the second port. The second inductor and the switch circuit are connected in series, and are coupled between the first port and the second port; the first inductor and the second inductor are connected in parallel when the switch circuit is turned on.

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit is disclosed. The VCO circuit comprises a VCO tuning circuit comprising a primary inductive coil. In some embodiments, the VCO tuning circuit is configured to generate a VCO output signal at a first resonance frequency. The VCO circuit further comprises a filter circuit comprising a secondary inductive coil. In some embodiments, the filter circuit is configured to resonate at a second, different, resonance frequency, in order to filter a noise associated with the VCO tuning circuit. In some embodiments, the primary inductive coil associated with the VCO tuning circuit and the secondary inductive coil associated with the filter circuit are concentrically arranged with respect to one another. Further, in some embodiments, the primary inductive coil associated with the VCO tuning circuit and the secondary inductive coil associated with the filter circuit are magnetically decoupled with respect to one another.

A method and apparatus for performing a two-point calibration of a VCO in a PLL is disclosed. The method includes determining a first steady state tuning voltage of the VCO with no modulation voltage applied. Thereafter, an iterative process may be performed wherein a modulation voltage is applied to the VCO (along with the tuning voltage) and a modified divisor is applied to the divider circuit in the feedback loop. During each iteration, after the PLL is settled, the tuning voltage is measured and a difference between the current value and the first value is determined. If the current and first values of the turning voltage are not equal, another iteration may be performed, modifying at least one of the modulation voltage and the divisor, and determining the difference between the current and first values of the tuning voltage.

Semiconductor devices and methods relating to the semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes a resonant clock circuit. The semiconductor device further includes an inductor. The semiconductor device also includes a magnetic layer formed of a magnetic material disposed in between a portion of the resonant clock circuit and the inductor. Clock signals of the resonant clock circuit are utilized by the magnetic layer.

The invention relates to a radio frequency oscillator, the radio frequency oscillator comprising a resonator circuit being resonant at an excitation of the resonator circuit in a differential mode and at an excitation of the resonator circuit in a common mode, wherein the resonator circuit has a differential mode resonance frequency at the excitation in the differential mode, and wherein the resonator circuit has a common mode resonance frequency at the excitation in the common mode, a first excitation circuit being configured to excite the resonator circuit in the differential mode to obtain a differential mode oscillator signal oscillating at the differential mode resonance frequency, and a second excitation circuit being configured to excite the resonator circuit in the common mode to obtain a common mode oscillator signal oscillating at the common mode resonance frequency.

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit is disclosed. The VCO circuit comprises a VCO tuning circuit comprising a primary inductive coil. In some embodiments, the VCO tuning circuit is configured to generate a VCO output signal at a first resonance frequency. The VCO circuit further comprises a filter circuit comprising a secondary inductive coil. In some embodiments, the filter circuit is configured to resonate at a second, different, resonance frequency, in order to filter a noise associated with the VCO tuning circuit. In some embodiments, the primary inductive coil associated with the VCO tuning circuit and the secondary inductive coil associated with the filter circuit are concentrically arranged with respect to one another. Further, in some embodiments, the primary inductive coil associated with the VCO tuning circuit and the secondary inductive coil associated with the filter circuit are magnetically decoupled with respect to one another.

The invention relates to a resonator circuit, the resonator circuit comprising a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding is inductively coupled with the secondary winding, a primary capacitor being connected to the primary winding, the primary capacitor and the primary winding forming a primary circuit, and a secondary capacitor being connected to the secondary winding, the secondary capacitor and the secondary winding forming a secondary circuit, wherein the resonator circuit has a common mode resonance frequency at an excitation of the primary circuit in a common mode, wherein the resonator circuit has a differential mode resonance frequency at an excitation of the primary circuit in a differential mode, and wherein the common mode resonance frequency is different from the differential mode resonance frequency.

An oscillator includes: an external terminal, a resonator, and an oscillation circuit that oscillates the resonator, in which the oscillation circuit includes an amplification circuit and a current source which supplies a current to the amplification circuit, in which the current is set according to a first control signal which is input from the external terminal and a drive level of the resonator is changed according to the setting of the current.