A signal generator includes a processing unit. The signal generator is configured to generate at least one periodic output signal. The output signal comprises a triangular-waveform signal. A frequency and an amplitude of the output signal are adjustable. The signal generator is configured to receive an input parameter. The input parameter comprises at least one piece of information about a setpoint amplitude and a setpoint frequency of the output signal. The processing unit is configured to determine a signal direction of the output signal. The processing unit is configured to determine a step size. The processing unit is configured to apply the step size to an actual amplitude based on the signal direction for a number of clock cycles. The number of clock cycles is dependent on the setpoint frequency of the output signal.

A signal distribution system includes: a first signal divider arranged to generate a first output oscillating signal according to a first input oscillating signal; a second signal divider arranged to generate a second output oscillating signal according to the first input oscillating signal; a first transmitting channel coupled to the first signal divider and the second divider for transmitting the first input oscillating signal to the first signal divider and the second signal divider; and a second transmitting channel coupled to the first signal divider and the second divider for transmitting a second input oscillating signal to the first signal divider and the second signal divider; wherein the first input oscillating signal has a first frequency, the second input oscillating signal has a second frequency, and the second frequency is smaller than the first frequency.

A signal distribution system includes: a first signal divider arranged to generate a first output oscillating signal according to a first input oscillating signal; a second signal divider arranged to generate a second output oscillating signal according to the first input oscillating signal; a first transmitting channel coupled to the first signal divider and the second divider for transmitting the first input oscillating signal to the first signal divider and the second signal divider; and a second transmitting channel coupled to the first signal divider and the second divider for transmitting a second input oscillating signal to the first signal divider and the second signal divider; wherein the first input oscillating signal has a first frequency, the second input oscillating signal has a second frequency, and the second frequency is smaller than the first frequency.

Various aspects of this disclosure describe switched-capacitor circuits in a PLL. Examples include routing current from a first current source through a capacitor to ground during a first clock phase, routing current from a second current source through the capacitor to ground during a second clock phase, and transferring charge on the capacitor to a loop filter capacitor during a third clock phase. The first current source may generate current responsive to UP error samples from a phase/frequency detector (PFD), and the second current source generates current responsive to DN error samples from the PFD.

The present invention provides a frequency synthesizer that is switchable at a high speed and includes a few unnecessary frequency components in an output frequency signal. In a frequency synthesizer 1, a DDS 2 operates based on a clock signal to generate a reference frequency signal with a predetermined reference frequency, and clock signal supply units 41 and 42 switch the clock signals that have different clock frequencies to supply to the DDS 2. When the clock signals are switched to operate the DDS 2, the storage unit 12 stores a combination of a clock frequency f.sub.clk, a reference frequency f.sub.c, and a dividing number N in association with an output frequency f.sub.VCO of the frequency synthesizer 1 such that a spurious frequency does not exist within a predetermined frequency range and a dividing number of a variable frequency divider 302 disposed on a PLL circuit 3 is minimum. Setting units 11 and 24 read setting items stored in the storage unit 12 to set respective units.

The present invention provides a frequency synthesizer that is switchable at a high speed and includes a few unnecessary frequency components in an output frequency signal. In a frequency synthesizer 1, a DDS 2 operates based on a clock signal to generate a reference frequency signal with a predetermined reference frequency, and clock signal supply units 41 and 42 switch the clock signals that have different clock frequencies to supply to the DDS 2. When the clock signals are switched to operate the DDS 2, the storage unit 12 stores a combination of a clock frequency f.sub.clk, a reference frequency f.sub.c, and a dividing number N in association with an output frequency f.sub.VCO of the frequency synthesizer 1 such that a spurious frequency does not exist within a predetermined frequency range and a dividing number of a variable frequency divider 302 disposed on a PLL circuit 3 is minimum. Setting units 11 and 24 read setting items stored in the storage unit 12 to set respective units.

A signal generation circuit comprises a VCO configured to generate a signal with a frequency corresponding to a control voltage; a divider configured to generate a divided signal by dividing the frequency of the signal generated by the VCO; a phase comparator configured to compare a reference clock signal generated by a reference oscillator and the divided signal generated by the divider; a charge pump configured to output a current corresponding to a comparison result of the phase comparator; a loop filter configured to generate a voltage corresponding to the current output by the charge pump; a switched capacitor filter configured to generate, by sampling the voltage generated by the loop filter, a control voltage of the VCO in a steady state; and an initial-value provision circuit configured to provide an initial value of the control voltage of the VCO.

A method and system are disclosed for measuring a specified parameter in a phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer (PLL). In one embodiment, the method comprises introducing multiple phase errors in the PLL, measuring a specified aspect of the introduced phase errors, and determining a value for the specified parameter using the measured aspects of the introduced phase errors. In one embodiment, the phase errors are introduced repetitively in the PLL, and these phase errors produce a modified phase difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal in the PPL. In one embodiment, crossover times, when this modified phase difference crosses over a preset value, are determined, and these crossover times are used to determine the value for the specified parameter. In an embodiment, the parameter is calculated as a mathematical function of the crossover times. The parameter may be, for example, the bandwidth of the PLL.

A method and system are disclosed for measuring a specified parameter in a phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer (PLL). In one embodiment, the method comprises introducing multiple phase errors in the PLL, measuring a specified aspect of the introduced phase errors, and determining a value for the specified parameter using the measured aspects of the introduced phase errors. In one embodiment, the phase errors are introduced repetitively in the PLL, and these phase errors produce a modified phase difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal in the PPL. In one embodiment, crossover times, when this modified phase difference crosses over a preset value, are determined, and these crossover times are used to determine the value for the specified parameter. In an embodiment, the parameter is calculated as a mathematical function of the crossover times. The parameter may be, for example, the bandwidth of the PLL.

An oscillator circuit includes: an oscillator, oscillating a resonator and generating a first oscillation signal; and a PLL circuit, adjusting a ratio between a first frequency of the first oscillation signal and a second frequency of a second oscillation signal output from a voltage controlled oscillator, and controlling the oscillator based on a loop filter voltage being an input voltage of the voltage controlled oscillator.