A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) modulation apparatus and method provides a wideband phase-modulated signal output. An exemplary modulator circuit uses an oscillator in a phase-locked loop. The circuit receives a wrapped-phase input signal, unwraps the wrapped-phase input signal to generate an unwrapped-phase signal, and differentiates the unwrapped-phase signal. The wrapped-phase input signal and the differentiated unwrapped-phase signal are both injected into a feedback loop of the modulator circuit. The feedback loop may include a multi-modulus frequency divider with a frequency divisor that is temporarily incremented or decremented to cancel out abrupt phase jumps associated with the wrapped-phase to unwrapped-phase conversion.

Various methods provide for trimming the gain in a dual-port phase-locked loop (PLL) of a radio transceiver. Use is made of the radio's demodulator to perform modulation accuracy measurements, thereby reducing the cost and complexity of external test equipment.

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.

A two-point modulation Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) has a gain-adjustable voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). A digital data modulation signal is combined with a carrier and input to a feedback divider. The data modulation signal is also input to a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) to generate an analog voltage to a second input of the VCO. A calibration unit divides the VCO output and counts pulses. During calibration, the data modulation signal is set to minimum and then maximum values and VCO output pulses counted. A count difference for the data modulation signal at maximum and minimum values is input to a Look-Up Table (LUT) to read out a gain calibration value. During normal operation mode, the gain calibration value from the LUT is applied to a second input of the DAC, which drives the VCO to adjust VCO gain. A switch before the VCO opens the loop for faster open-loop calibration.

A two-point phase modulator comprising a phase locked loop, PLL, having a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO, and a feedback path, a first modulation circuit for introducing a first modulation signal into the feedback path, the first modulation circuit generating the first modulation signal using a reference clock signal extracted from the PLL and derived from a first clock, a second modulation circuit for introducing a second modulation input into the VCO, the second modulation circuit generating the second modulation signal using a clock signal generated independently of the reference clock and a synchronizer for aligning the second modulation signal in time with the first clock signal.

Various methods provide for trimming the gain in a dual-port phase-locked loop (PLL) of a radio transceiver. Use is made of the radio's demodulator to perform modulation accuracy measurements, thereby reducing the cost and complexity of external test equipment.

A two-point phase modulator comprising a phase locked loop, PLL, having a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO, and a feedback path, a first modulation circuit for introducing a first modulation signal into the feedback path, the first modulation circuit generating the first modulation signal using a reference clock signal extracted from the PLL and derived from a first clock, a second modulation circuit for introducing a second modulation input into the VCO, the second modulation circuit generating the second modulation signal using a clock signal generated independently of the reference clock and a synchronizer for aligning the second modulation signal in time with the first clock signal.

A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) modulation apparatus and method provides a wideband phase-modulated signal output. An exemplary modulator circuit uses an oscillator in a phase-locked loop. The circuit receives a wrapped-phase input signal, unwraps the wrapped-phase input signal to generate an unwrapped-phase signal, and differentiates the unwrapped-phase signal. The wrapped-phase input signal and the differentiated unwrapped-phase signal are both injected into a feedback loop of the modulator circuit. The feedback loop may include a multi-modulus frequency divider with a frequency divisor that is temporarily incremented or decremented to cancel out abrupt phase jumps associated with the wrapped-phase to unwrapped-phase conversion.

Various methods provide for trimming the gain in a dual-port phase-locked loop (PLL) of a radio transceiver. Use is made of the radio's demodulator to perform modulation accuracy measurements, thereby reducing the cost and complexity of external test equipment.

A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) modulation apparatus and method provides a wideband phase-modulated signal output. An exemplary modulator circuit uses an oscillator in a phase-locked loop. The circuit receives a wrapped-phase input signal, unwraps the wrapped-phase input signal to generate an unwrapped-phase signal, and differentiates the unwrapped-phase signal. The wrapped-phase input signal and the differentiated unwrapped-phase signal are both injected into a feedback loop of the modulator circuit. The feedback loop may include a multi-modulus frequency divider with a frequency divisor that is temporarily incremented or decremented to cancel out abrupt phase jumps associated with the wrapped-phase to unwrapped-phase conversion.