An example method in accordance with some embodiments includes: determining an output frequency control word (FCW) having a plurality of bits, the output FCW being configured to control an oscillator, the oscillator including a plurality of capacitor banks, the plurality of capacitor banks respectively corresponding to the plurality of bits of the output FCW; storing the output FCW in a clocked delay cell; providing an input clock to the clocked delay cell, wherein the input clock is provided to delay the output FCW by an amount of delay; and, in accordance with the input clock, releasing the delayed output FCW from the clocked delay cell, and respectively applying the plurality of bits of the delayed output FCW to the plurality of capacitor banks of the oscillator.

A clock circuit includes a set of level shifters, a duty cycle adjustment circuit and a calibration circuit. The set of level shifters is configured to output a first set of phase clock signals having a first duty cycle. The duty cycle adjustment circuit is configured to generate a first clock output signal responsive to a first phase clock signal, a second phase clock signal and a set of control signals, and adjust the second duty cycle responsive to the set of control signals or a phase difference between the first phase clock signal and the second phase clock signal. The calibration circuit is configured to perform a duty cycle calibration of a second duty cycle of the first clock output signal based on an input duty cycle, and to generate the set of control signals responsive to the duty cycle calibration.

A variable reactance apparatus, tunable oscillator and method for changing a gain associated with an input signal of a tunable oscillator are disclosed. An embodiment of the variable reactance apparatus includes a plurality of unit variable reactance structures including respective control input nodes, and a control circuit configured to connect each of the control input nodes to a respective signal from among a plurality of signals including a first tuning signal and a second tuning signal. An embodiment of a tunable oscillator includes a resonance circuit, a negative impedance structure and a variable reactance apparatus configured for tuning of the oscillator. An embodiment of a method includes altering connections of first and second tuning signals to control input nodes of respective first and second sets of unit variable reactance structures while holding constant a sum of the number of unit variable reactance structures in the first and second sets.

A signal generator has a nominal frequency control input and a modulation frequency control input and comprises an oscillator, with a first set of capacitors at least partially switchably connectable for adjusting a frequency of the oscillator as part of a phase-locked loop, and a second set of capacitors comprised in a modulation stage of the oscillator, switchably connectable for modulating the frequency and controlled by the modulation frequency control input; a modulation gain estimation stage configured to determine a frequency-to-capacitor modulation gain; and a modulation range reduction module configured for clipping a modulation range of the oscillator to a range achievable using the second set of capacitors, using the modulation gain averaging out, in time, a phase error caused by the said clipping; and mimicking the said clipping, additively output to the nominal frequency control input to compensate said PLL for the said modulation.

A reception apparatus communicating with a transmission apparatus with a clock lane and a data lane. The reception apparatus comprises a clock lane control circuit configured to determine the operation mode of the clock lane based on a clock signal transmitted through the clock lane, and performing an operation based on the determined operation mode of the clock lane, and a data lane control circuit configured to determine the operation mode of the data lane based on a data signal transmitted from the transmission apparatus, and performing an operation based on the determined operation mode of the data lane, and the clock lane control circuit is configured to set the operation mode of the clock lane to a high-speed mode, when the operation mode of the data lane is switched from a low-power mode to the high-speed mode.

In described examples, a method of operating a transceiver with a transmitter and a receiver includes generating a frequency reference. In the transmitter: A phase locked loop (PLL) generates a first voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) control voltage responsive to the frequency reference. A VCO in the transmitter generates a transmitter VCO signal responsive to the first VCO control voltage, and the PLL is locked to the transmitter VCO signal. In the receiver: A signal is received. A receiver VCO generates a receiver VCO signal responsive to the first or a second VCO control voltage. The receiver VCO signal is multiplied by the received signal to generate an I component, and by the received signal phase shifted by 90° to generate a Q component. The second VCO control signal is generated responsive to the I component and the Q component.

A variable reactance apparatus, tunable oscillator and method for changing a gain associated with an input signal of a tunable oscillator are disclosed. An embodiment of the variable reactance apparatus comprises includes a plurality of unit variable reactance structures comprising including respective control input nodes, and a control circuit configured to connect each of the control input nodes to a respective signal from among a plurality of signals comprising including a first tuning signal and a second tuning signal. An embodiment of a tunable oscillator comprises includes a resonance circuit, a negative impedance structure and a variable reactance apparatus configured for tuning of the oscillator. An embodiment of a method comprises includes altering connections of first and second tuning signals to control input nodes of respective first and second sets of unit variable reactance structures while holding constant a sum of the number of unit variable reactance structures in the first and second sets.

A transceiver includes a receive circuit configured to receive an incoming signal and recover a reference signal at a reference frequency from the incoming signal. The incoming signal is a wireless packet. A first oscillator generates a signal at a set of predetermined frequencies. A first phase lock loop (PLL) interfaced with the first oscillator. The first PLL is configured to adjust a first oscillator frequency of the first oscillator based on an incoming frequency of the incoming signal using the reference frequency. A transmit circuit includes a second oscillator configured to generate a carrier signal at a predetermined frequency and a modulator configured to modulate data over the carrier signal at the predetermined frequency. The transmit circuit includes a second PLL interfaced with the second oscillator that sets the second oscillator to generate the carrier signal at the predetermined frequency using the reference signal. The transmit circuit transmits the modulated carrier signal.

In one embodiment, a network interface card device includes communication interfaces to provide data connection with respective local devices configured to run respective clock synchronization clients, at least one network interface to provide data connection between a packet data network and ones of the local devices, and a hardware clock to maintain a time value, and serve the clock synchronization clients.

An electronic circuit including: a differential multiplier circuit with a first differential input and a second differential input and a differential output; and a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit including: (1) a balanced differential mixer circuit with a first differential input electrically connected to the differential output of the differential multiplier circuit, a second differential input, and an output; (2) a loop filter having an output and an input electrically connected to the output of the balanced differential mixer circuit; and (3) a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit having an input electrically connected to the output of the loop filter and with an output electrically feeding back to the second differential input of the balanced differential mixer circuit.