A delay locked loop circuit includes a first delay locked loop and a second delay locked loop having different characteristics. The first delay locked loop performs a delay-locking operation on a reference clock signal to generate a delay locked clock signal. The second delay locked loop performs a delay-locking operation on the delay locked clock signal to generate an internal clock signal.

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a converter converting an analog signal into a digital signal based on a clock signal; a comparator determining values of data based on the digital signal; a recovery circuit recovering the clock signal based on the digital signal and the data; and a control circuit. The recovery circuit includes a phase detector calculating a sum of a first value and offset, the first value being a value based on the digital signal and the data and relating to a phase of the clock signal; and a loop filter calculating a correction amount of the phase of the clock signal based on the sum. The control circuit is configured to gradually change the offset from a second value to zero after the second value is added as the offset.

Systems and methods are provided for a cascade phase locked loop. A first phase locked loop receives a reference clock signal having a first frequency and generates a high frequency clock signal that is phase aligned with the reference clock signal. A first divider divides the high frequency clock signal to generate a middle frequency clock signal, and a second divider divides the middle frequency clock signal to generate a low frequency reference clock signal. A second phase locked loop receives the low frequency reference clock signal and generates an output signal, compares the output signal to the low frequency reference clock signal to generate a frequency increasing (UP) signal that indicates a phase difference between the output signal and the low frequency reference clock signal. A delay locked loop receives the middle frequency clock signal and the frequency increasing (UP) signal and delays the middle frequency clock signal based on the frequency increasing (UP) signal to generate the realignment clock signal. The second phase lock loop receives the realignment clock signal and adjusts the phase difference between the output signal and the low frequency reference clock signal based on the realignment clock signal.

Apparatus and methods for multiphase clock generation are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a multiphase clock generator includes a first clock buffer that generates a first output clock signal based on a first input clock signal, a second clock buffer that generates a second output clock signal based on a second input clock signal, and a first clock interpolation circuit that generates a third output clock signal based on interpolating the first input clock signal and the second input clock signal. The first clock interpolation circuit generates the third output clock signal based on multiplying the first input clock signal by a first adjustable current to generate a first multiplied current, multiplying the second input clock signal by a second adjustable current to generate a second multiplied current, combining the first multiplied current and the second multiplied current to generate a combined current, and integrating the combined current.

An integrated circuit that includes a generating circuit is described. During operation, the generating circuit may provide an edge clock having a target phase within a clock period of an input clock, where the generating circuit does not include a delay-locked loop (DLL). For example, the generating circuit may include a gated ring oscillator that provides a reference clock having a first fundamental frequency that is larger than a second fundamental frequency of the input clock. Note that the gated ring oscillator may be programmable to adjust the first fundamental frequency within a predefined range of values. Moreover, the generating circuit may include a control circuit that determines a reference count of a number of edges of the reference clock within a reference period of the reference clock.

A DLL circuit that has a programmable output frequency is provided. The DLL circuit uses a single delay line to produce the multiple frequencies. In various embodiments, the delay line is configured to receive an input clock defining an input clock period. The delay line comprises delay stages, each configured to generate a corresponding output clock having a phase relative to the input clock based on a delay of the delay line. In those embodiments, a control circuit is configured to change the delay of the delay line so as to cause a phase difference between the input clock and a sensed output clock to be substantially equal to the input clock period. An edge combiner is configured to generate a DLL output clock based on the output clocks of the delay stages and presents an equal schematic load for each of the output clocks of the delay stages.

A memory system in which a timing drift that would occur in distribution of a first timing signal for data transport in a memory device is determined by measuring the actual phase delays occurring in a second timing signal that has a frequency lower than that of the first timing signal and is distributed in one or more circuits mimicking the drift characteristics of at least a portion of distribution of the first timing signal. The actual phase delays are determined in the memory device and provided to a memory controller so that the phases of the timing signals used for data transport may be adjusted based on the determined timing drift.

Systems and methods are provided for a cascade phase locked loop. A first phase locked loop receives a reference clock signal having a first frequency and generates a high frequency clock signal that is phase aligned with the reference clock signal. A first divider divides the high frequency clock signal to generate a middle frequency clock signal, and a second divider divides the middle frequency clock signal to generate a low frequency reference clock signal. A second phase locked loop receives the low frequency reference clock signal and generates an output signal, compares the output signal to the low frequency reference clock signal to generate a frequency increasing (UP) signal that indicates a phase difference between the output signal and the low frequency reference clock signal. A delay locked loop receives the middle frequency clock signal and the frequency increasing (UP) signal and delays the middle frequency clock signal based on the frequency increasing (UP) signal to generate the realignment clock signal. The second phase lock loop receives the realignment clock signal and adjusts the phase difference between the output signal and the low frequency reference clock signal based on the realignment clock signal.

Apparatuses and methods of DLL measurement initialization are disclosed. An example apparatus includes: a clock enable circuit that provides a first clock signal having a half frequency of an input clock signal and second clock signals having a quarter frequency of the input clock signal; a coarse delay that provides the first clock signal with a coarse delay; a fine delay that provides the first clock signal with the coarse delay and a fine delay as an output clock signal; a model delay having a feedback delay equivalent to a sum of delays of an input stage and an output stage, and provides a feedback signal that is the output clock signal with the feedback delay; and a measurement initialization circuit that performs measurement initialization. The measurement initialization circuit includes synchronizers that receive the feedback signal and the second clock signals, and provide a stop signal to the coarse delay.

A DLL includes a delay line with two phase outputs, a gater coupled with the delay line phase outputs, a PFD coupled with gater outputs, a PD coupled with PFD outputs, a retimer coupled with PD outputs, and a loop filter with inputs coupled with the retimer and a speed control output coupled with the delay line. The gater passes signals on its two inputs to its two outputs, apart from a first pulse on its first input. The PD determines if the second gated signal leads or lags the first gated signal. The retimer retimes PD output signals to be aligned with a delay line input signal. The loop filter uses the retimed PD output signals to determine if the delay line should delay more or delay less, and outputs a speed control signal to control the delay line speed.