The present disclosure relates to a phase-locked loop (PLL) based on a charge-sharing locking technique, capable of both fractional-N and integer-N operation. The PLL comprises a voltage pre-setting stage; an oscillator: a shared capacitive load; and a switching network configured for selectively connecting the voltage pre-setting stage to the shared capacitive load during a voltage pre-setting stage for applying an expectant voltage to the capacitive load. The switching network is being further configured for selectively connecting the capacitive load to the oscillator during a charge-sharing locking stage for correcting a phase error in response to a difference between the expected voltage of the capacitor and the voltage of the oscillator. Frequency-tracking and waveform-learning stages are also provided for maintaining PVT (process, voltage, temperature) robustness and for suppressing fractional-N spur, respectively.

A Phase Locked Loop PLL circuit and method therein for generating multiphase output signals are disclosed. The PLL circuit includes a digitally controlled oscillator, a sample circuit, an analog to digital converter and a digital processing unit. The digital processing unit comprises a phase estimator configured to estimate a phase of the multiphase output signals, a differentiator configured to calculate a phase difference between a current phase and a previous phase, and an accumulator configured to accumulate the phase differences generated by the differentiator. The PLL circuit further comprises a loop filter configured to receive an output from the accumulator and generate a control signal to the digitally controlled oscillator to adjust frequency of the digitally controlled oscillator generating the multiphase output signals.

An integrated circuit device includes a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), two charge-sharing capacitors, two charge-sharing switches, two pre-charge switches, and two DACs. The DCO has a first inverter and a second inverter. A first charge-sharing capacitor has a first terminal coupled to an input terminal of the first inverter through a first charge-sharing switch. A first DAC has an output terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first charge-sharing capacitor through a first pre-charge switch. A second charge-sharing capacitor has a first terminal coupled to an input terminal or an output terminal of the second inverter through a second charge-sharing switch. A second DAC has an output terminal coupled to the first terminal of the second charge-sharing capacitor through a second pre-charge switch.

An all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) and a calibration method thereof are provided. The ADPLL includes a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), a time-to-digital converter (TDC) coupled to the DCO, and a normalization circuit coupled to the TDC. The TDC is configured to generate a clock signal according to a frequency control signal. The TDC is configured to generate a digital output signal according to a phase difference between the clock signal and a reference signal. The normalization circuit is configured to convert the digital output signal into a clock phase value according to a gain parameter. The normalization circuit selects one of a plurality of candidate gain parameters stored in the normalization circuit in response to the digital output signal, for being utilized as the gain parameter.

A tracking system for a digital Phase Locked Loop (PLL), the tracking system including a PLL model configured to emulate an actual internal PLL signal, wherein the emulation is based on another internal PLL signal received from the digital PLL and on an estimated analog PLL parameter of the PLL model; and a tracker configured to compare the emulated internal PLL signal with the actual internal PLL signal, and to update the estimated analog PLL parameter according to a minimization algorithm that minimizes a result of the comparison.

A frequency-locked loop (FLL) logic circuit, including a validity signal generator configured to receive an external clock signal and determine whether a glitch occurs in the external clock signal; a clock divider configured to generate a reference frequency clock signal based on the external clock signal and a determination result of the validity signal generator; a synchronizer configured to synchronize a phase of an oscillator clock signal with a phase of the reference frequency clock signal; a clock counter configured to count a number of pulses of the oscillator clock signal during a reference time; and a code limiter configured to determine a range of a frequency selection value for calibrating an operating frequency of the oscillator clock signal based on the counted number of pulses.

A master reference oscillator system is provided. The master reference oscillator system includes a plurality of reference oscillators and a hybrid matrix receiving signals from the plurality of reference oscillators and outputting a plurality of output signals having the same signal magnitude, wherein at least two output signals among the plurality of output signals may have a phase difference.

A method for timing aperture synthesis arrays comprising the steps of: (a) coupling a plurality of independent crystal oscillators, each of the plurality of independent crystal oscillators having a unique output frequency; (b) digitally synchronizing the plurality of independent crystal oscillators in phase; (c) combining the unique output frequencies; and (d) obtaining a stable digital reference signal for timing at least one remote radio device of the aperture synthesis array.

An all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) and a calibration method thereof are provided. The ADPLL includes a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), a time-to-digital converter (TDC) coupled to the DCO, and a normalization circuit coupled to the TDC. The DCO is configured to generate a clock signal according to a frequency control signal. The TDC is configured to generate a digital output signal according to a phase error between the clock signal and a reference signal. The normalization circuit is configured to convert the digital output signal into a clock phase value according to a gain parameter. More particularly, the normalization circuit may modify the gain parameter according to a phase error value between the clock phase value and a reference phase value.

A semiconductor device has a current controlled oscillation circuit configured to generate an oscillation clock in response to a current supplied, a first circuit configured to output a first signal when a phase of the oscillation clock is later than a phase of reception data, and to output a second signal when a phase of the oscillation clock is earlier than a phase of the reception data, and a current control circuit configured to control a current to be supplied to the current controlled oscillation circuit such that the number of times of output of the first signal from the first circuit matches the number of times of output of the second signal from the first circuit.