This invention relates to phase-locked loop (PLL) circuits, and, more particularly, to a PLL that is configured to fail-over from one input clock signal to another input clock signal without losing lock.
The need to generate a local signal which is synchronized with an external reference signal is critical in many electronics applications such as frequency synthesis, clock recovery, clock generation and frequency demodulation. This coherence between the reference signal and the local replica is referred to as xe2x80x9cphase synchronizationxe2x80x9d. This implies either that local signal is typically either in phase with the external reference signal or is offset from the reference signal by some phase constant.
At the heart of any such synchronization circuit is some form of a phase locked loop (PLL). Phase-locked loops are feedback control loops, whose controlled parameter is the phase of a locally generated replica of an incoming reference signal. Phase-locked loops have three basic components: a phase detector, a loop filter, and a voltage-controlled oscillator.
FIG. 1xe2x80x94Basic PLL
A basic schematic diagram of a typical PLL 100 is presented in FIG. 1. As shown, PLL 100 is configured to generate an output signal 120 in response to an input signal 112. PLL 100 includes a phase detector 114, a loop filter 116, and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 118. Phase detector 114 is coupled to receive input clock signal 112 and to produce output clock signal 120. Phase detector 114 measures the phase difference between signals 112 and 120, and generates a phase error signal 115, which may be a voltage indicative of this phase difference. In some instances, phase detector 114 may also generate a signal even when there is no difference between signals 112 and 120. As signals 112 and 120 change with respect to each other, signal 115 becomes a time-varying signal into loop filter 116. This phase comparison is necessary to prevent output signal 120 from drifting with respect to reference signal 112. As shown, the feedback signal 121 is an internal part of the PLL 100. It is noted, as is shown below, that the feedback signal 121 may be a signal external to the PLL 100.
Loop filter 116 governs the response of PLL 100 to the error detected between signals 112 and 120. A well-designed loop filter 116 should be able to track changes in the incoming signal""s phase but should not be overly responsive to signal noise. Loop filter 116 generates an error correction signal 117, which is the input to VCO 118. In one embodiment, a zero voltage on signal 117 causes the output of VCO 118, output signal 120, to oscillate at a predefined frequency, xcfx890, which is the xe2x80x9ccenterxe2x80x9d frequency of the oscillator. On the other hand, a positive voltage on error correction signal 117 causes output signal 120 to oscillate at a frequency which is greater than xcfx890. Conversely, a negative voltage on error correction signal 117 causes output signal 120 to oscillate at a frequency less than xcfx890. In another embodiment, described below, either a positive voltage or a negative voltage on error correction signal 117 is generated. In this embodiment, even when there is no difference between signals 112 and 120, an error correction signal 117 is output. In still another embodiment, the error correction signal 117 is scaled such that although the error correction signal 117 is always of one sign, such as always positive, the error correction signal 117 corrects for oscillation either above or below the predefined frequency.
Generally speaking, in many embodiments, the output frequency of VCO 118 is a linear function of its input voltage over some range of input and output. xe2x80x9cPhase lockxe2x80x9d is achieved by feeding the output of VCO 118 back to phase detector 114 so that continual error correction may be performed. It is noted that PLL 100 may not achieve phase lock if reference signal 112 is outside of some predetermined range.
In its simplest form, loop filter 116 is simply a conductor; that is, phase error signal 115 is equal to error correction signal 117. Such a filter 116 allows PLL 100 to generate an output signal 120 which matches reference signal 112 in frequency and phase only if reference signal 112 is equal to the center frequency of VCO 118. If reference signal 112 oscillates at a different frequency from the center frequency of VCO 118, output signal 120 may match reference signal 112 in frequency but not phase. This xe2x80x9cwire filterxe2x80x9d is an example of a first-order PLL, which means that the denominator of the loop filter transfer function has no exponent value greater than one. In another embodiment of a first-order PLL, loop filter 116 includes an amplifier.
FIG. 2xe2x80x94PLL with Multiple Clock Inputs
Second-order PLLs, such as shown in FIG. 2, are more commonly used than first-order PLLs 100. The second-order PLL 200, as shown, also incorporates a mechanism for switching input clock signals between a first clock source 222A and a second clock source 222B. It is noted that the first clock source 222A and the second clock source 222B are preferably synchronized in frequency and in phase. The selection of the input clock signal from the first clock source 222A or the second clock source 222B may be made by a SEL_CLK input or by the switching logic 230. Switching logic 230 receives CONTROL inputs and outputs STATUS information. The input clock signal is provided to a phase detector 214. The phase detector outputs a phase error signal 215 as a combination of UP and/or DOWN pulses. These UP and DOWN pulses are typically digital signals indicative of the phase difference between the input clock signal and the feedback signal 221. The UP pulse is indicative of a phase difference between the feedback signal 221 and the input clock signal when an edge of the feedback signal 221 occurs after a corresponding edge of the input clock signal. The DOWN pulse is indicative of a phase difference between the feedback signal 221 and the input clock signal when an edge of the feedback signal 221 occurs before a corresponding edge of the input clock signal.
One difference between the first-order PLL 100 and the second-order PLL 200 is that the second-order PLL has an integrating loop filter 216. A second order loop filter 216 performs an integration function, such as that typically found in a low-pass filter. This functionality allows the second-order PLL 200 to generate an output signal 220 which matches reference signal 212 in phase and frequency when reference signal 222 is not identical to the center frequency of VCO 218. This is possible since the second-order loop filter is configured to generate a non-zero error correction signal even when signals 222 and 220 match in phase. This non-zero error correction signal allows VCO 218 to oscillate at above or below its center frequency while remaining in phase with reference input clock signal 222.
It is noted that third-order (and possibly higher-order) PLLs exist and are commonly used in circuits such as those used in cellular and satellite communications. Third-order PLLs include third-order loop filters configured to perform double integration, which allows frequency and phase synchronization to occur even with a Doppler shift between the reference clock signal and output signal. It is also noted that multipliers and/or dividers are also used to generate an output signal, which is different, such as in frequency or phase, than the reference input signal.
An important feature of the PLL 200 of FIG. 2 is the ability to switch between an input clock signal 222A from a first clock source and the input clock signal 222B from a second clock source. The switching logic 230 is configured to detect a failure of the input clock signal 222A from the first clock source and to cause the input clock signal 222B from the second clock source to be provided to phase detector 214 in the place of the input clock signal 222A.
Although the switching logic 230 responds fairly quickly to the failure of the clock source, by the time the new clock source is switched in, the effects of the xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d clock (or loss of clock) has propagated through the PLL 200 and has modified the feedback signal 221 such that the PLL 200 can no longer maintain the phase synchronization between the input clock signal and the feedback signal (i.e. the PLL 200 loses phase lock). What is needed is a PLL system and method of operation thereof that switches between the input clock signals from a first clock source and a second clock source without losing lock.
The problems outlined above are in large part solved by a phase locked loop (PLL) and controller that provide fail-over redundant clocking. The PLL switches between input clock signals from different clock sources without losing lock by providing a supplemental correction signal to the loop filter in a PLL circuit. In one embodiment, the phase detector includes a supplemental correction pulse generator configured to offset, at least partially, the effects of losing the input clock signal from a first clock source failure. The phase detector is coupled to receive an input clock signal from a first clock source and a feedback signal. The phase detector outputs a phase error signal indicative of a comparison between the input clock signal and the feedback signal. The loop filter is coupled to receive the phase error signal and to output an error correction signal. A voltage controlled oscillator is coupled to receive the error correction signal and to generate the output signal of the PLL. The feedback signal is indicative of the output signal of the PLL. Switching logic is coupled to monitor the input clock signal from the first clock source for a failure. In response to detecting the failure of the first clock source, the switching logic is configured to cause the input clock signal from a second clock source to be provided to the phase detector. Also in response to detecting the failure of the first clock source, the supplemental error correction signal is injected. This configuration may advantageously maintain lock in the PLL circuit while switching between clock sources for the input clock signal.
In a further embodiment, the phase detector further includes a pulse width limiting circuit. The pulse width limiting circuit is configured to shorten each phase error output signal by a predetermined amount. In one embodiment, the phase error signals are digital signals comprising an UP signal and a DOWN signal. The pulse widths of the UP and the DOWN signal are each shortened by the pulse width limiting circuit. In one embodiment, failure of the clock source is defined as an absence of three or more clock edges of the input clock signal. In another embodiment, the failure results in a maximum length DOWN pulse. In still another embodiment, the supplemental correction signal comprises a maximum length UP pulse. The shortened phase error output signal may advantageously result in slower PLL output drift upon the failure of the input clock signal.
A method is likewise contemplated for operating a PLL circuit. The method comprises, in one embodiment, detecting a phase difference between an input clock signal from a first clock source and a feedback signal. The method further outputs a phase error signal indicative of the phase difference. The phase error signal is converted into an error correction signal. The method produces oscillations in response to the error correction signal, with the feedback signal indicative of the oscillations. The method further monitors the input clock signal from the first clock source for a failure. In response to the failure, the method provides the input clock signal from a second clock source in place of the input clock signal from the first clock source. The method further outputs a supplemental correction signal in response to the failure. The method may advantageously maintain lock in the PLL circuit while switching between clock sources for the input clock signal.
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