Clock generator for frequency multiplication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11509296-B2
Application number	US-202117239671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2021
Priority date	Apr 25, 2021
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A clock generator includes a pulse generator and a duty cycle correction circuit. The pulse generator is configured to receive an input clock signal and generate a pulse signal according to the input clock signal. The duty cycle correction circuit, coupled to the pulse generator, is configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulse signal to generate an output clock signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clock generator, comprising:
a pulse generator, configured to receive an input clock signal and generate a pulse signal according to the input clock signal; and
a duty cycle correction circuit, coupled to the pulse generator, configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulse signal to generate an output clock signal;
wherein a frequency of the output clock signal is a multiple of power of 2 of a frequency of the input clock signal;
wherein the duty cycle correction circuit comprises:
a pulse interval detector, configured to detect an interval length of two adjacent pulses in the pulse signal; and
an S-R latch, coupled to the pulse interval detector, configured to generate the output clock signal according to a detection result of the pulse interval detector.

2. The clock generator of claim 1 , wherein the pulse generator comprises:
a delay cell, configured to generate a delay signal according to the input clock signal; and
an Exclusive-OR gate, coupled to the delay cell, configured to generate the pulse signal by receiving the delay signal and the input clock signal.

3. The clock generator of claim 1 , wherein the pulse interval detector comprises:
a first delay circuit, configured to generate a plurality of delay pulses according to the pulse signal;
a control logic, coupled to the first delay circuit, configured to determine a number of delay cells in the first delay circuit corresponding to the interval length of two adjacent pulses in the pulse signal according to the plurality of delay pulses; and
a second delay circuit, coupled to the control logic, configured to generate an output pulse with a delay time corresponding to one half of the interval length.

4. The clock generator of claim 3 , wherein a number of delay cells included in the second delay circuit is one half of the number of delay cells included in the first delay circuit.

5. The clock generator of claim 3 , wherein a delay time of the delay cells is adjustable.

6. A clock generator, comprising:
a pulse generator, configured to receive an input clock signal and generate a pulse signal according to the input clock signal; and
a duty cycle correction circuit, coupled to the pulse generator, configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulse signal to generate an output clock signal; wherein the duty cycle correction circuit comprises:
a first filter;
an operator, coupled to the first filter;
an amplifier, comprising:
a first input terminal, coupled to the first filter;
a second input terminal; and
an output terminal, coupled to the operator.

7. The clock generator of claim 6 , wherein the first filter is configured to filter the pulse signal to generate a filter signal, and the amplifier is configured to generate a feedback signal according to the filter signal and a reference voltage.

8. The clock generator of claim 7 , wherein the operator is configured to generate the output clock signal according to the pulse signal and the feedback signal.

9. The clock generator of claim 6 , wherein the duty cycle correction circuit further comprises:
a second filter, coupled to the second input terminal of the amplifier.

10. The clock generator of claim 9 , wherein the second filter is configured to filter a reference clock to generate a reference voltage for the amplifier.

11. The clock generator of claim 6 , wherein the duty cycle correction circuit further comprises:
a second filter, coupled to the second input terminal of the amplifier; and
a single-to-differential converter (SDC), coupled between the operator, the first filter and the second filter.

12. The clock generator of claim 11 , wherein the SDC is configured to convert the pulse signal into a first differential signal and a second differential signal, the first filter is configured to filter the first differential signal to generate a first filter signal, the second filter is configured to filter the second differential signal to generate a second filter signal, and the amplifier is configured to generate a feedback signal according to the first filter signal and the second filter signal.

13. The clock generator of claim 6 , wherein the duty cycle correction circuit further comprises:
a second filter, coupled to the second input terminal of the amplifier; and
an inverter, coupled between the operator and the first filter.

14. The clock generator of claim 13 , wherein the inverter is configured to invert the pulse signal to generate an inverse pulse signal, the first filter is configured to filter the inverse pulse signal to generate a first filter signal, the second filter is configured to filter the pulse signal to generate a second filter signal, and the amplifier is configured to generate a feedback signal according to the first filter signal and the second filter signal.

15. A clock generator, comprising a plurality of frequency doublers connected in series, each of the frequency doublers comprising:
a pulse generator, configured to receive an input clock signal and generate a pulse signal according to the input clock signal; and
a duty cycle correction circuit, coupled to the pulse generator, configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulse signal to generate an output clock signal;
wherein the duty cycle correction circuit comprises:
a pulse interval detector, configured to detect an interval length of two adjacent pulses in the pulse signal; and
an S-R latch, coupled to the pulse interval detector, configured to generate the output clock signal according to a detection result of the pulse interval detector.

16. A clock generator, comprising a plurality of frequency doublers connected in series, each of the frequency doublers comprising:
a pulse generator, configured to receive an input clock signal and generate a pulse signal according to the input clock signal; and
a duty cycle correction circuit, coupled to the pulse generator, configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulse signal to generate an output clock signal;
wherein the duty cycle correction circuit comprises:
a first filter;
an operator, coupled to the first filter;
an amplifier, comprising:
a first input terminal, coupled to the first filter;
a second input terminal; and
an output terminal, coupled to the operator.

Assignees

• Novatek Microelectronics Corp

Inventors

• Yeh Che-Wei
• Liang Keko-Chun
• Wang Yu-Hsiang
• Liu Yi-Chuan

Classifications

• H03K5/1565 Primary

  the output pulses having a constant duty cycle · CPC title

• H03K5/133

  using a chain of active delay devices · CPC title

• G06F1/06

  Clock generators producing several clock signals {(G06F1/08 - G06F1/14 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G06F1/08

  Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency · CPC title

• H03K5/135

  by the use of time reference signals, e.g. clock signals · CPC title