Patent ID: 6566968
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
An oscillator having multi-phase complementary outputs, the oscillator comprising:a first plurality of single ended bistable amplifiers connected in series to form an input and an output, the first plurality being an odd number; a first feedback path from the output to the input of the first plurality of amplifiers to establish bistable oscillations in the first plurality of amplifiers at a frequency dependent upon the delay time from the input to the output of the first plurality; a second plurality of single ended bistable amplifiers connected in series to form an input and an output, the second plurality being equal to the first plurality; a second feedback path from the output to the input of the second plurality of amplifiers to establish bistable oscillations in the second plurality of amplifiers at a frequency dependent upon the delay time from the input to the output of the second plurality; a first bias supply of one polarity; a second bias supply of the other polarity; a first latch comprising complementary transistor stages powered by the first and second bias supplies, respectively; means for cross-coupling the complementary transistor stages of the first latch to comparable first points in the first and second plurality of amplifiers such that the transistor stages of the first latch turn on and off at the same time to ensure that the first points are oscillating in complementary fashion; and a second latch comprising complementary transistor stages powered by the first and second bias supplies, respectively; means for cross-coupling the complementary transistor stages of the second latch to comparable second points in the first and second plurality of amplifiers such that the transistor stages of the second latch turn on and off at the same time to ensure that the second points are oscillating in complementary fashion.