Patent ID: 8289057
Filing Date: 2012-10-16
Classification: H03L

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising: a phase locked loop; and a control unit, wherein the phase locked loop comprises a phase frequency detector, a loop filter, a voltage controlled oscillator and a divider, wherein a reference signal and a feedback signal from an output of the divider are capable of being respectively supplied to one input terminal of the phase frequency detector and another input terminal thereof, wherein an output of the phase frequency detector is supplied to a control input of the voltage controlled oscillator via the loop filter, an oscillation output signal of an output of the voltage controlled oscillator is supplied to an input of the divider, and a frequency of the oscillation output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator is capable of being controlled in response to a control voltage supplied to the control input, wherein the voltage controlled oscillator comprises a voltage-current converter and a ring oscillator, wherein the ring oscillator comprises delays of odd-numbered stages, wherein the voltage-current converter generates a control current in response to the control voltage to thereby set each of operating currents of the delays of the ring oscillator by the control current, wherein the control unit is capable of switching the phase locked loop to a calibration operating period and a normal operating period, wherein during the normal operating period, the phase locked loop is controlled to a closed loop by the control unit, whereas during the calibration operating period, the phase locked loop is controlled to an open loop by the control unit, wherein during the normal operating period, the output of the phase frequency detector is supplied via the loop filter to the control input of the voltage controlled oscillator as the control voltage of a predetermined level at the phase locked loop controlled to the closed loop to thereby bring the frequency of the oscillation output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator to a predetermined frequency determined by the frequency of the reference signal and a division ratio of the divider, wherein during the calibration operating period, a first measurement of the frequency of the oscillation output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator in a state in which a first reference voltage higher than a ground potential and relatively low in level is being supplied to the control input of the voltage controlled oscillator at the phase locked loop controlled to the open loop, is executed by the control unit, wherein the control unit sets a value of a first operation parameter of the voltage-current converter of the voltage controlled oscillator in such a manner that the frequency of the oscillation output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator in the state in which the first reference voltage is being supplied to the voltage controlled oscillator becomes approximately equal to a first predetermined frequency during the execution of the first measurement of the frequency, wherein after the value of the first operation parameter of the voltage-current converter has been set, the control unit executes a second measurement of the frequency of the oscillation output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator in a state in which a second reference voltage of a level higher than the first reference voltage and approximately equal to the control voltage of the predetermined level is being supplied to the control input of the voltage controlled oscillator, during the calibration operating period, and wherein the control unit sets a value of a second operation parameter of the voltage-current converter of the voltage controlled oscillator in such a manner that the frequency of the oscillation output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator in the state in which the second reference voltage is being supplied to the voltage controlled oscillator becomes approximately equal to a second predetermined frequency higher than the first predetermined frequency during the execution of the second measurement of the frequency, wherein the phase locked loop further comprises a selector controlled by the control unit, wherein the selector selects the control voltage of the predetermined level during the normal operating period, and the selector selects one of the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage during the calibration operating period and supplies the selected voltage to the control input of the voltage controlled oscillator, wherein the phase locked loop further comprises a charge pump which performs charge/discharge of the loop filter in response to the output of the phase frequency detector, wherein the charge pump comprises a first charge pump and a second charge pump, wherein the first charge pump and the second charge pump are driven in antiphase to each other in response to an up output signal and a down output signal each used as the output of the phase frequency detector to set a first charge/discharge current of the first charge pump and a second charge/discharge current of the second charge pump to a predetermined ratio, and wherein the loop filter comprises a resistor and a capacitor for determining a zero point frequency, and one end of the resistor is coupled to an input terminal of the loop filter and another end thereof is coupled to a ground potential via the capacitor, wherein the one and other ends of the resistor of the loop filter are respectively driven by the first charge/discharge current of the first charge pump and the second charge/discharge current of the second charge pump, and wherein the resistor and the capacitor of the loop filter are built in a semiconductor chip.