Patent ID: 6014047
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: G06F,H03K,H03L

Abstract:
A method for supplying a clock signal, comprising the steps of:a) receiving, by a rotator, a frequency bearing signal from an oscillator;b) generating, by the rotator in response to the received frequency bearing signal, a concurrent plurality of frequency bearing signals, wherein the concurrent plurality have a same frequency, but are phase shifted with respect to one another;c) supplying as the clock signal, by the rotator, a first one of the generated signals from among the concurrent plurality of generated signals;d) communicating to the rotator, from a phase detector, a magnitude of phase difference between the supplied clock signal and a reference clock signal;e) selecting, by the rotator, from among the concurrent plurality of generated signals, a second one of the generated signals, the second selected one of the generated signals being phase-shifted with respect to the first selected one of the generated signals, wherein the selecting of the second selected one of the generated signals is responsive to the magnitude of the phase difference communicated from the phase detector; andf) supplying as the clock signal, by the rotator, the second selected one of the generated signals, in substitution for the first selected one of the generated signals, in order to reduce the magnitude of the phase difference, wherein the supplying of the second selected one of the generated signals in substitution for the first selected one of the generated signals is responsive to occurrence of an interval when the first and second selected ones of the generated signals are quiescent, in order to reduce disturbance associated with the substituting of the second selected one of the generated signals for the first selected one of the generated signals.