Patent ID: 6469585
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: H03K,H03L

Abstract:
A ring-type voltage-controlled oscillator comprising a plurality of delay stages with delays dependent upon a received control voltage, wherein at least one of the delay stages comprises:an inverter that receives a signal from another of the delay stages and produces an output signal that will be received by another of the delay stages; a memory element coupled to the output of the inverter, the memory element delaying the time before the output signal of the inverter begins to switch states in response to a switch in state of the received signal; and a tuning circuit coupled with the inverter, the tuning circuit receiving the control voltage and in response thereto, altering the strength of the inverter so as to alter the time delay before the output signal of the inverter begins to switch states, without also altering the strength of the memory element so as to substantially alter the time it takes for the output signal to switch states.