Patent ID: 8779863

Claim:
A method of generating a first oscillator signal having a desired frequency in a first continuous frequency range, the method comprising: generating in a voltage controlled oscillator unit with at least one voltage controlled oscillator a second oscillator signal having a frequency in a combined second continuous frequency range of at least one octave; selecting said second continuous frequency range to have a lower endpoint in said first frequency range and an upper endpoint above said first frequency range; selectively using said second oscillator signal unchanged or dividing said second oscillator signal by a division ratio selected from a group of division ratios comprising integer powers of the number 2 to obtain said first oscillator signal; comparing the actual frequency of said first oscillator signal with said desired frequency; and selecting said division ratio in dependence of the result of the comparison, wherein the step of selecting said division ratio comprises: tuning the voltage controlled oscillator unit to a frequency at an endpoint of said second continuous frequency range; selecting an initial division ratio from said group of division ratios so that the frequency of said first oscillator signal is within said first frequency range; and adjusting, if possible, the frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator unit so that the frequency of said first oscillator signal equals said desired frequency, and otherwise changing the division ratio and adjusting the frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator unit so that the frequency of said first oscillator signal equals said desired frequency.