Patent ID: 8570113

Claim:
A circuit comprising: a comparator configured to assert a first indication responsive to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) gain above a specified gain value, and further configured to assert a second indication responsive to the VCO gain being below the specified gain value; and a control unit configured to, upon an occurrence of at least a first cycle of a clock signal concurrent with the comparator providing the first indication, cause an adjustment of the VCO gain, wherein the control unit is configured to output a digital code corresponding to the VCO gain and further configured to adjust the VCO gain by changing the digital code; wherein, upon occurrence of one or more successive cycles of the clock signal, the control unit is configured to cause corresponding additional adjustments of the VCO gain until the comparator provides the second indication, wherein the comparator is configured to determine whether the VCO gain is below the specified gain value by determining whether a first voltage is above a specified voltage, and wherein the control unit is further configured to, responsive to the comparator providing the second indication, discontinue causing adjustments to the VCO gain by discontinuing changing the digital code; wherein the circuit further comprises a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), wherein the control unit is configured to cause an adjustment of an output current provided by the DAC responsive to receiving the first indication from the comparator, wherein adjusting the output current of the DAC causes a change of value to a second voltage, and wherein the control unit is further configured to discontinue causing adjustments of the output current provided by the DAC responsive to receiving the second indication from the comparator.