Patent ID: 7394885

Claim:
A spread-spectrum clock signal generator comprising: a first circuit loop, receiving a reference signal at a reference frequency and generating an output signal at an output frequency dependent on the reference frequency; and a second circuit loop comprising a modulator circuit generating a modulation signal (Im) at a modulation frequency, the modulation signal being injected into the first circuit loop so as to induce a modulation of the frequency of the output signal, the first circuit loop being adapted to make said output frequency equal to a first output frequency value when the modulator signal is absent, while in presence of the modulation signal the output frequency varies with respect to the first output frequency value according to the modulation signal, wherein the first circuit loop is a frequency-locked loop and has a bandwidth sufficiently higher than the modulation frequency, so that the output frequency tracks the modulation signal, and wherein a third circuit loop is provided comprising a frequency-offset correction arrangement for evaluating a frequency offset between an average of the output frequency and said reference frequency, and for generating a frequency-offset correction signal which is injected into the first circuit loop for correcting the evaluated frequency offset.