Patent ID: 8030980

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a phase detector (PD) that receives a clock signal; a charge pump that is coupled to the phase detector; a loop filter that is coupled to the charge pump; a delay line having a plurality of taps and a delay, wherein the delay line receives the clock signal, and wherein the delay line is coupled to the loop filter and the PD; a watchdog circuit that is coupled to the delay line so as to receive a first signal from a first tap of the plurality of taps and a second signal from a second tap of the plurality of taps, that receives the clock signal, and that is coupled to at least one of the charge pump and PD, wherein the watchdog circuit compares a rising edge from the first signal to a corresponding rising edge from the second signal, and wherein, when the rising edge from the first signal occurs before the corresponding rising edge from the second signal, the watchdog circuit determines that the delay of the delay line is within a predetermined range, and wherein, when the when the rising edge from the first signal occurs after the corresponding rising edge from the second signal, the watchdog circuit adjusts the charge pump so as to adjust the delay to be within the predetermined range.