Charge Pump PLL

PFD/CP Modelling

image-20250807225013850

pfdcp-lmdl.drawio


image-20250807230740496

Deog-Kyoon Jeong. Topics in IC Design 2.1 Introduction to Phase-Locked Loop [pdf]

Divider noise

TODO 📅

image-20250724072155205

Enrico Rubiola. Phase Noise and Jitter in Digital Electronics [https://rubiola.org/pdf-slides/2016T-EFTF--Noise-in-digital-electronics.pdf]

W. F. Egan, "Modeling phase noise in frequency dividers," in IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 307-315, July 1990 [https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/58.56498]

S. Levantino, L. Romano, S. Pellerano, C. Samori and A. L. Lacaita, "Phase noise in digital frequency dividers," in IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 39, no. 5, pp. 775-784, May 2004 [https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/JSSC.2004.826338]

PLL + PSS + PNOISE convergence [https://community.cadence.com/cadence_technology_forums/f/custom-ic-design/48474/pll-pss-pnoise-convergence/1376833]


Signal Source Analyzer: measurement is based on time-average(or frequency-domain) method

real-time digital oscilloscope: measure sampled jitter directly

[https://community.cadence.com/cadence_technology_forums/f/custom-ic-design/41797/inconsistent-phase-noise-results-of-divide-by-2-phase-using-different-pnoise-method/1360890]

Charge Pump Noise

A. L. Lacaita, S. Levantino, and C. Samori, Integrated Frequency Synthesizers for Wireless Systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

https://raytroop.github.io/2024/05/25/comm/#cyclostationary-noise-modulated-noise

image-20250726174414209


Saurabh Saxena,Phase Locked Loops: Noise Simulations for CP-PLL Blocks [https://youtu.be/Q1libz-XqRw]

image-20250726183455160


image-20240928013058435

Michael H. Perrott, PLL Design Using the PLL Design Assistant Program. [https://designers-guide.org/forum/Attachments/pll_manual.pdf]

M.H. Perrott, M.D. Trott, C.G. Sodini, "A Modeling Approach for Sigma-Delta Fractional-N Frequency Synthesizers Allowing Straightforward Noise Analysis", JSSC, vol 38, no 8, pp 1028-1038, Aug 2002. [https://www.cppsim.com/Publications/JNL/perrott_jssc02.pdf]

charge pump with amplifier

image-20241002211524347

Young, I.A., Greason, J.K., Wong, K.L.: A PLL Clock Generator with 5 to 110MHz of Lock Range for Microprocessors. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 27(11), 1599– 1607 (1992) [https://people.engr.tamu.edu/spalermo/ecen620/pll_intel_young_jssc_1992.pdf]

Johnson, M., Hudson, E.: A variable delay line PLL for CPU-coprocessor synchronization. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 23(10), 1218–1223 (1988) [https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/4.5947]

Sam Palermo, Lecture 5: Charge Pump Circuits, ECEN620: Network Theory Broadband Circuit Design Fall 2024 [https://people.engr.tamu.edu/spalermo/ecen620/lecture05_ee620_charge_pumps.pdf]

Non-ideal Effects in Charge Pump

The periodic signal on VCTRL modulates the VCO, giving rise to deterministic jitter


  • Timing Offsets Between Up and Dn Pulses
  • Mismatch Between Charge-Pump Current Sources
  • Incomplete Settling of Charge-Pump Currents
  • Finite Output Resistance of the Charge Pump

Up/Dn Timing Offset

image-20241222171705612

If Dn pulse arrives \(\Delta T\) after the Up pulse, the steady-state VCTRL will be slightly lower than it would be without the \(\Delta T\) mismatch so as to return the VCO's phase to match the reference clocks.

Vice versa, if If Up pulse arrives \(\Delta T\) after the Dn pulse, the steady-state VCTRL will be slightly higher than without \(\Delta T\) mismatch

Current Sources Mismatch

image-20241222174620713

image-20241222174718564

Incomplete Settling

TODO 📅

W. Rhee, "Design of high-performance CMOS charge pumps in phase-locked loops," 1999 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), Orlando, FL, USA, 1999, pp. 545-548 vol.2 [pdf]

Cowan G. Mixed-Signal CMOS for Wireline Communication: Transistor-Level and System-Level Design Considerations. Cambridge University Press; 2024

2nd loop filter

PI (proportional - integral) Loop Filter

image-20240907123938255

image-20240907124029346

image-20240907124018476

PFD Deadzone

Dead zone induced by incomplete settling of charge-pump currents

This situation can be avoided by adding additional delay to the AND gate in the PFD

image-20241222190011244

Sam Palermo, "Lecture 4: Phase Detector Circuit" [https://people.engr.tamu.edu/spalermo/ecen620/lecture04_ee620_phase_detectors.pdf]

LPF leakage

image-20241222192007824

For the sake of simplicity, \(V_{ctr}\) looks like a rectangular pulse with an amplitude of \(I_{CP}R_1\) and a duty ratio of (\(I_{leak}/I_{CP}\)), whose first coefficient of Fourier series is

image-20241222200514941

where \(I_\text{leak} \ll I_{CP}\) is assumed

Then, the peak frequency deviation \(\Delta f\) \[ \Delta f = a_1 \cdot K_v = 2I_\text{leak}R_1 K_v \] using narrowband FM approximation, we have \[ P_\text{spur} = 20\log\left(\frac{\Delta f}{2f_\text{ref}}\right) = 20\log\left(\frac{I_\text{leak}R_1 K_v}{f_\text{ref}}\right) \]

W. Rhee, "Design of high-performance CMOS charge pumps in phase-locked loops," 1999 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), Orlando, FL, USA, 1999, pp. 545-548 vol.2 [pdf]

—. Yu, Z., 2024. Phase-Locked Loops: System Perspectives and Circuit Design Aspects. John Wiley & Sons


image-20241222200158107

[https://lpsa.swarthmore.edu/Fourier/Series/ExFS.html]

reference

Saurabh Saxena. Noise Simulations for CP-PLL Blocks [https://youtu.be/Q1libz-XqRw]

—, IIT Madras. CICC2022 Clocking for Serial Links - Frequency and Jitter Requirements, Phase-Locked Loops, Clock and Data Recovery

Helene Thibieroz, Customer Support CIC. Using Spectre RF Noise-Aware PLL Methodology to Predict PLL Behavior Accurately [https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=3056e59ea76165373f90152f915a829d25dabebc]


Chembiyan T. Chargepump PLL Basics- From A Control Theoretic Viewpoint [linkedin]

—. Challenges in Chargepump PLL Design- A Qualitative Approach [linkedin]

—. A Unified Approach to Low Noise Loop Design in Chargepump PLLs [linkedin]


Xiang Gao Credo Semiconductor. ISSCC2018 T1: Low-Jitter PLLs for Wireless Transceivers [https://www.nishanchettri.com/isscc-slides/2018%20ISSCC/TUTORIALS/T1/T1Visuals.pdf]