AdvancedTopic 99 of 104Electronics & Embedded

Phase-locked loops

Feedback circuits that lock an oscillator to a reference frequency.

In depth

A PLL has a phase detector, loop filter and VCO with a divider in feedback, locking output to a multiple of the reference: f_out=N·f_ref. Used for clock generation, frequency synthesis, demodulation and clock recovery. Parameters: lock time, jitter, loop bandwidth.

Key points

  • Charge pump
  • Integer-N vs fractional-N
  • Phase noise
Example

A PLL multiplies a 25 MHz crystal to a 1 GHz CPU clock.

Why it matters

PLLs lock an oscillator to a reference, which generates clocks for processors, radios and synthesisers from a single crystal.

Where this is used

  • Generating a 96 MHz system clock from an 8 MHz crystal in a microcontroller.
  • Recovering the clock from a serial data stream in a receiver.
  • Synthesising the carrier frequency of a radio transmitter.

Frequently asked questions

What is Phase-locked loops?

Feedback circuits that lock an oscillator to a reference frequency.

Why is it important to understand phase-locked loops?

PLLs lock an oscillator to a reference, which generates clocks for processors, radios and synthesisers from a single crystal.

What are the main parts of a PLL?

A phase detector, a loop filter and a voltage-controlled oscillator, with a divider in the feedback path for frequency multiplication.

Why does a PLL need a loop filter?

It smooths the control voltage and sets the loop bandwidth, which controls how quickly the PLL locks and how much jitter it passes.

How is Phase-locked loops used in practice?

Typical applications include generating a 96 MHz system clock from an 8 MHz crystal in a microcontroller, recovering the clock from a serial data stream in a receiver and synthesising the carrier frequency of a radio transmitter.

What should I learn before Phase-locked loops?

Study "Analog-mixed-signal design" first (topic 98 of 104 in Electronics & Embedded). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.

What are the key points of Phase-locked loops?

Charge pump. Integer-N vs fractional-N. Phase noise.

Can you give an example of Phase-locked loops?

A PLL multiplies a 25 MHz crystal to a 1 GHz CPU clock.

What comes after Phase-locked loops?

The next topic is "SoC architectures", which builds directly on this one.

How difficult is Phase-locked loops?

It is classed as Advanced in Electronics & Embedded (topic 99 of 104). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Electronics & Embedded.

Learning path

Want to practise? Open the interactive course for quick checks, quizzes, simulations and progress tracking.

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