Zero-delay buffer circuit for a spread spectrum clock system...

Details Zero-delay buffer circuit for a spread spectrum clock system... Zero-delay buffer circuit for a spread spectrum clock system...

1999-11-18

2004-05-04

Chin, Stephen (Department: 2634)

Pulse or digital communications

Spread spectrum

C375S375000, C375S376000, C375S373000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06731667

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zero-buffer circuit for a spread spectrum clock (SSC) system and a method therefor and more specifically, to a zero-delay buffer circuit having a delay-locked loop (DLL) based zero-delay buffer.
2. Background of the Related Art
In a related art of improving computer system efficiency, it is desirable to increase a processing speed by operating a central processing unit (CPU) at a higher frequency by increasing a clock frequency. An increase in clock frequency increases a frequency of the computer system, as peripherals (e.g., memory, graphic card) can also operate at a higher frequency. However, as the clock frequency increases, electromagnetic emission (EMI) increases due to an increased peak amplitude. As a result, EMI limits clock frequency improvements in the related art.
A related art technique known as spread spectrum clocking (SSC) reduces EMI and allows for an increased clock frequency by modulating the clock frequency along a modulation profile having a predetermined frequency. Because amplitude is reduced by the frequency modulation, EMI can be reduced while allowing an increase in the clock frequency.
FIG. 1
illustrates a non-modulated spectral energy distribution
3
compared to the related art SSC frequency-modulated spectral energy distribution
1
. A magnitude &Dgr; of EMI reduction is determined by a modulation amount &dgr; and a shape of the SSC spectral energy distribution
1
.
FIG. 2
illustrates a related art modulation profile
9
used with the SSC technique. An SSC clock is modulated between a nominal frequency
5
of the constant-frequency clock f
nom
, and a down-spreading frequency (1−&dgr;) f
nom
7
, where &dgr; represents a spreading magnitude as a percentage of the nominal frequency f
nom
5
. The modulation profile
9
determines the shape of the SSC spectral energy distribution
1
.
FIG. 3
illustrates a related art computer system that applies the related art SSC technique. In a motherboard
15
, an SSC generator
11
receives an unmodulated clock input signal and generates a frequency-modulated clock signal in a first phase-locked loop (PLL)
13
. The frequency-modulated clock signal is transmitted to a central processing unit (CPU)
17
and a peripheral board
19
.
FIG. 4
illustrates a block diagram of the SSC generator
11
. A first divider
49
receives the unmodulated clock input signal and generates an output received by the first PLL
13
. In the first PLL
13
, a first phase detector
35
receives an output signal of the first divider
49
and an input signal from a feedback divider
43
to generate an output signal that provides a measurement of a phase difference between the unmodulated clock input signal and the frequency-modulated signal. A first charge pump
37
receives the output signal of the first phase detector
35
. The first charge pump
37
then generates charges in response to the output signal of the first phase detector
35
. When a first loop filter
39
receives the charges from the first charge pump
37
, the first loop filter
39
produces a DC voltage output. The DC voltage output of the first loop filter
39
is received by a first voltage controlled oscillator (VCO)
41
. The first VCO
41
generates an output signal to a post divider
45
and the feedback divider
43
. The post divider
45
then generates the frequency-modulated clock signal that is transmitted to the CPU
17
and the peripheral board
19
, and the feedback divider
43
generates a reference signal for the first phase detector
35
.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, the peripheral board
19
further processes the frequency-modulated clock signal in a zero-delay clock buffer
21
to generate an output clock signal for a peripheral device
23
(e.g., SDRAM, accelerated graphics port, etc.). The zero-delay clock buffer
21
includes a second PLL
25
having a second phase detector and a frequency detector
27
, a second charge pump
29
, a second loop filter
31
, and a second voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)
33
.
However, the related art SSC technique has various disadvantages. For example, a jitter problem occurs due to a difference in period between a maximum frequency and a minimum frequency. As the input clock signal migrates from the non-modulated frequency over the modulation period, a change in period size occurs over clock cycles during a modulation event.
A skew problem also exists in the related art SSC technique due to a period difference between the frequency-modulated clock signal and the output clock signal. Because the output clock cannot be updated instantaneously, a period difference between the frequency-modulated clock signal from the motherboard
15
and the output clock signal to the peripheral device
23
develops. The cumulative effect of the period difference results in a significant phase error known as skew.
The skew and jitter of the related art SSC technique can be reduced by maximizing a bandwidth of the feedback loop in the second PLL
25
and minimizing a phase angle of an input-to-output transfer function of the modulation frequency.
FIGS. 5 and 6
illustrate a relationship between increased feedback loop bandwidth, decreased phase angle, and decreased skew. However, even the related art SSC technique having optimized feedback loop bandwidth and phase angle still has the jitter and skew errors as discussed in Zhang, Michael T.,
Notes on SSC and Its Timing Impacts
, Rev. 1.0, February 1998, pp. 1-8, which is incorporated by reference. Thus, the jitter and skew problems limit the clock frequency improvements that can be achieved by the related art SSC technique.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to solve at least the related art problems and disadvantages, and to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved zero-delay buffer circuit and a method therefor.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency.
A further object of the invention is to minimize a reduces electromagnetic emission (EMI).
An object of the present invention is to also minimize the jitter.
Another object of the present invention is to minimize a skew error.
Still another object of the present invention is to minimize a delay for clock skew elimination.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a phase detector that eliminates a phase ambiguity problem.
A zero-delay buffer circuit for generating an output clock signal having a reduced EMI includes a spread spectrum clock (SSC) generator circuit that receives an input clock signal and generates a modulated frequency clock signal, and a zero-delay buffer circuit that receives and buffers said modulated frequency clock signal to generate an output clock signal, the zero-delay buffer circuit aligning a phase of the modulated frequency clock signal and the output clock signal such that there is no phase difference between the output clock signal and the modulated frequency clock signal.
A delay-locked loop circuit embodying the present invention further includes a phase detector that receives a modulated frequency clock signal, measures a phase difference between the modulated clock frequency signal and the output clock signal, and generates phase detector outputs; a charge pump circuit coupled to the phase detector device, wherein the charge pump circuit receives the phase detector outputs and generates charges; a loop filter circuit coupled to the charge pump, wherein the loop filter circuit receives the charges and generates a DC voltage output; and a voltage controlled delay chain (VCDC) circuit coupled to the loop filter and the phase detector, wherein the VCDC circuit aligns phases of the modulated frequency clock signal and the output clock signal.
A phase detection device embodying the present invention incl

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