The invention is in the field of oscillator circuits to generate timing reference signals from resonator devices, and particularly microelectromechanical (MEMS) resonator devices.
Most electronic products, for example computers, cell-phones, cameras, CD players, and watches, require at least one highly accurate and stable timing reference to synchronize the circuitry. Timing references typically include a resonator that resonates at a characteristic frequency. Examples of resonators include quartz crystal resonators, surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators, ceramic resonators, microelectromechanical resonators, etc. In order to obtain a usable timing reference signal from a resonator, many circuits have been designed to drive the resonator and produce an output signal. These circuits are variously referred to as oscillator circuits, drive circuits, resonator drivers, etc.
Oscillator circuits are generally designed for or optimized for the particular type of resonator to which they are connected. Oscillator circuits designed and used for quartz crystal or SAW or ceramic resonators are not generally suitable for microelectromechanical resonators. For example, microelectromechanical resonators are small relative to other types of resonators and often have high motional resistance and low power handling limits. The oscillator circuits used for these resonators must take these characteristics into consideration, for example with high gain, drive power control, and low electrical noise.
All of the above requirements should be met by an oscillator circuit that should be built with common circuit fabrication technologies, like CMOS, that should not be overly complex, and should operate is common application environments.
In the drawings, the same reference numbers identify identical or substantially similar elements or acts. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the Figure number in which that element is first introduced (e.g., element 102 is first introduced and discussed with respect to
Embodiments described herein include an oscillator circuit suitable for a resonator with relatively high motional impedance, thus requiring relatively high amplification and having relatively high sensitivity to noise. However, the embodiments described are not intended to be limited to use with any particular type of resonator. In one embodiment, alternating current (AC) coupling, or capacitive coupling, is used in part to decouple the bias voltage placed on the resonator from the operating point of the amplifier, allowing one voltage to be high relative to the other. In an embodiment, some legs, or all legs of the circuit that includes drive circuitry and a resonator include differential signaling. Differential signaling is helpful in minimizing noise in the circuit and in managing stray capacitances. In an embodiment, the amplifier is a multi-stage amplifier including a gain control stage that is programmable to limit the amplifier output, which sets power requirements for the specific resonator. In an embodiment, the gain control stage is programmable by selecting a level at which to clamp or clip the amplifier output, but the invention is not so limited.
A control circuit 110 is coupled to the drive circuit 106 and the PLL 108. It may be connected to only the drive circuit 106 or only to the PLL 108. The control circuit 110 may be any one of a variety of known controllers, including a state machine, a microprocessor, or any of a wide variety of circuits that can supply a control output. The control circuit may include memory devices, including but not limited to, read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), reprogrammable PROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), one-time programmable ROM (OTPROM), fuse or antifuse OTPROM, etc. The control circuitry 110, in an embodiment, manages and may store configuration information for the oscillator. For example, configuration information may include data to determine an amount to limit an output of an amplifier signal in the drive circuit 106, as described more fully below. The configuration information may also include data to program the oscillator circuit 102 to output one or more specific frequencies within the range of frequencies derivable from the resonator 104, but the embodiment is not so limited.
An interface 112 may be coupled to the control circuit 110 for inputting information, including for instance configuration information as described above, and for outputting information, including for instance status information. In an embodiment, the interface 112 is a serial interface, but the embodiment is not so limited. In some cases the interface may be omitted.
The resonator 404 includes a sense node “S”, a drive node “D”, and a polarizing node “P”. Node S is connected to one side of capacitor 408 and to a resistor R1. The other side of the capacitor 408 is connected to the input of the amplifier 403. A bias voltage V2 on the resistor R1 biases the voltage at node S. Node D is connected to one side of a capacitor 410 and to a resistor R2. The other side of the capacitor 410 is connected to the driving output of the amplifier 403. A bias voltage V3 on the resistor R2 biases the voltage at node D. A bias voltage, or polarizing voltage VP is placed on node P. The resistors may be implemented in conductive materials or may be transistors configured to functions as resistors, or may have many other embodiments, for example back-to-back diodes. The embodiment is not meant to be limited by this example.
In one embodiment, node S and node D are each maintained at zero volts, common, or ground. The bias across the resonator in this arrangement is then the voltage VP applied to the resonator.
One advantage of this capacitively coupled bias is that microelectromechanical resonators often benefit from the maximized bias voltages allowed by this arrangement. The bias voltage across the resonator, namely VP minus V2 and VP minus V3 can be larger given a particular VP than it would be if the resonator input and output were directly coupled to the amplifier.
A second advantage of this arrangement is that microelectromechanical resonators can change frequency slightly as a function of bias voltage and the capacitive coupling provides the advantage of separating the amplifier's operating point voltage from the resonator's net bias. Since the amplifier's operating point can vary with temperature, from device to device, and over time; this arrangement can lead to increased accuracy of the microelectromechanical oscillator. This gives finer control over the frequency of the resonator by controlling net bias, for example in the presence of temperature fluctuations, than would be the case if the resonator 404 were directly coupled to the amplifier 403.
A third advantage of this arrangement is its suitability for applications that require a low net bias voltage on the resonator 404. In these cases the desired bias may be less than the operating point of the amplifier 403, which is possible with capacitive coupling.
A fourth advantage of this arrangement is its suitability for applications that require a relatively high bias but have a low supply voltage (for example 1.8V, 2.5V or 3.3V), as is common for integrated circuits. The bias voltage VP in this embodiment can be generated on chip using a voltage multiplier. As VP increases, the difficulty involved with generating VP increases non-linearly. If the resonator 404 were directly coupled to the amplifier 403, the operating point voltage required by the amplifier would be added to VP to for application to node P. Because the difficulty in generating VP increases non-linearly with voltage, this added voltage is undesirable, but is avoided with capacitive coupling.
In another embodiment, VP is zero to maintain node P at zero, while node S and node D are biased by non-zero voltages V2 and V3, respectively. In an embodiment, V2 is equal to V3, but the embodiment is not so limited and V2 and V3 may differ. The advantages discussed above are still gained by this embodiment in which V2 and V3 are non-zero or not equal.
It is contemplated that a capacitive coupling may be used on only one of the positions, for examples in the drive but not the sense, or in the sense but not the drive. This would be advantageous for some forms of amplifier circuit 403.
Providing the limiting function in an amplifier can be a relatively simple and economical solution as compared to alternative approaches, including gain control circuitry external to the amplifier 503, for example.
This embodiment can have the biasing advantages described above for circuit 400 in
Differential coupling provides the advantage of minimizing the susceptibility of the sense signals to common mode noise. This reduction can be, for example, on the order of 30 dB or more. This is especially significant in applications employing a resonator that generates a small signal, such as a microelectromechanical resonator.
Differential coupling also reduces the affect of parasitic capacitance. In many applications, stray capacitances (not shown) across the resonator, for example from node(s) D to node(s) S can be significant. In single-ended (non-differential) arrangements, this capacitance can become a limiting factor for the drive circuitry. In a differential arrangement, however, the capacitances from DA to SA, from DB to SB, from DA to SB, and from DB to SA, can compensate one another. To the extent that the capacitors are matched, the signals through them can produce zero net differential signal and the effect of the capacitors can be canceled.
Voltages V2 and V3 are applied to maintain a bias voltage at nodes SA and SB, and DA and DB, respectively. A polarizing voltage, VP, is applied to node P to maintain node P at a bias voltage. In one embodiment, V2 and V3 are zero volts, while VP is a non-zero voltage. In other embodiments, V2 and V3 are non-zero voltages, while VP is zero volts. In an embodiment, V2 and V3 are the same non-zero voltage, but embodiments are not so limited, and V2 and V3 may be different voltages, indeed VP, V2, and V3 may all be non zero and may all be different. The advantages of differential signaling and the advantages of capacitive coupling as described above are also realized in the embodiments of
The embodiment described here is multistage to accommodate the relatively large gains and bandwidths required by some microelectromechanical resonators. In addition to supplying the gain and bandwidth, multistage designs allow for optimization of each stage for specialize purposes, for example gain, phase control, and clipping.
It is necessary that amplifiers used in oscillators have specific phase behavior, for instance the common single stage Pierce oscillator has approximately 90 degrees of phase lag at the input node, an additional approximate 90 degrees of phase lag at the output node, and 180 degrees phase (an inversion) internally. The multistage configuration described here allows the designer to incorporate phase at internal nodes. For example the multistage amplifier can be configured to have approximately 90 degrees of phase lag at the input node, and approximately 90 degrees of phase lag internally at the output of the first stage, and 0 or 180 degrees of phase at the internal gain or other stage. Alternatively, the multistage amplifier can be configured to have minimal phase at the input and minimal internal phase. Both are suitable depending upon the application and are intended to be included in this description.
Fine amounts of phase can be added or subtracted from the signal (i.e. phase lag or phase lead) at various nodes of the amplifier, for example the output node of the limit stage. In addition, 180 degrees of phase can be added (or subtracted) by simply swapping the two signal lines within or between any stage, or the two signal lines between the drive and the resonator or between the sense and the resonator. This fine and course phase flexibility is useful to optimize the amplifier for a specific resonator design, a specific individual resonator, or to compensate for temperature variation. These phase adjustments may be configured and driven by the control circuit 110 shown in
The various amplifier stages shown in
The amplifier is a differential gain stage with self-biasing inputs. Depending upon the values of feedback resistors RA and RB, the output load capacitors CA and CB, and the operating frequency of the resonator, the stage can be built as a transconductance or integrating voltage gain stage.
The feedback resistors RA and RB can be sized to configure the stage as a transconductance stage or an integrating voltage gain stage. As is understood by one familiar with the art, the selection of small resistor values is made for a transconductance stage, while high values are used for voltage gain. The resistors RA and RB may be made from resistive material or layers or can be transistors built to function as resistors. When they are desired to have especially large resistances, then the transistor implementation has advantages. Other constructions, such as back-to-back diodes, are also possible.
The load capacitors, CA and CB, can be sized to set the gain and phase response. In applications where an integrator is desired then the capacitors can be made large enough to dominate at the resonator frequency. In applications where a transconductance stage is desired the capacitors can be small or non-existent.
The cascading is optionally added to increase the stage gain as is familiar to one experienced in the art. The cascade bias voltages VB1 through VB5 are generated by circuitry not shown but commonly known to one experienced in the art. The specific sizing of the transistors is a strong function of the resonator frequency, the application specifications (for example noise and power requirements), and the process in which the circuit is built. Example transistor sizes are not given here because they cannot be predetermined and procedures for deriving them are well known by those experienced in the art.
There are many ways to perform the functions described in
This circuit is a simple voltage gain stage. The specific sizing of the transistors and resistors is a strong function of the resonator frequency, the application specifications (for example noise and power requirements), and the process in which the circuit is built. Example transistor sizes are not given here because they cannot be predetermined and procedures for deriving them are well known by those experienced in the art.
There are many ways to build a suitable gain stage, and
Furthermore, the gain stage shown in
The extent or clipping amplitude is a function of the values of the resistances, the bias voltage VB7, the transistor sizes, and the fabrication process. The clipping range may be set dynamically by adjusting VB7.
The specific sizing of the transistors and resistors is a strong function of the resonator frequency, the application specifications (for example noise and power requirements), and thee process in which the circuit is built. Example transistor sizes are not given here because they cannot be predetermined and procedures for deriving them are well known by those experienced in the art.
There are many ways to build a suitable gain stage, and
The level translator is a circuit that accepts an input of one amplitude range and converts it to a different range intended to be more compatible with down-stream circuits.
This is a well known level translator design that performs the required function. There are many other ways to build a suitable translation stage, and
Aspects of the methods and systems described herein may be implemented in a variety of component types, e.g., metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (“MOSFET”) technologies like complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (“CMOS”), bipolar technologies like emitter-coupled logic (“ECL”), polymer technologies (e.g., silicon-conjugated polymer and metal-conjugated polymer-metal structures), mixed analog and digital, etc.
The various components and/or functions disclosed herein may be described using any number of combinations of hardware, firmware, and/or as data and/or instructions embodied in various machine-readable or computer-readable media, in terms of their behavioral, register transfer, logic component, and/or other characteristics.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list; all of the items in the list; and any combination of the items in the list.
The above description of illustrated embodiments is not intended to be exhaustive or limited by the disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the systems and methods are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, the gain control function could be provided in a manner other than clipping. The resonator used in the embodiments may be any kind of resonator, although a microelectromechanical resonator is referred to herein. Although some embodiments are described with differential coupling, other embodiments may have a mix of differential coupling and single-ended coupling, for example between different amplifier stages. While certain values (e.g., for voltages) are stated in the disclosure, those particular values are illustrative examples only and are not intended to be limiting.
The teachings provided herein may be applied to other systems and methods, and not only for the systems and methods described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above may be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes may be made to methods and systems in light of the above detailed description.
In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all systems and methods that operate under the claims. Accordingly, the method and systems are not limited by the disclosure, but instead the scope is to be determined entirely by the claims. While certain aspects are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects as well.