1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to oscillation circuits, and more particularly, to an oscillation circuit capable of compensating frequency offset (deviation) caused by ambient temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
A crystal oscillator generates a signal for a clock, wherein the signal is input to a clock generator which in turn generates a clock signal necessary for driving an electronic element. In recent years, crystal oscillators have been popularly used to provide a reference frequency signal for radio communication, such as devices or telephone sets for portable, mobile and cordless telephone systems. Crystal oscillators, however, provide about a 5 parts per million (ppm) frequency stability over temperature, as shown in
Embodiments of a temperature compensated oscillation circuit are provided, in which an oscillator with a crystal resonator is arranged to generate an oscillation signal with an output frequency, and a temperature sensor is arranged to provide a temperature compensation voltage of which a function is linear with respect to an ambient temperature of the oscillator. A first accumulation mode MOS varactor is coupled to the oscillator, and the first accumulation mode varactor is arranged to adjust a capacitance thereof in response to the temperature compensation voltage, such that the coupled oscillator has a frequency compensation over temperature for the oscillation signal, wherein the frequency compensation substantially varies as an inverse function of a deviation of the crystal resonator over temperature when the ambient temperature is within a predetermined temperature range.
The invention provides another embodiment of a temperature compensated oscillation circuit, in which a crystal oscillator is arranged to provide an oscillation signal with an output frequency, and a temperature sensor is arranged to detect an ambient temperature of the crystal oscillator and provide a temperature compensation voltage which is linear with respect to a detected ambient temperature. A first accumulation mode MOS varactor is coupled to the crystal oscillator, and the first accumulation mode MOS varactor is arranged to receive the temperature compensation voltage provided by the temperature sensor to compensate the output frequency of the oscillation signal when the detected ambient temperature is within a predetermined temperature range.
The invention provides an embodiment of a method for compensating frequency offset over temperature of a crystal oscillator, in which an ambient temperature of an oscillator having a crystal resonator is detected to provide a temperature compensation voltage of which a function is linear with respect to the detected ambient temperature. The temperature compensation voltage is applied to a first accumulation mode MOS varactor coupled to the oscillator to adjust a capacitance provided by the first accumulation mode MOS varactor, such that the oscillator has a frequency compensation over temperature for the oscillation signal, wherein the frequency compensation substantially varies over temperature as an inverse function of a deviation of the crystal resonator over temperature when the detected ambient temperature is within a predetermined temperature range.
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.
The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.
To compensate for frequency offset (deviation) caused by ambient temperature, embodiments of the invention pre-adjust an output frequency of a crystal oscillator over the temperature, so that the crystal oscillator has a frequency compensation over temperature for the oscillation signal, thereby offsetting the frequency deviation. Accordingly, the frequency deviation can be compensated by the frequency compensation such that the output frequency of the oscillation signal is substantially independent from temperature. As such, a stable frequency output of the oscillation circuit over temperature can be provided. For example, embodiments of the invention pre-adjust the output frequency of the crystal oscillator such that frequency compensation substantially varies as an inverse function of a deviation of a crystal resonator in the crystal oscillator.
The voltage to capacitance circuit 30 adjusts a capacitance thereof in response to the temperature compensation voltage TDV from the temperature sensor 20, such that the crystal oscillator 10 generates a frequency compensation of the oscillation signal CLK to compensate for the deviation of the crystal resonator over temperature. For example, the frequency compensation generated by the crystal oscillator 10 substantially varies as an inverse function of the deviation of the crystal resonator over temperature. Namely, the output frequency of the oscillation signal CLK is virtually independent from the temperature. In embodiments of the invention, the voltage to capacitance circuit 30 is implemented by one or more accumulation mode MOS varactors. In some cases, the voltage to capacitance circuit 30 can also be implemented by a combination of at least one accumulation mode MOS varactor and one or more other kind of varactors, such as P+/N well junction varactors, inversion mode MOS varactors, standard (D=S=B) MOS varactors and the like.
Note that assumptions include implementation of the voltage to capacitance circuit 30 by one accumulation mode MOS varactor 32 as shown in
From
it is seen that frequency is in inverse ratio to capacitance. Hence, the relationship between the output frequency (i.e., the frequency of the oscillation signal CLK) of the crystal oscillator 10 and the ambient temperature is substantially in inverse ratio to the relationship represented by the curve CV2 in
The curve CV4, for example, shows the deviation of the crystal resonator 11 when the ambient temperature is within a certain temperature range, but is not limited thereto. According to the slope of the curves CV3 and CV4, the variation in the output frequency of the crystal oscillator 10 caused by the voltage to capacitance circuit 30 over temperature is substantially in inverse ratio to the deviation of the crystal resonator 11 over temperature. Hence, the frequency compensation of the crystal oscillator 10 substantially varies as an inverse function of the deviation of the crystal resonator 11 over temperature when ambient temperature varies, such that the deviation caused by temperature can be compensated so that a stable frequency output IL over temperature may be provided.
The temperature sensor 20 detects the ambient temperature of the crystal oscillator 10 and applies the temperature detection voltage of which a function is linear with respect to the detected ambient temperature to the crystal oscillator 10 and the voltage to capacitance circuit 30A. For example, because the current sources I1 and I2 are constant current sources, the current I3 through the transistor Q1 increases and the current I4 through the resistor R3 decreases while the ambient temperature increases. Accordingly, the voltage stored at the capacitor C1 (i.e., the temperature detection voltage TDV) decreases. On the contrary, while the ambient temperature decreases, the current I3 through the transistor Q1 decreases and the current I4 through the resistor R3 increases, and the voltage stored at the capacitor C1 (i.e., the temperature detection voltage TDV) increases accordingly. Thus, the function of temperature detection voltage TDV is typically linear with respect to the detected ambient temperature and is in inverse ratio to the detected ambient temperature.
According to the relationship between the capacitance and gate-source voltage shown in
As the variation in the output frequency of the crystal oscillator 10 caused by the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A over temperature is substantially in inverse ratio to the deviation of the crystal resonator 11 over temperature, the frequency compensation of the crystal oscillator 10 varies substantially as an inverse function of the deviation of the crystal resonator 11 over temperature while ambient temperature varies. Thus, the deviation caused by temperature can be compensated by the frequency compensation so that a stable frequency output over temperature may be provided.
It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the capacitance of the accumulation mode MOS varactor varies merely when the gate-source voltage of which varies within a predetermined voltage range. For example, as shown in
The source and drain of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″ is coupled to the reference voltage Vref1, and the temperature detection voltage TDV is applied to the gate of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″. As set fourth, the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″ can only adjust the capacitance thereof when the gate voltage (i.e., the temperature detection voltage TDV) is within a predetermined voltage range. For example, the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″ adjusts the capacitance thereof when the temperature detection voltage TDV is between V1 and V2.
In this embodiment, when the temperature detection voltage TDV is lower than V1 or higher than V2, the capacitance of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″ is maintained and the voltage to capacitance circuit 30B adjusts the capacitance thereof by the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32B or 32C. The accumulation mode MOS varactors 32A″ and 32B are connected in parallel with inverse direction. Namely, the gate of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32B is coupled to a reference voltage Vref2, and the temperature detection voltage TDV is applied to drains and sources of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32B. Because the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32A″ and 32B are connected in parallel with inverse direction, the relationship of the tuning slope between capacitance and the gate-source voltage of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32B is in inverse to that of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″. Hence, by selecting an appropriate fixed voltage to serve as the reference voltage Vref2, the capacitance provided by the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32B increases as the temperature detection voltage TDV decreases when the temperature detection voltage TDV is lower then V1.
Similarly, the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32A″ and 32C are connected in parallel with inverse direction. Namely, the gate of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32C is coupled to a reference voltage Vref3, and the temperature detection voltage TDV is applied to drains and sources of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32C. The relationship between capacitance and gate-source voltage of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32C is inverse to that of the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″, because the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32A″ and 32C are connected in parallel with inverse direction. Hence, by selecting an appropriate fixed voltage to serve as the reference voltage Vref3, the capacitance provided by the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32C decreases as the temperature detection voltage TDV increases when the temperature detection voltage TDV is higher then V2.
Namely, if the reference voltages Vref1˜Vref3 are appropriate, the capacitances provided by the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32A″ and 32C are almost maintained and the total capacitance provided by the voltage to capacitance circuit 30B is mainly adjusted by the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32B when the temperature detection voltage TDV is lower than V1. When the temperature detection voltage TDV is between V1 and V2, the capacitances provided by the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32B and 32C are almost maintained and the total capacitance provided by the voltage to capacitance circuit 30B is mainly adjusted by the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32A″. When the temperature detection voltage TDV is higher than V2, the capacitances provided by the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32A″ and 32B are almost maintained and the total capacitance provided by the voltage to capacitance circuit 30B is mainly adjusted by the accumulation mode MOS varactor 32C. The relationship between the capacitance provided by the voltage to capacitance circuit 30B and the temperature detection voltage TDV is shown in
Because the function of the temperature detection voltage TDV is linear with respect to the detected ambient temperature and is in inverse ratio to the detected ambient temperature, the relationship between the capacitance provided by the voltage to capacitance circuit 30B and the temperature can be represented as a curve CV5 as shown in
As the frequency is in inverse ratio to the capacitance, the relationship between the output frequency of the crystal oscillator 10 and the ambient temperature is substantially in inverse ratio to the relationship represented by the curve CV5 shown in
In some examples, one of the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32B and 32C can be replaced by a P+/N well junction varactor, or both the accumulation mode MOS varactors 32B and 32C can be replaced by two P+/N well junction varactors, but is not limited thereto. The accumulation mode MOS varactors 32B and 32C can also be replaced by inversion mode MOS varactors, standard (D=S=B) MOS varactors or a combination thereof.
Certain terms are used throughout the description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, consumer electronic equipment manufacturers may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.
Although the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiment, it is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.