Patent
Fast start-up circuit for low power crystal oscillator
| العنوان: | Fast start-up circuit for low power crystal oscillator |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 10608,584 |
| تاريخ النشر: | March 31, 2020 |
| Appl. No: | 15/844573 |
| Application Filed: | December 17, 2017 |
| مستخلص: | A method and apparatus for speeding up the start-up process of a crystal oscillator. The energy required for starting oscillations is inserted to the crystal by a stimulus in the form of a time-variant voltage or current pattern, either periodic or aperiodic. The stimulus is stopped after a pre-established period, then the oscillator continues to operate in its normal mode and completes the start-up process significantly faster, compared to a start-up process not comprising the above stimulus. |
| Inventors: | Kraus, Shraga (Haifa, IL); Feldman, Neil (Misgav, IL) |
| Assignees: | PLSense Ltd. (Yokneam Elit, IL) |
| Claim: | 1. An electronic circuit, comprising: a fast start-up circuit for purpose of speeding up a start-up of a crystal oscillators; an amplifier comprising a common source amplification stage biased by a controllable current source; a piezoelectric crystal and capacitors connected as a feedback network between the-output and the input of the amplifier in a manner that forms a crystal oscillator; a circuitry that can alter the current flowing in a said amplifier; a start-up pattern consisting of a time-variant stimulus that actively varies the current flowing in a said amplifier and thus inserts energy to the crystal; wherein the spectral content of the time-variant pattern includes a frequency, or plurality of frequencies, close or identical to the natural oscillation frequency of the crystal; a start-up pattern which doesn't require a monitor or detection of a signal strength. |
| Claim: | 2. The circuit from claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric crystal and the capacitors are connected as a feedback network in a manner that forms a Pierce crystal oscillator. |
| Claim: | 3. The circuit from claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric crystal and the capacitors are connected as a feedback network in a manner that forms a Colpitts crystal oscillator. |
| Claim: | 4. The circuit from claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric crystal and the capacitors are connected as a feedback network in a manner that forms a Santos crystal oscillator. |
| Claim: | 5. The circuit from claim 1 , wherein a resistor is connected between the input and the output of the amplifier. |
| Claim: | 6. The circuit from claim 1 , wherein the control of the controllable current source comprises an analogue control. |
| Claim: | 7. The circuit from claim 1 , wherein the control of the controllable current source comprises a digital control. |
| Claim: | 8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the time-variant pattern is periodic. |
| Claim: | 9. An electronic circuit, comprising: a fast start-up circuit for purpose of speeding up a start-up of a crystal oscillator; an inverting amplifier; a piezoelectric crystal and capacitors connected as a feedback network between the output and the input of the amplifier in a manner that forms a crystal oscillator; a circuitry connected to the output of the amplifier that can alter the voltage at the output of a said amplifier; a start-up pattern consisting of a time-variant stimulus that actively varies the voltage at the output of a said amplifier and thus inserts energy to the crystal; wherein the spectral content of the time-variant pattern includes a frequency, or plurality of frequencies, close or identical to the natural oscillation frequency of the crystal; a start-up pattern which doesn't require a monitor or detection of a signal strength; a pair of power supply terminals for connection to the positive and negative voltages of a power source. |
| Claim: | 10. The circuit from claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric crystal and the capacitors are connected as a feedback network in a manner that forms a Pierce crystal oscillator. |
| Claim: | 11. The circuit from claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric crystal and the capacitors are connected as a feedback network in a manner that forms a Colpitts crystal oscillator. |
| Claim: | 12. The circuit from claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric crystal and the capacitors are connected as a feedback network in a manner that forms a Santos crystal oscillator. |
| Claim: | 13. The circuit from claim 9 , wherein a resistor is connected between the input and the output of the amplifier. |
| Claim: | 14. The circuit from claim 9 , wherein the amplifier is realised as a common source stage. |
| Claim: | 15. The circuit from claim 9 , wherein the amplifier is realised as a complementary-MOS (CMOS) logic gate. |
| Claim: | 16. The circuit from claim 9 , wherein the circuitry that can alter the voltage at the output of the said amplifier consists of an n-channel transistor and a p-channel transistor, the drain nodes of both transistors are connected to the output of the amplifier, the source node of the n-channel transistor is connected to the negative supply terminal, the source node of the p-channel transistor is connected to the positive supply terminal, and the gate nodes of the n-channel and the p-channel transistors are connected to a circuitry that can generate a time-variant pattern. |
| Claim: | 17. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the time-variant pattern is periodic. |
| Patent References Cited: | 7616074 November 2009 Toffolon 8729974 May 2014 Zoppi 2009/0096541 April 2009 Tran |
| Primary Examiner: | Kinkead, Arnold M |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.10608584 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |