A 1.9-GHz Fractional-N Digital PLL With Subexponent Delta Sigma TDC and IIR-Based Noise Cancellation

Abstract

This brief presents a 1.9-GHz fractional-N digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) with a subexponent Delta Sigma time-to-digital converter (TDC) and an infinite impulse response (IIR)-based noise cancellation scheme. The proposed subexponent Delta Sigma TDC generates adaptively scaled exponent-only information to track the finest resolution that prevents overloading for a given input environment. In addition, IIR-based noise cancellation provides easy filtering of delta-sigma modulator noise without tightened matching constraints. The DPLL fabricated in 0.13-mu m CMOS consumes 8.6 mW and shows the subexponent operation and IIR noise cancellation. The measured phase noise of DPLL is -98 dBc/Hz at 200-kHz offset and -111 dBc/Hz at 3-MHz offset with 500-kHz loop bandwidth.