[time-nuts] Low noise frequency multiplication

SAIDJACK at aol.com SAIDJACK at aol.com
Thu Mar 1 20:55:58 EST 2007


 
In a message dated 3/1/2007 13:30:26 Pacific Standard Time,  
die at dieconsulting.com writes:

I  had never thought about relative performance issues of using a
VCXO locked  with a really narrow band PLL to a lower frequency reference
versus  a  multiplier with a narrow band cleanup filter at the output...
other than to  realize that unless one uses a more complex PLL design
really narrow band  loops implemented extremely straightforwardly
(perhaps to the point of  idiocy) require the higher frequency VCXO to be
accurately on frequency  within the low pass bandwidth else the loop
won't capture. This gets a bit  dicey if one is talking 1 Hz or less at
100  MHz.



Hi Dave,
 
this is not necessarily as complicated as you mention. If you use a simple  
Exor gate as the phase comparator with the 100MHz (or 1GHz) divided down to  
10MHz, then there is no dependency between the loop bandwidth to the  frequency 
of the VCXO. It will simply lock, no matter how slow the loop  bandwidth (of 
course the bandwidth has to be faster than thermal, and aging  effects on the 
VCXO since this is what you would like to compensate for with the  PLL).
 
The Exor gate won't have a problem in locking onto harmonics etc of the  
reference since the VCXO has a very small control frequency range.
 
You do have to make sure that the VCXO adjustment range is sufficient to  
allow it to always lock to the reference, taking long-term crystal aging etc  
into account.
 
For a sample VCXO that can be driven by a simple Exor gate as the phase  
comparator see also:
 
_http://www.edn.com/contents/images/112703di.pdf_ 
(http://www.edn.com/contents/images/112703di.pdf) 
 
The cleanup filter is a simple second-order 25Hz cut-off RC, and it only  has 
to remove the 10MHz phase comparison output from the Exor gate. No  
relationship between loop bandwidth and output frequency.
 
bye,
Said
 
 
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