Motorola Corporation

Michael W Hodel

Barry B Heim

Kendall G Moore

William H Gulliver

Frederic B Shapiro

Tzu-Hui P Hu

William F Johnstone

Paul T Hu

Deborah J Beckwith

C Christopher Hanke, Iii

A sensing circuit (202) uses correlated double sampling to sample a first pixel signal of a pixel stream (V.sub.PIXEL) at two different times to produce a dark signal and a light signal on two capacitors (310, 314). The dark and light signals are amplified in an amplifier (302) to produce a differential output signal (V.sub.PP -V.sub.PN) proportional to their difference. While the samples of the first pixel signal are being amplified, a second pixel signal is double-sampled to produce dark and light signals on two other capacitors (312, 316) for amplifying in the same amplifier. The period of the pixel signal is divided into time slots (T.sub.1 -T.sub.16) by a clocked oscillator (52). Programming signals (PROG1, PROG2) control the time slots in which sampling control pulses (V.sub.S1, V.sub.S2) are generated.

Sensing circuit for capturing a pixel signal

A delay matching circuit has a first node (48), a second node (50), a first loading circuit (54, 56), a second loading circuit (58, 60), a third loading circuit (64) and a buffer circuit (62). The first loading circuit couples a first logic state to the first node responsive to a first state of a control signal. The second loading circuit couples a second logic state to the first node responsive to a second state of the control signal. The buffer circuit electrically couples the first and second nodes. The first loading circuit, second loading circuit and buffer circuit are characterized by a first, a second and a third predetermined electrical impedance, respectively. The third loading circuit is coupled to the second node and is characterized by a fourth predetermined electrical impedance. The disclosed delay matching circuit propagates a clock signal input with a delay equal to the Clock-to-Q delay associated with a flip-flop constructed with similar circuit elements. The disclosed delay matching circuit is useful in circuits, such as phase locked loops, where the simultaneous propagation of two signals is critical.

Delay matching circuit

A power-on reset circuit controls a PLL to prevent overshoot of the VCO during power-up. The power-on reset circuit asserts a control signal upon detecting the power supply potential to the PLL below a predetermined threshold. The control signal enables a pull-down transistor to attenuate the control voltage to the VCO and reduce the output frequency of the VCO. The control signal further blocks the input reference signal to the phase detector. With the input reference signal blocked, the phase detector produces only down pulses to the charge pump during subsequent high to low logic transitions of the feedback signal from the VCO thereby further discharging the loop node and reducing the output frequency of the VCO. Following power-up, the control signal disables the pull-down transistor and allows the input reference signal to reach the phase detector whereby the PLL begins normal frequency acquisition and lock sequencing.

VCO power-up circuit for PLL and method thereof

A circuit (10) for providing recovery of a phase locked loop circuit when lock has been lost has been provided. The circuit includes a lock indicator circuit (24) for detecting when the phase locked loop circuit has lost lock on an input reference signal. When such loss has occurred, an override circuit (28) is rendered operative to decrease the voltage appearing at the input of a VCO within the phase locked loop thereby slowing down the frequency of the VCO and allowing the phase locked loop circuit to recover lock. Further, a logic circuit (30) detects when the voltage appearing at the input of the VCO has fallen below a predetermined threshold voltage and renders the override circuit non-operative.

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Michael W Hodel