Phase-locked loops (pll) including digitally controlled oscillator (dco) gain calibration circuits and related methods

Abstract

Interfaces between clock domains of an integrated circuit (IC) depend on synchronization of phase-locked loops (PLLs) that generate clocks in the different domains and on how each PLL responds to jitter in a shared reference clock. The well-controlled same bandwidth (and loop dynamic) for those PLLs renders the same and, therefore, ignorable reference jitter contribution. As a key component that determines a digital PLL bandwidth, digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) may have its gain vary with process, temperature, and supply IR drop from chip to chip or even module to module. A calibration circuit provides a gain correction factor to achieve a nominal gain in DCO as well as a desired/target PLL loop bandwidth. In some examples, the calibration circuit in each PLL determines a gain correction factor that causes the PLLs to have a common jitter response and stores the gain correction factors in the calibration circuits.