The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 08, 1999
Chiakang Sung, Milpitas, CA (US);
Robert R. N. Bielby, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Richard G. Cliff, Milpitas, CA (US);
Edward Aung, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Altera Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A programmable logic device is provided with phase-locked loop (“PLL”) circuitry that includes two serially connected PLL circuits. An input clock signal is processed by a first of the PLL circuits to produce an intermediate clock signal having a frequency different from the input clock signal frequency. The intermediate clock signal is processed by the second PLL circuit to produce a final modified clock signal having a frequency different from both the input clock signal frequency and the intermediate clock signal frequency. By providing two serially connected PLL circuits, each PLL circuit can be required to operate with frequencies in a narrower range than might otherwise be required in a single PLL circuit required to produce a given input-to-final frequency change. Other circuitry on the programmable logic device (e.g., input/output registers and programmable logic circuitry for processing data signals) is responsive to the input and final modified clock signals. The two PLL circuits may alternatively be used separately or partly separately.