Outline
Day One
Frequency Synthesis
• History from test and measurement perspective • Direct and indirect frequency synthesis • Performance requirements
Direct Analog Synthesis (DAS)
• Oscillator combinations • Harmonics, multiplication and division • Divide-and-mix • Spurious signals • Noise • Specifying the reference • Example • the Synthesizer Equation
Indirect Frequency Synthesis
• Stability transfer • Frequency lock • Phase lock
PLLs: Basic Model and Analysis
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Block diagrams • Laplace transfer function and linearized model; loop types and orders • Loop filters • Open and closed loop gain; Bode plots; phase and gain margin • stability and transient times • Acquisition, lock and hold in range • Frequency modulation (FM) problems and solutions • Sampling effects • Calculation of transfer functions and time domain response • Nonlinear modeling/simulation
Phase Detectors
• General principles • Mixer • Sample and hold, microwave samplers • Digital options • the phase-frequency detector • Charge pumps
Dividers
• Pre-scalers: single, dual, and multiple modulus • Noise floor • input impedance variation • power supply phase modulation (PSPM)
Oscillators
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Feedback and negative resistance structures • Delay oscillators • Reference types • Inductor issues • pulling and pushing effects • injection locking and field feedback • General noise characteristics •
VCO characterizationDay Two
PLL Synthesizer Design Techniques
• Important parameters and hierarchy • loop filter types, active and passive • Loop filter design functions • MS Excel worksheet • stability while managing wide component variations • component value tolerance • Acquisition of lock • divider value minimization
Phase Noise and Spurs
• Phase noise components • reference noise • divider noise • PD noise and FOM •
VCO noise • Loop filter noise • Modeling PLL noise using MS Excel • measuring PLL noise floor • noise variations with loop bandwidth • reference sidebands: causes and solution options • reduction of loop filter noise
Fractional-N PLL
• Basic principles • inherent spurious mechanism • fractional-N implementation techniques • sigma-delta benefits and consequences • addressing fractional N spurs
Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS)
• Numeric oscillator • square vs. sine waveforms • spurious signal causes and their minimization • spur diagnosis methods
Synthesis Technique Combinations
• Synthesizer equations • DAS + PLL • DAS + DDS • DDS + PLL • DAS + DDS + PLL • Multiple loops • Increasing frequency range
Testing Techniques
• Phase noise measurement details • Switching speed • Loop dynamics validation