Re: PLL / DPLL phase question

I'm following up my own post for a correction.



12 bits should be sufficient for the full scale frequency.  Since the OP said he
needed to
track 1 to 50 Hz with 0.1 degree max phase error, he will need an additional 6
bits to get
the required resolution at the low end (1 Hz).  Note that 18 bits of accuracy
aren't
needed -- only 18 bits of resolution, because of the feedback.  The resolution
could be
achieved with 2 10 bit or 12 bit converters.



This is still true and could be used instead of another converter.

Thad

Thad -

sounds good in theory - but there has never been a 12 bit DAC with 12
bits of reality - the LSB is junk with power supply noise and
non-linearity.  The 12 bit DACs are really capable of 11 - 11.3 bits
with GOOD (excellent) gound planes and linear regulators and a cold
plate for temperature stability.

The phase error means that his load into the m and n integer will not do
well in this application - they only increment on cross.  I would
suggest going to a full digitally done output using the dac and
integrating it a little (time constant ~ 1/2 the update rate).  The
phase error budget here will kill him .

Andrew
Thad Smith wrote:


he needed to

bits to get

aren't

could be

For this application, the OP has error feedback, which removes the need
for long term stability, accuracy, and good linearity.  Noise would be
more of a problem, though.



The m and n integer?  What do you mean here?

Thad

In pll's, you have either an m or an m and n divide registers.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm still a little puzzled, but
it's gone from dark to murky =).


he needed to

6 bits to get


snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.com (Robert Scott) wrote in message



I'm on the same page with regard to the 1/3600 part at a frequency.

I think what Thad is saying is that I need 12-bits at a given
frequency, but to get to a given frequency I need more bits. If my
range is 1-50Hz just to get to a frequency in that range (if I could
do it in integer multiples of Hz) I'd need 6-bits assuming a 1:1
correlation between a bit and output Hz. Then I would need an
additional 12-bits to do sub-frequency control to meet my phase
requirement.

Also,I think that the VCO's gain factor comes into play and will
affect the number of bits, given I don't have a 1:1 correlation
between a bit and a Hz.

Thanks again for the responses...

-- Jay.

Hello,



Well, I cheated just a bit, I don't have a VCO, I have a motor control
unit. I'm varying the voltage to the motor control unit to get a
"frequency" out of it. My VCO "gain" is really the motor gain (RPM/Volt
translated to Hz / volt). I didn't want to complicate the situation by
bringing that in (being a motor and not a VCO doesn't alter the number
of bits question)

Using PWM would work for my application upto 11-12 bits(given a 40-60MHz
input clock), but beyond that my PWM output frequency drops too low. I
haven't solved this problem yet...dithering may work here.

I also considered using a real DAC, buffering the output and driving an
SMPS in voltage-control mode (to drive the motor) but as others have
pointed out, the DAC noise problems will probably kill me.

My newserver has been acting funny(read not letting me post), otherwise
I would have tried to clairify a bit earlier.

But I'm curious Peter, assuming I used a 50 to 100MHz clock, the only
way to get the delays would be to make a (big) shift-register and delay
my signal by clock cycles, right? Wouldn't that mean a huge multiplexor
on the output to select which tap I use?

How exactly would multi-phase 200MHz clocks work out here? Generate a
0deg and a 90deg signal using the DCM on a Xilinx part or something?

Thanks again for all the helful responses everyone.

-- Jay.

That introduces some additional considerations.  A VCO would be fairly
stable for a given control voltage.  Is this true of the motor?  If
there are load variations, can the controller keep it within the narrow
speed window to maintain your phase margin.  Even if the controller
increases the drive to compensate for a load increase, it probably won't
do anything to recover accumulated phase error.  If you absolutely need
0.1 degree maximum phase error while the load changes, you might need a
much stiffer motor drive, as well as immediate feedback from the motor
to the controller, probably a high resolution rotary encoder.  If there
is very little load change or your phase error limit can be exceeded at
times, it won't be as bad.

Thad