INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application

No. 61/434,292 entitled "HIGH-PRECISION OSCILLATOR" filed on January 19, 2011, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0003] Oscillators are used in almost every modern electronic device and come in a large variety of configurations. Unfortunately, the performance of all of these oscillators is susceptible to a variety of factors, such as aging and environmental conditions, which cause the oscillators to drift in frequency. Unfortunately, compensating for such factors can add substantial expense for minimal performance gains. Accordingly, new approaches to oscillator compensation may be desirable.

SUMMARY

[0004] Various aspects and embodiments of the invention are described in further detail below.

[0005] In an embodiment, an oscillator comprises a first capacitor electrically connected to a first charging switch and a first discharging switch, a second capacitor electrically connected to a second charging switch and a second discharging switch, a first chopping circuit having a first input electrically connected to the first capacitor and a second input electrically connected to a reference voltage, a second chopping circuit having a first input electrically connected to the second capacitor and a second input electrically connected to the reference voltage, a first comparator having a first input and second input electrically connected to a first and second output of the first chopping circuit, a second comparator having a first input and second input electrically connected to a first and second output of the second chopping circuit, and control circuitry having a first input electrically coupled to an output of the first comparator and a second input electrically connected to an output of the second comparator.

[0006] In another embodiment, an oscillator comprises a first comparator and a second comparator, compensation circuitry electrically connected to the first comparator and the second comparator, the compensation circuitry configured to compensate for a difference in respective input offset voltages of the first comparator and the second comparator, and control circuitry electrically coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator, the control circuitry configured to control oscillation of the oscillator,

[0007] In yet another embodiment, an oscillator comprises a first capacitor electrically connected to a first charging switch and a first discharging switch; a second capacitor electrically connected to a second charging switch and a second discharging switch; a first comparator and a second comparator; and compensation means electrically connected to the first capacitor, the second capacitor, the first comparator and the second comparator, the compensation means for compensating for a difference in respective input offset voltages of the first comparator and the second comparator; and control means electrically coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator for controlling the charging switches and discharging switches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Various embodiments of this disclosure that are proposed as examples will be described in detail with reference to the following figures, wherein like numerals reference like elements, and wherein:

[0009] FIG. 1 is an example of a known oscillator.

[0010] FIG. 2 depicts various ideal and non-ideal waveforms produced by the oscillator of Fig. 1.

[0011] FIG. 3 is an example oscillator modified to compensate for non-ideal components.

[0012] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a chopping circuit used in the oscillator of Fig. 3.

[0013] FIG. 5 depicts the waveforms produced by the modified oscillator of Fig. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The disclosed methods and systems below may be described generally, as well as in terms of specific examples and/or specific embodiments. For instances where references are made to detailed examples and/or embodiments, it is noted that any of the underlying principles described are not to be limited to a single embodiment, but may be expanded for use with any of the other methods and systems described herein as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise stated specifically.

[0015] FIG. 1 is an example of a known oscillator 100. The oscillator 100 includes a constant current source Ic, a first charging switch SWCl, a second charging switch SWCO, a first discharging switch SWD1, a second discharging switch SWD0, a first capacitor CI, a second capacitor CO, a first comparator CP1, a second comparator CP0, an SR-latch LI, and a buffer Bl .

[0016] In operation, the latch LI, which acts as control circuitry for the oscillator 100, causes the various switches {SWCl, SWCO, SWDl, SWD0} to open and close in a controlled fashion thus charging and discharging capacitors CI and CO in an alternating manner as will be shown below with respect to Fig. 2. Since CI and CO can be chosen as well-controlled temperature-independent metal-insulator-metal capacitors, it is advantageous for CI and CO to be much larger than other parasitic capacitances at the inputs of the comparators CP1 and CP0, because the parasitic capacitances are hard to control and vary with temperature. This, in turn, limits the size of the input stages of comparators CP1/CP0 and therefore results in a large input- referred offset of said comparators.

[0017] As the capacitors CI and CO alternatively charge and discharge, saw-tooth waveforms are produced (voltages VC _HI and VC _H O), which are fed to inputs of comparators CP1 and CP0 to allow each the voltages VC _HI and VCHO to be respectively compared to a reference voltage V _REF - The output signals of the comparators CP1 and CP0 are then fed to respective inputs to the latch LI, which in turn changes state to provide feedback control to the switches {SWCl, SWCO, SWDl, SWD0}.

[00181 FIG- 2 depicts various ideal and non-ideal waveforms {201, 202, 203, 204} produced by the oscillator of Fig. 1.

[0019] Turning first to ideal waveform 201 , assuming that the capacitances of capacitors CI and CO are equal, the ideal voltage pattern for voltages V _C m and V _C H _O will be identical saw-tooth patterns displaced in time/phase by 180°. Note that, in the ideal case, the waveforms of voltages V _CHI and VC _H O will oscillate between zero volts and the reference voltage VRE _F - This is because as the respective comparators CP1 and CPO change output state (e.g., when VCHI≥ VREF), the state of the outputs of latch LI will change, which in turn will change the on/off positions of the switches {SWC1, SWCO, S D1, SWDO}. The output of the buffer Bl for the ideal case is depicted by waveform 203.

[0020] Now turning to a non-ideal (actual, real-world) scenario, it is to be appreciated that real-world comparators have an input-offset voltage (typically represented by the symbol "Vos") between their inputs. It is also to be appreciated that two different comparators can have different input-offset voltages, which for the purpose of this disclosure is represented by the symbol "VO _FF -" This offset difference VO _FF , which can change over time or over varying operating conditions, such as temperature, can affect the output frequency / periodicity of the oscillator 100. As shown in waveform 202, the exemplary offset VOFF causes amplitude and relative duration waveform differences in voltages Vcm and VCHO- The output of the buffer Bl for the non-ideal case is depicted by waveform 204, and can be easily contrasted with waveform 203.

[0021J FIG. 3 is an example oscillator 300 modified to compensate for non-ideal components, such as the varying input-offset voltages discussed with respect to Figs. 1 and 2. As with the oscillator 100 of Fig. 1, the modified oscillator 300 includes a constant current source Ic, a first charging switch SWC1, a second charging switch SWCO, a first discharging switch SWD1, a second discharging switch SWDO, a first capacitor CI, a second capacitor CO, a first comparator CP1, a second comparator CPO, an S -latch LI, and a buffer B 1. However, the modified oscillator also includes a first chopper MX1 and a second chopper MX0, and the control circuitry 310 is expanded from latch LI to further include a first exclusive-or ("XOR") gate XI, a second XOR gate X0, a first flip-flop Dl and a second flip-flop DO.

[0022] In operation, the control circuitry 310 (via latch LI) causes the various switches {SWC1, SWCO, SWD1, SWDO} to open and close in a controlled fashion thus charging and discharging capacitors CI and CO in an alternating manner, with the resultant waveforms respectively fed to a respective first input to choppers MX1 and MX0. The reference voltage VREF is fed to a second input of each chopper MX1 and MX0.

[0023] The outputs of each chopper M 1 and MX0 will change depending on the state of control signals CHOP1 and CHOP0 respectively produced by flip-flops Dl and DO. For example, for CHOPl=HIGH MX1 will pass voltage Vcm to the positive (+) input of comparator CP1 and the reference voltage VREF to the negative input (-) of comparator CP1, while for CHOPl=LOW, M 1 will pass voltage Vcm to the negative input of comparator CP1 and the reference voltage VREF to the positive input of comparator CP1. Chopper MXO acts in a similar fashion.

[0024] The output signals of the comparators CP1 and CPO are then fed to their respective exclusive-or gates XI and XO, which in turn are logically combined with the CHOP1 and CHOPO signals. The outputs of gates XI and XO are fed to respective inputs of latch LI, which in turn changes state to provide feedback control to the switches {SWCl, SWCO, SWDl, SWDO}.

[0025] Additionally, as the clock input of flip-flop Dl is electrically connected to the positive output of the latch LI, the state of control signal CHOP1 will change every time the positive output of the latch LI transitions from low to high. Similarly, as the clock input of flip- flop DO is electrically connected to the negative output of the latch LI, the state of control signal CHOPO will change every time the negative output of the latch LI transitions from low to high. The changing states of control signals CHOP1 and CHOPO are fed back to control ports of the choppers MX1 and MXO and to inputs of gates XI and X0, thus causing the choppers MX1 and MXO and gates XI and X0 to change operation in a deterministic fashion.

[0026] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a chopping circuit MX used in the oscillator of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the chopping circuit MX includes an inverter II and four switches SW1, SW2, SW3 and SW4. The theory and operation of such chopping circuitry (also called chopping circuitry or choppers) are well known with respect to analog-to-digital conversion devices. When control signal CHOP is HIGH, input ΓΝ0 is connected/coupled to output OUT0 and input INI is connected/coupled to output OUTl . When control signal CHOP is LOW, however, input ΓΝ0 is connected/coupled to output OUTl and input INI is connected coupled to output OUT0.

[0027] FIG. 5 depicts waveforms {501, 502} produced by the modified oscillator 300 of Fig. 3. As shown in waveform 501, the difference offset VOF _F is still present and affects the oscillator 300, but the overall effect upon voltages Vcm and VC _HO is different. That is, a varying VO _FF now causes complementary changes in Vcm and VCHO- While the resultant output V _O UT of buffer Bl (shown in waveform 502) does not produce a perfect square wave, frequency / periodicity variance due to component differences is reduced or eliminated. Another advantage is that long-term influence of 1/f noise inherent in the comparators CPl and CPO is reduced or removed. It is to be appreciated that if the oscillator 300 is run at 2X speed, a divide-by-2 circuit, such as a D-flop, may be used to produce a more suitable square-wave output.

[0028] While the invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments thereof that are proposed as examples, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention as set forth herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. There are changes that may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.