Systems and methods for wideband segmented voltage controlled oscillator calibration

A method to calibrate a segmented voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that has multiple segments, the segmented VCO has a designed output frequency range between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency, the method comprising:

• a step of initiating a frequency sweep, using a phase lock loop (PLL) coupled to the segmented VCO, for a first segment among the multiple segments, the first segment has a lowest designed frequency band among the multiple segments;
• and
• a step of identifying a lower frequency end of an actual frequency band for the first segment when the PLL transits into a lock state from an unlock status and ensuring that the lower frequency end of the actual frequency band for the first segment is lower than the minimum frequency;
• a step of identifying an upper frequency end of the actual frequency band for the first segment when the PLL transits an upper frequency end or transits into an unlock state from a lock status;
• a step of iteratively repeating the frequency sweep for other segments until the last segment with a lower frequency end and an upper frequency end of an actual frequency band being identified, the last segment has the highest designed frequency band among the multiple segments;
• and
• a step of ensuring that the upper frequency end of the actual frequency band for the last segment is higher than the maximum frequency.

A system comprising:

• a segmented voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that has multiple segments, the segmented VCO has a designed output frequency range between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency;
• a phase lock loop (PLL) coupled to receive an output from the segmented VCO and generate a control voltage to control the segmented VCO;
• a non-volatile memory for information storage;
• a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the segmented VCO and the PLL, the MCU is configured for:
• upon receiving a request for a desired VCO output having a desired frequency, verifying whether initial calibration data are available in the non-volatile memory;
• responsive to initial calibration data being available in the non-volatile memory, fetching one or more frequency control parameters, based on the request, from the initial calibration data, and operating the VCO using the fetched one or more frequency control parameters;
• responsive to initial calibration data being unavailable in the non-volatile memory, operating the VCO using one or more parameters established after implementing an initial calibration process, the initial calibration process comprising:
• implementing a frequency sweep, using the PLL, for each segment among the multiple segments;
• and
• identifying a lower frequency end and an upper frequency end of an actual frequency band for each segment when the PLL transits into a lock state from an unlock status or transits into an unlock state from a lock status.