Rc oscillator
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorsMatthew R. Powell, Axel Thomsen, Nicholas M. Atkinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method includes using a current source to provide a charging current to a capacitor of a resistor-capacitor (RC) tank of an RC oscillator. The method includes using a resistor of the current source as a resistor for the RC tank.
Claims21
A method comprising:
- using a current source to provide a charging current to a capacitor of a resistor-capacitor (RC) tank of an RC oscillator;
- using a resistor of the current source as a resistor for the RC tank;
- and
- communicating the charging current to the capacitor using a charging path, wherein using the charging path comprises communicating the charging current to the capacitor using an amplifier and using the amplifier to amplify the voltage to generate a signal to turn on a discharge path to discharge the capacitor.
(canceled)
An apparatus comprising:
- a resistor-capacitor (RC) tank circuit formed from a resistor and a capacitor and having an oscillation cycle comprising a first part of the cycle in which the capacitor is charged and a second part of the cycle in which the capacitor is discharged;
- a discharge path circuit to discharge the capacitor during the second part of the cycle;
- and
- a charge path circuit to communicate a charging current to the capacitor, wherein the charge path circuit comprises an amplifier to communicate the charging current and to amplify a voltage of the capacitor to generate a signal to control coupling of the discharge path circuit to the capacitor.
An apparatus comprising:
- an integrated circuit comprising a processor core and a clock system comprising a plurality of clock sources and being adapted to select a clock signal provided by a given clock source of the plurality of clock sources and to provide the selected clock signal to at least one component of the integrated circuit, wherein the given clock source comprises a resistor-capacitor (RC) oscillator comprising:
- a current source to provide a regulated current and comprising a resistor;
- an RC tank circuit comprising the resistor and a capacitor to establish a period of the clock signal;
- and
- a charge path circuit to charge the capacitor using a charging current, wherein the charge path circuit comprises an amplifier to communicate the charging current to the capacitor and amplify a voltage of the capacitor to generate a signal to control operation of a discharge circuit to discharge the capacitor.
18-19. (canceled)
The apparatus of 14, wherein the current source comprises a VGS/R current source or a delta VGS/R current source.
The apparatus of 14, wherein the RC oscillator is associated with an oscillation cycle, and the amplifier comprises a transistor to operate in a linear mode of operation to communicate the charging current to the capacitor and transition to an off state near or at the end of a first part of the oscillation cycle to increase the amplification of the signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.