Circuit for reproducing a clock from a multilevel QAM signal

A clock reproducing circuit for use in a multilevel QAM demodulation circuit including at least a local carrier reproducing means for generating a first local carrier and a second local carrier having a phase difference of 90° from said first local carrier, a first multiplication-detection circuit for multiplication-detecting an input multilevel QAM signal by said first local carrier to generate an analog in-phase signal, a second multiplication-detection circuit for multiplication-detecting said input multilevel QAM signal by said second local carrier to generate an analog quadrature signal, a first analog-to-digital converter receiving said analog in-phase signal through a first low pass filter to generate a digital in-phase signal, a second analog-to-digital converter receiving said analog quadrature signal through a second low pass filter to generate a digital quadrature signal, the clock reproducing circuit including a clock phase error detecting circuit receiving one of said digital in-phase signal and said digital quadrature signal to generate a phase error signal, and a voltage controlled oscillator receiving said phase error signal through a loop filter, for generating a clock which is supplied to said first and second analog-to-digital converters, said clock phase error detecting circuit comprising:

• first and second delay circuits receiving, as a digital input signal, said one of said digital in-phase signal and said digital quadrature signal, said first delay circuit generating a ½-data period delayed signal, and said second delay circuit generating a one-data period delayed signal;
• an offset value generating circuit receiving said digital input signal and said one-data period delayed signal for generating an offset value;
• a first subtracting circuit for subtracting said offset value from said ½-data period delayed signal to generate a first phase error signal;
• a second subtracting circuit for subtracting said one-data period delayed signal from said digital input signal to generate a subtraction result signal;
• a sign inverting circuit for selectively inverting the sign of said first phase error signal on the basis of said subtraction result signal, to output a second phase error signal;
• a first discriminating circuit for comparing said subtraction result signal with a first threshold to output a first discrimination result signal;
• an addition circuit for adding said one-data period delayed signal to said digital input signal to generate an addition result signal;
• a second discriminating circuit for comparing said addition result signal with a second threshold to output a second discrimination result signal;
• and
• a gate circuit controlled by said first and second discrimination result signals either to output said second phase error signal as said phase error signal or output a held signal as said phase error signal.