Apparatus and method for acquisition and tracking bank cooperation in a digitally controlled oscillator

A method of cooperation between an acquisition varactor bank and tracking varactor bank in a digitally controller oscillator (DCO), said method comprising the steps of:

• comparing a phase locked loop (PLL) tuning word to a threshold set to a first threshold at the beginning of a packet and to a second threshold for a remainder of said packet;
• and
• if said PLL tuning word exceeds said threshold then apportioning bits of said PLL tuning word between tracking PLL tuning and acquisition PLL tuning such that both said acquisition varactor bank and said tracking varactor bank contribute to the PLL tuning.

A method of cooperation between an acquisition varactor bank and tracking varactor bank in a digitally controller oscillator (DCO), said method comprising the steps of:

• comparing a TX tuning word to a threshold;
• and
• if said TX tuning word exceeds said threshold then apportioning bits of said TX tuning word between tracking TX tuning and acquisition TX tuning such that both said acquisition varactor bank and said tracking varactor bank contribute to the TX tuning.

A method of cooperation between an acquisition varactor bank and tracking varactor bank in a digitally controller oscillator (DCO), said method comprising the steps of:

• comparing a TX tuning word to a threshold set to a first threshold at the beginning of a packet and to a second threshold for a remainder of said packet;
• and
• if said TX tuning word exceeds said threshold then apportioning bits of said TX tuning word between tracking TX tuning and acquisition TX tuning such that both said acquisition varactor bank and said tracking varactor bank contribute to the TX tuning.

A method of cooperation between an acquisition varactor bank and tracking varactor bank in a digitally controller oscillator (DCO), said method comprising the steps of:

• comparing a TX tuning word to a threshold;
• and
• if said TX tuning word exceeds said threshold then apportioning bits of said TX tuning word between tracking TX tuning and acquisition TX tuning such that both said acquisition varactor bank and said tracking varactor bank contribute to the TX tuning, wherein said step of apportioning comprises the step of increasing acquisition TX tuning by multiples of a tuning ratio within a clock cycle.

A method of cooperation between a plurality of banks of conversion devices in a digital to analog quantity converter (DAC) for converting an input word to said analog quantity, said method comprising the steps of:

• comparing said input word to a threshold;
• and
• if said input word exceeds said threshold then apportioning bits of said input word between said plurality of banks such that said banks contribute to said conversion.