System and method for synchronizing multiple oscillators using reduced frequency signaling

A system for voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) control comprising:

• a first VCO having a first control signal and a first VCO output signal, wherein
• the first VCO output signal has a first VCO output frequency, and
• the first VCO is configured to modify the first VCO output frequency when the first control signal is modified;
• a second VCO having a second control signal and a second VCO output signal, wherein
• the second VCO output signal has a second VCO output frequency, and
• the second VCO is configured to modify the second VCO output frequency when the second control signal is modified;
• a second control circuit coupled to the second VCO, wherein the second control circuit is configured to modify the second control signal in accordance with a first down-scaled signal, wherein the second control circuit further comprises a second frequency down-scaling circuit coupled to the second VCO, the second frequency down-scaling circuit comprises at least one of a frequency mixer and a frequency divider and is configured to determine a second down-scaled signal in accordance with the second VCO output signal, and the second down-scaled signal has a second down-scaled frequency that is reduced by a fixed ratio relative to a current value of the second VCO output frequency;
• and
• a first control circuit coupled to the first VCO and to the second control circuit, wherein
• the first control circuit comprises a first frequency down-scaling circuit and a first phase lock loop (PLL) circuit,
• the first down-scaled signal has a first down-scaled frequency that is reduced by a fixed ratio relative to a current value of the first VCO output frequency,
• the first control circuit is configured to transmit the first down-scaled signal to the second control circuit over a length of printed circuit board (PCB), and
• the first PLL circuit is configured to modify the first control signal in accordance with the first down-scaled signal.

A phased array beamforming system comprising:

• a master satellite comprising a radio frequency (RF) front end configured to transmit or receive an RF signal, and a master voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) operatively coupled to the RF front end;
• at least one slave satellite that comprises an RF front end, the at least one slave satellite comprising a slave VCO;
• a master phase lock loop (PLL) circuit coupled to the master satellite and configured to control an output frequency of the master VCO;
• and
• a respective slave PLL circuit coupled to the at least one slave satellite and configured to control an output frequency of the slave VCO in accordance with a phase-delayed master VCO reference signal.