A novel MMIC approach to sampling phase/frequency detection for microwave quartz-lock oscillators

A novel concept in sampling-phase/frequency detection for microwave quartz-lock oscillators is proposed, and its prototype is developed in a GaAs MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit). It is found out experimentally that the proposed detector provides drastic improvement over conventional sampling-phase detectors in pull-in range. This novel circuit can detect both frequency and phase without any frequency dividers. The frequency comparison output can extend the pull-in range to the limit, which is equal to the reference frequency. This circuit is called the sampling phase/frequency comparator (SPFC). The first trial of the SPFC integration on a MMIC chip is described, with successful performances measured at Ku-band frequencies. The pull-in range was extended to about 10 time that of conventional approaches.<>