Introducción a los Sistemas de Telecomunicaciones

Nombre: Diego Guerrero Gabino

Paralelo: 2

PLL

A phase locked loop is a control system based on the phase of signals. PLL
detects the phase difference between signals.

If the PPL is built using analog circuits, it is said to be an analog phase-

locked loop (APLL). If digital circuits and signals are used, it is said to be a
digital phase-locked loop (DPLL).

PLL consists in three basic components: a phase detector (PD), a low-pass

filter (LPF) and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). Also a reference
generator is important, but it is outside the loop.

Figura 1. Basic PLL.

VCO is an oscillator that produces a periodic waveform with a “free-running

frequency ( f 0)”. f 0 is the frequency of the VCO output when v 2(t ) is zero.

v 2(t ) or filtered signal, is the control signal that is used to change the
frequency of the VCO output.

PD produces an output signal v1 (t ) that is function of the phase difference

between v ¿ (t ) and v 0( t).

The PLL can acts as a narrowband tracking filter, in this operation mode, the
VCO will become one of the line components of the input signals spectrum,
so the VCO output is a periodic signal with a frequency equal to the average
frequency of the input signal component. Then the frequency of the VCO will
track any slightly change in frequency of the input signal component.
Another operation mode is when the bandwidth of the LPF filter is wider so
that the VCO can track the instantaneous frequency of the whole input
signal. Once the PLL tracks the input signal, it is said to be locked.

 If the applied signal has an initial frequency of f 0, the PLL will acquire
a lock and the VCO will trank the input frequency over some range,
provided that the input frequency changes slowly. The loop will
remain locked only over some finite range of frequency shift, known
as “hold-in range”. This hold-in range depends on the overall DC
gain of the loop, including the DC gain of the LPF.
Introducción a los Sistemas de Telecomunicaciones

 If the applied signal has an initial frequency different of f 0, the loop

may not acquire lock even though the input frequency is within the
hold-in range. The frequency range over which the applied input will
cause the loop to lock is called the “pull-in range”. This pull-in range
is determinate primarily by the loop filter characteristics, and it is
never greater than the hold-in range. The “maximum locked sweep
rate” is the maximum rate of change of the input frequency for which
the loop will remain locked. If the input frequency changes faster
than this rate, the loop will drop out of lock.

There are several applications of PLL in communication systems as:

 FM detection
 Generation of highly state FM signals
 Coherent AM detection
 Frequency multiplication
 Frequency synthesizers
 Signal re-constitution
 Clock recover