AGC with non-linear gain for PLL circuits

Claim 2

A circuit for automatically changing the gain in a PLL for driving a motor of the type having a motor speed signal that indicates the speed of motor rotation, comprising: a phase detector for sensing a phase difference between the motor speed signal and a reference frequency and for producing an output signal of duration proportional to the sensed phase difference; a counter; a motor driving circuit for driving said motor in response to the count reached by said counter through the duration of the phase detector output signal; a source of clock pulses at a first frequency and a second frequency, said second frequency being lower than said first frequency; a lock range sense circuit to produce a sense signal output that indicates when said PLL is within a predetermined phase difference range; and a circuit responsive to said sense signal output for selectively applying said first frequency to clock said counter when said PLL is within said predetermined phase difference range, and to apply said second frequency to clock said counter when said PLL is operating outside said predetermined phase difference range.

Claim 3

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said source of clock pulses comprises a source of clock pulses at the first frequency, and a frequency divider to receive the clock pulses at the first frequency to produce an output at a second frequency divided from said first frequency.

Claim 4

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said circuit responsive to said sense signal output comprises a switch, a saturation detector to produce a saturation signal when said counter is in saturation, and a flip flop that is set by the output from said lock range sense circuit and reset by said saturation signal, an output of said flip flop being connected to said switch to select said first or second frequency in response to said flip flop being set or reset.

Claim 5

The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a latch connected to receive the count reached by said counter, and circuitry to determine the duration of said phase detector output signal and having an output connected to said latch to enable said latch to hold the count reached by said counter.

Claim 6

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said lock range sense circuit is connected to receive an output of said latch to produce a sense signal output that indicates when said PLL is within a predetermined phase difference range.

Claim 7

The circuit of claim 5 wherein said lock range sense circuit is connected to detect the states on a predetermined number of output lines from said latch.

Claim 8

The circuit of claim 6 further comprising a delay circuit to which the output of said lock range sense circuit is applied, said delay circuit having an output connected to select said first frequency only after said lock range sense circuit has sensed that said PLL is within the predetermined phase difference range for a predetermined number of comparisons between the motor speed signal and the reference frequency.

Claim 9

The circuit of claim 7 wherein said delay circuit comprises a plurality of flip flop circuits.

Claim 10

The circuit of claim 8 wherein said plurality of flip flop circuits provide one flip flop circuit for each number of said predetermined number of comparisons between the motor speed signal and the reference frequency.

Claim 11

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said phase detector produces a pulse in response to a comparison between said motor speed signal and the reference frequency on a first line if the motor speed signal lags the reference frequency and on a second line if the motor speed signal leads the reference frequency.

Claim 12

The circuit of claim 10 wherein said first and second lines of said phase detector are connected to produce up and down counts of said counter.

Claim 13

The circuit of claim 11 further comprising circuitry to preset said counter to a mid-range value after the duration of each of said phase detector output signals.

Claim 14

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said a motor driving circuit comprises an integrating filter and a motor driver.

Claim 15

A circuit for automatically changing the gain in a PLL for driving a motor of the type having a motor speed signal that indicates the speed of motor rotation, comprising: a phase detector for sensing a phase difference between the motor speed signal and a reference frequency and for producing an output signal of duration proportional to the sensed phase difference; a counter; a latch to receive an output count from said counter; a motor driving circuit for driving said motor in response to the count reached by said counter through the duration of the phase detector output signal; a source of clock pulses at first and second frequencies, said second frequency being lower than said first frequency; circuitry to determine the duration of said phase detector output signal and having an output connected to said latch to enable said latch to hold the count reached by said counter through the duration of said phase detector output signal; a lock range sense circuit connected to receive the output of said latch to produce a lock signal output that indicates when said PLL is within a predetermined phase difference range; a saturation detector to produce a saturation signal when said counter is in saturation; and a circuit responsive to said lock signal output for selectively applying said first frequency to clock said counter and responsive to said saturation signal to apply said second frequency to clock said counter.

Claim 16

A circuit for automatically changing the gain in a PLL for driving a motor of the type having a motor speed signal that indicates the speed of motor rotation, comprising: a phase detector for sensing a phase difference between the motor speed signal and a reference frequency and for producing an output signal of duration proportional to the sensed phase difference; a counter; a latch to receive an output count from said counter; a motor driving circuit for driving said motor in response to the count reached by said counter through the duration of the phase detector output signal; a source of clock pulses at first and second frequencies, said second frequency being lower than said first frequency; circuitry to determine the duration of said phase detector output signal and having an output connected to said latch to enable said latch to hold the count reached by said counter through the duration of said phase detector output signal; a lock range sense circuit connected to receive the output of said latch to produce a lock signal output that indicates when said PLL is within a predetermined phase difference range; a saturation detector to produce a saturation signal when said counter is in saturation; and a circuit responsive to said lock signal output for selectively applying said first frequency to clock said counter and responsive to said saturation signal to apply said second frequency to clock said counter.

Claim 17

The circuit of claim 14 wherein said circuit responsive to said lock signal output for selectively applying said first frequency to clock said counter and responsive to said saturation signal to apply said second frequency to clock said counter comprises a flip flop that is set by the lock signal output and reset by said saturation signal, an output of said flip flop being connected to select said first or second frequency in response to said flip flop being set or reset.

Claim 18

The circuit of claim 14 wherein said source of clock pulses at first and second frequencies comprises a source of clock pulses at the first frequency, and a frequency divider to receive clock pulses at the first frequency to produce an output at a second frequency divided from said first frequency.

Claim 19

The circuit of claim 15 further comprising a delay circuit to which said lock signal is applied, said delay circuit having an output connected to set said flip flop to select said second frequency only after said lock range sense circuit has sensed that said PLL is within the predetermined phase difference range for a predetermined number of comparisons between the motor speed signal and the reference frequency.

Claim 20

The circuit of claim 14 wherein said phase detector produces a pulse in response to a comparison between said motor speed signal and the reference frequency on a first line if the motor speed signal lags the reference frequency and on a second line if the motor speed signal leads the reference frequency.

Claim 21

The circuit of claim 18 wherein said first and second lines of said phase detector are connected to produce up and down counts of said counter.

Claim 22

The circuit of claim 19 further comprising circuitry to preset said counter to a mid-range value after the duration of each of said phase detector output signals.

Claim 25

The method of claim 21 wherein said step of controlling the frequency of clock pulses to the counter to be at a first frequency within a predetermined phase difference range and at a second frequency outside the predetermined phase difference range comprises providing the first frequency at a higher frequency than the second frequency.