Generating multi-phase clock signals using hierarchical delays

Claim 2

A circuit for receiving a reference clock signal and outputting clock signals having different phases corresponding to said reference clock signal, said circuit comprising: a plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprising a first delay unit operative to receive said reference clock signal, said plurality of serially-coupled delay units operative to output clock signals phase-shifted relative to said reference clock signal, at least one said delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units providing at least three stages of increasingly finer variable phase adjustment controllable by digital signals; a phase detector operative to output a signal indicating a phase difference between said reference clock signal and a clock signal output by said plurality of serially-coupled delay units; and logic circuitry operative to output digital signals to control phase shifts performed by said plurality of serially-coupled delay units based on said output of said phase detector.

Claim 3

The circuit of claim 1 wherein a delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprises: at least one delay line comprising an input coupled to an input of said delay unit, said at least one delay line operative to output a first signal having a first phase and a second signal having a second phase; and at least one phase mixer operative to receive said first and said second signals of said at least one variable delay line, said at least one phase mixer operative to output a third signal having a third phase.

Claim 4

The circuit of claim 2 wherein said third phase is one of said first phase, said second phase or a phase in between said first and said second phases.

Claim 5

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said reference clock signal and said clock signals output by said plurality of serially-coupled delay units have substantially the same frequency.

Claim 6

The circuit of claim 1 wherein a delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprises at least one variable delay line.

Claim 7

The circuit of claim 5 wherein said at least one variable delay line comprises two variable delay lines.

Claim 8

The circuit of claim 1 wherein a delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprises at least one phase mixer.

Claim 9

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said at least three stages of phase adjustment comprises a variable delay line stage and two phase mixer stages.

Claim 10

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said plurality of serially-coupled delay units outputs a corresponding plurality of output clock signals having different phases.

Claim 11

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said plurality of clock signals are phase-shifted by about (360/M)° to about 360° relative to said reference clock signal, where M is the number of delay units of said plurality of serially-coupled delays.

Claim 12

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said plurality of serially-coupled delay units are substantially identical to one another.

Claim 13

The circuit of claim 1 wherein said plurality of serially-coupled delay units are controlled by the same digital signals.

Claim 14

A circuit for receiving a reference clock signal and outputting clock signals having different phases corresponding to said reference clock signal, said circuit comprising: a plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprising a first delay unit operative to receive said reference clock signal, said plurality of serially-coupled delay units operative to output clock signals phase-shifted relative to said reference clock signal, each said delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units providing at least two stages of digitally-controlled variable phase adjustment, wherein a delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprises: two parallel delay lines each comprising an input coupled to an input of said delay unit, each said delay line operative to output a signal having a phase; two parallel phase mixers each operative to receive said output signals from said two parallel delay lines, said two phase mixers each operative to output a signal having a phase between said phases of said delay line output signals; and a third phase mixer operative to receive said output signals from said two parallel phase mixers, said third phase mixer operative to output a third signal having a third phase; a phase detector operative to output a signal indicating a phase difference between said reference clock signal and a clock signal output by said plurality of serially-coupled delay units; and logic circuitry operative to digitally control phase shifts of said plurality of said serially-coupled delay units based on said output of said phase detector.

Claim 15

A circuit for receiving a reference clock signal and outputting clock signals having different phases corresponding to said reference clock signal, said circuit comprising: a plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprising a first delay unit operative to receive said reference clock signal, said plurality of serially-coupled delay units operative to output clock signals phase-shifted relative to said reference clock signal, each said delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units providing at least two stages of digitally-controlled variable phase adjustment, wherein a delay unit of said plurality of serially-coupled delay units comprises: two parallel delay lines each comprising an input coupled to an input of said delay unit, each said delay line operative to output a signal having a phase; two parallel phase mixers each operative to receive said output signals from said two parallel delay lines, said two phase mixers each operative to output a signal having a phase between said phases of said delay line output signals; and a third phase mixer operative to receive said output signals from said two parallel phase mixers, said third phase mixer operative to output a third signal having a third phase; a phase detector operative to output a signal indicating a phase difference between said reference clock signal and a clock signal output by said plurality of serially-coupled delay units; and logic circuitry operative to digitally control phase shifts of said plurality of said serially-coupled delay units based on said output of said phase detector.

Claim 16

The circuit of claim 13 wherein said delay lines provide coarse phase adjustment.

Claim 17

The circuit of claim 13 where said two parallel phase mixers provide phase adjustment finer than said delay lines.

Claim 18

The circuit of claim 13 wherein said third phase mixer provides phase adjustment finer than said two parallel phase mixers.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17 wherein said adjusting comprises adjusting said phase shifts by a first increment.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18 wherein said adjusting comprises adjusting said phase shifts by a second increment, said second increment smaller than said first increment.

Claim 25

The method of claim 20 further comprising adjusting even more finely phase shifts of said plurality of clock signals.

Claim 26

Apparatus for outputting multi-phase clock signals corresponding to a reference clock signal, said circuit comprising: means for receiving said reference clock signal; means for outputting a plurality of clock signals phase-shifted relative to said reference clock signal, said means for outputting comprising means for providing at least three stages of increasingly finer phase adjustment for at least one of said plurality of clock signals; means for measuring phase difference between said reference clock signal and a clock signal of said plurality of clock signals; and means for adjusting phase shifts of said plurality of clock signals based on measurements of said phase difference.

Claim 27

Apparatus for outputting multi-phase clock signals corresponding to a reference clock signal, said circuit comprising: means for receiving said reference clock signal; means for outputting a plurality of clock signals phase-shifted relative to said reference clock signal, said means for outputting comprising means for providing at least three stages of increasingly finer phase adjustment for at least one of said plurality of clock signals; means for measuring phase difference between said reference clock signal and a clock signal of said plurality of clock signals; and means for adjusting phase shifts of said plurality of clock signals based on measurements of said phase difference.

Claim 28

A computer system comprising: a processor; a memory controller coupled to said processor; a plurality of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips coupled to said memory controller; and circuitry for synchronizing with an external clock signal data output by said DRAM chips, said circuitry comprising: circuitry for outputting a plurality of clock signals phase-shifted relative to said external clock signal, said circuitry for outputting comprising circuitry for providing at least three stages of increasingly finer phase adjustment for at least one of said plurality of clock signals; circuitry for measuring phase difference between said external clock signal and a clock signal of said plurality of clock signals; and circuitry for adjusting phase shifts of said plurality of clock signals based on measured phase differences.

Claim 29

A computer system comprising: a processor; a memory controller coupled to said processor; a plurality of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips coupled to said memory controller; and circuitry for synchronizing with an external clock signal data output by said DRAM chips, said circuitry comprising: circuitry for outputting a plurality of clock signals phase-shifted relative to said external clock signal, said circuitry for outputting comprising circuitry for providing at least three stages of increasingly finer phase adjustment for at least one of said plurality of clock signals; circuitry for measuring phase difference between said external clock signal and a clock signal of said plurality of clock signals; and circuitry for adjusting phase shifts of said plurality of clock signals based on measured phase differences.