Apparatus for detecting and preventing a lock failure in a delay-locked loop

Claim 3

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lock failure detector comprises: a coding unit to convert one of the first internal clock signal or the second internal clock signal into a code signal; and a decoder to produce the lock failure signal by decoding the code signal, the lock failure signal having a logic level in accordance with a result of the decoding.

Claim 4

The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the coding unit comprises: a first CMOS converter to convert one of the first internal clock signal or the second internal clock signal into a CMOS level signal and to output the CMOS level signal as a digital signal; and a sampler to produce the code signal by sampling the digital signal.

Claim 5

The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the coding unit further comprises: a second CMOS converter to receive the other one of the first internal clock signal or the second internal clock signal, to convert the received signal into a CMOS level signal, and to output the CMOS level signal as the digital signal.

Claim 6

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the duty cycle correction unit comprises: a charge pump to receive the first internal clock signal and to generate a duty control signal responsive to the first internal clock signal; and an amplifier to correct the duty cycle of the external clock signal and to output the duty-cycle-corrected external clock signal as the first internal clock signal responsive to the duty control signal and the lock failure signal.

Claim 7

The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the amplifier comprises: a first differential amplifying circuit to differentially amplify the internal clock signal and an inverted internal clock signal; and a second differential amplifying circuit, connected in parallel with the first differential amplifying circuit, to differentially amplify the duty control signal and an inverted duty control signal in response to the lock failure signal.

Claim 8

The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first differential amplifying circuit includes: a first MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to a source of a high voltage through a first resistor and a gate receiving the external clock signal; a second MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the source of the high voltage through a second resistor and a gate receiving the inverted external clock signal; and a first bias transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the first MOS transistor and a second terminal of the second MOS transistor, a second terminal connected to a source of a low voltage, and a gate receiving a bias signal.

Claim 9

The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second differential amplifying circuit includes: a third MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the first MOS transistor and a gate receiving the inverted duty control signal; a fourth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the second MOS transistor and a gate receiving the duty control signal; a fifth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the first MOS transistor and a gate receiving the inverted duty control signal; a sixth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the fifth MOS transistor and a gate receiving the lock failure signal; a seventh MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the second MOS transistor and a gate receiving the duty control signal; an eighth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the seventh MOS transistor and a gate connected to the source of the low voltage; and a second bias transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the sixth MOS transistor, a second terminal of the third MOS transistor, a first terminal of the fourth MOS transistor and a second terminal of the eighth MOS transistor, and a gate receiving the bias signal, wherein the first through eighth MOS transistors operate in a saturation mode in response to the bias signal.

Claim 10

The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein, when the lock failure signal is enabled to logic high level and applied to the gate of the sixth MOS transistor, the duty cycle is corrected to increase a logic high period of the internal clock signal.

Claim 11

A delay locked loop, comprising: a lock failure detector to determine whether a first internal clock signal is locked to a second internal clock signal and to output a lock failure signal in response thereto; a duty cycle correction unit to correct a duty cycle of an external clock signal in response to the lock failure signal and to output the duty-cycle-corrected external clock signal as the first internal clock signal; a phase detector to detect a phase difference between the first and second internal clock signals and to output a phase difference signal; a first charge pump to determine a control signal for the delay line based at least in part on the phase difference signal and to output the control signal; and a delay line, including n delay cells connected in series, to generate the second internal clock signal by delaying the first internal clock signal according to the control signal.

Claim 12

A delay locked loop, comprising: a lock failure detector to determine whether a first internal clock signal is locked to a second internal clock signal and to output a lock failure signal in response thereto; a duty cycle correction unit to correct a duty cycle of an external clock signal in response to the lock failure signal and to output the duty-cycle-corrected external clock signal as the first internal clock signal; a phase detector to detect a phase difference between the first and second internal clock signals and to output a phase difference signal; a first charge pump to determine a control signal for the delay line based at least in part on the phase difference signal and to output the control signal; and a delay line, including n delay cells connected in series, to generate the second internal clock signal by delaying the first internal clock signal according to the control signal.

Claim 13

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the lock failure detector includes: a coding unit to convert the first internal clock signal into a code signal; and a decoder to produce the lock failure signal by decoding the code signal, the lock failure signal having a logic level that is based at least in part on a result of the decoding.

Claim 14

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the coding unit comprises: a CMOS converter to convert one of the first and second internal clock signals into a CMOS level signal and to output the CMOS level signal as a digital signal; and a sampler to produce the code signal by sampling the digital signal.

Claim 15

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the coding unit further comprises: a second CMOS converter to receive the other one of the first and second internal clock signals, to detect a lock point of the received signal, to convert the received signal into a CMOS level signal, and to output the CMOS level signal as the digital signal.

Claim 16

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the duty cycle correction unit comprises: a second charge pump to receive the first internal clock signal and to generate a duty control signal responsive to the first internal clock signal; and an amplifier to correct the duty cycle of the external clock signal and to output the duty-cycle-corrected external clock signal as the first internal clock signal responsive to the duty control signal and the lock failure signal.

Claim 17

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the amplifier comprises: a first differential amplifying circuit to differentially amplify the internal clock signal and an inverted internal clock signal; and a second differential amplifying circuit, connected in parallel with the first differential amplifying circuit, to differentially amplify the duty control signal and an inverted duty control signal in response to the lock failure signal.

Claim 18

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the first differential amplifying circuit includes: a first MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to a source of a high voltage through a first resistor and a gate receiving the external clock signal; a second MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the source of the high voltage through a second resistor and a gate receiving the inverted external clock signal; and a first bias transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the first MOS transistor and a second terminal of the second MOS transistor, a second terminal connected to a source of a low voltage, and a gate receiving a bias signal.

Claim 19

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the second differential amplifying circuit includes: a third MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the first MOS transistor and a gate receiving the inverted duty control signal; a fourth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the second MOS transistor and a gate receiving the duty control signal; a fifth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the first MOS transistor and a gate receiving the inverted duty control signal; a sixth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the fifth MOS transistor and a gate receiving the lock failure signal; a seventh MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the second MOS transistor and a gate receiving the duty control signal; an eighth MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the seventh MOS transistor and a gate connected to the source of the low voltage; and a second bias transistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the sixth MOS transistor, a second terminal of the third MOS transistor, a first terminal of the fourth MOS transistor and a second terminal of the eighth MOS transistor, and a gate receiving the bias signal, wherein the first through eighth MOS transistors operate in a saturation mode in response to the bias signal.

Claim 20

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 17 , wherein, when the lock failure signal is enabled to logic high level and applied to the gate of the sixth MOS transistor, the duty cycle is corrected to increase a logic high period of the non-inverted external clock signal.

Claim 21

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 17 , wherein, when the lock failure signal is enabled to logic high level and applied to the gate of the sixth MOS transistor, the duty cycle is corrected to increase a logic high period of the first internal clock signal.

Claim 22

The delay locked loop as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the n delay cells are all turned on to delay the first internal clock signal and the n delay cells all have the same delay.