Frequency Detectors for PLL Acquisition in Timing and Carrier R.ecovery.pdfVIP

1288 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS, VOL. COM-27, NO. 9, SEPTEMBER 1979 Frequency Detectors for PLL Acquisition in Timing and Carrier R.ecovery DAVID G . MESSERSCHMIM. SENIOR MEMBER. IEEE Abstract-A significant .problem in phase-locked loop (PLL) timing and carrier extraction is the initial acquisition. Very narrow loop band- widths are generally required to control phase jitter, and acquisition may depend on an extremely accurate initial VCO frequency (VCXO) or sweeping. We describe two simply implemented frequency detectors which, when added to the traditional phase detector, can effect acquisi- tion even with very small loop bandwidths and large initial frequency offsets. The first is the quadricorrelator, previously applied to timing re- covery by Bellisio, while the second is new, and called a rotational fre- quency detector. The latter, while limited to lower frequencies and higher signal-to-noise ratios, is suitable for many applications and can be implemented with simpler circuitry. 1 .O. INTRODUCTION T HE initial acquisition of a phase-locked loop (PLL) when used for timing or carrier extraction is a significant prac- tical problem, since the narrow loop bandwidth generally required for jitter requirements severely restricts the pull-in range. Methods widely employed to effect acquisition include [11 a) compromises in loop filter design, b) highly accurate initial VCO frequency (VCXO), c) sweeping of the VCO, and d) in-lock detection with switching of loop filter. In many instances, as in carrier ecovery, several of these methods may be simultaneously employed. There is a fifth method of effecting acquisition [ 11 , which seems to have been first suggested by Richman [2], and that is to add a frequency detector (FD) to the traditional PLL phase detector (PD) in the manner of Figure 1. With a large initial VCO frequency offset, the PD output has essentially a zero d.c. output, and