Frequency synthesizer – as a main module for modern communication systems, test-and-measurement equipment and other electronic devices – should meet certain requirements. The most important requirements include spectral purity of generated signal (low phase noise and spurs), fast switching speed and high frequency resolution (low step size). Other important characteristics include low power consumption, small size and low cost. Thus, the main design goal is selecting proper solutions to support these requirements. This article describes various architectures used to design frequency synthesizers based on phase locked loop.
ARCHITECTURE SOLUTIONS FOR DESIGNING OF MICROWAVE FREQUENCY SYNTHESIZERS BASED ON PHASED LOCKED LOOP