THE PHASE LOCKED LOOP (PLL)
In the last section, the PLL was mentioned as a way to demodulate an FM signal. In addition to FM demodulation, PLLs are used in a wide variety of communications applications, which include TV receivers, tone decoders, telemetry receivers, modems and data synchronizers, to name a few. Many of these applications are covered in electronic communications courses. In fact, entire books have been written on the finer points of PLL operation, analysis, and applications. The approach in this section is intended only to present the basic concept and give you an intuitive idea of how PLLs work and how they are used in FM demodulation. A specific PLL integrated circuit is also introduced.
The Basic PLL Concept
The phase locked loop (PLL) is a feedback circuit consisting of a phase detector, a low-pas filter, and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) Some PLLs also includes an amplifier in the loop. A basic block diagram is shown in figure 5.16.
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| Basic PLL block diagram |
When the frequency of the incoming signal, fi, is the difference from that of the VCO frequency, fo, the phase angle between the two signals is also different. The output of the phase detector and the filter is proportional to the phase difference of the two signals. This proportional voltage is fed to the VCO, forcing its frequency to move toward the frequency of the incoming signal until the two frequencies are equal. At this point, the PLL is locked onto the incoming frequency. If fi change, the phase difference also changes, forcing the VCO to track the incoming frequency.
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References
" FM Demodulation " !