What is PLL (phase-locked loop)?

A circuit that detects the phase difference from a reference clock and controls an oscillator to produce a clock locked to the reference, for example at an integer multiple of its frequency. It is used to generate CPU clocks and synthesize radio frequencies.

Field: Analog and electronic circuits

PLL (phase-locked loop) in the explanations

Questions that mention PLL (phase-locked loop) (3)

  1. A T flip-flop whose output toggles on every clock edge produces an output at what multiple of the clock frequency?
  2. Which circuit generates a clock at a frequency such as an integer multiple of a reference clock while locking its phase to the reference?
  3. What is an advantage of MEMS oscillators, sometimes used instead of quartz crystals as clock sources?

Related terms

Flip-flop MEMS 1/f noise (flicker noise) Bandgap voltage reference CMRR (common-mode rejection ratio) Comparator Cutoff frequency Differential amplifier Gain-bandwidth product (GBW) Instrumentation amplifier

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