A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency Synthesizers

This paper reviews recent developments in highly integrated all-digital frequency synthesizers suitable to deploy in low-power internet-of-things (IoT) applications. This review sets low power consumption as a key criterion for exploring the all-digital frequency synthesizer implemented in CMOS fabr...

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Main Authors: Venkadasamy Navaneethan, Boon Chiat Terence Teo, Annamalai Arasu Muthukumaraswamy, Xian Yang Lim, Liter Siek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Micromachines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/3/333
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author Venkadasamy Navaneethan
Boon Chiat Terence Teo
Annamalai Arasu Muthukumaraswamy
Xian Yang Lim
Liter Siek
author_facet Venkadasamy Navaneethan
Boon Chiat Terence Teo
Annamalai Arasu Muthukumaraswamy
Xian Yang Lim
Liter Siek
author_sort Venkadasamy Navaneethan
collection DOAJ
description This paper reviews recent developments in highly integrated all-digital frequency synthesizers suitable to deploy in low-power internet-of-things (IoT) applications. This review sets low power consumption as a key criterion for exploring the all-digital frequency synthesizer implemented in CMOS fabrication technology. The alignment with mainstream CMOS technology offers high-density, comprehensive, robust signal processing capability, making it very suitable for all-digital phase-locked loops to harvest that capacity, and it becomes inevitable. This review includes various divider-less low-power frequency synthesizers, including all-digital phase-locked loops (ADPLL), all-digital frequency-locked loops (ADFLL), and hybrid PLLs. This paper also discusses the latest architectural developments for ADPLLs to lead to low-power implementation, such as DTC-assisted TDC, embedded TDC, and various levels of hybridization in ADPLLs.
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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series Micromachines
spelling doaj-art-87c96ccdc3cb4db7aed8e25dc8d2cd662025-08-20T01:48:48ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2025-03-0116333310.3390/mi16030333A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency SynthesizersVenkadasamy Navaneethan0Boon Chiat Terence Teo1Annamalai Arasu Muthukumaraswamy2Xian Yang Lim3Liter Siek4School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, SingaporeSchool of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, SingaporeCM Engineering Labs Singapore Pte. Ltd., Singapore 608526, SingaporeSchool of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, SingaporeSchool of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, SingaporeThis paper reviews recent developments in highly integrated all-digital frequency synthesizers suitable to deploy in low-power internet-of-things (IoT) applications. This review sets low power consumption as a key criterion for exploring the all-digital frequency synthesizer implemented in CMOS fabrication technology. The alignment with mainstream CMOS technology offers high-density, comprehensive, robust signal processing capability, making it very suitable for all-digital phase-locked loops to harvest that capacity, and it becomes inevitable. This review includes various divider-less low-power frequency synthesizers, including all-digital phase-locked loops (ADPLL), all-digital frequency-locked loops (ADFLL), and hybrid PLLs. This paper also discusses the latest architectural developments for ADPLLs to lead to low-power implementation, such as DTC-assisted TDC, embedded TDC, and various levels of hybridization in ADPLLs.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/3/333phase-locked loop (PLL)time-to-digital converter (TDC)sub-sampling PLL (SS-PLL)oversampling PLL (OS-PLL)sigma-delta-modulator (SDM)counter-assisted ADPLL
spellingShingle Venkadasamy Navaneethan
Boon Chiat Terence Teo
Annamalai Arasu Muthukumaraswamy
Xian Yang Lim
Liter Siek
A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency Synthesizers
Micromachines
phase-locked loop (PLL)
time-to-digital converter (TDC)
sub-sampling PLL (SS-PLL)
oversampling PLL (OS-PLL)
sigma-delta-modulator (SDM)
counter-assisted ADPLL
title A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency Synthesizers
title_full A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency Synthesizers
title_fullStr A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency Synthesizers
title_full_unstemmed A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency Synthesizers
title_short A Review on Micro-Watts All-Digital Frequency Synthesizers
title_sort review on micro watts all digital frequency synthesizers
topic phase-locked loop (PLL)
time-to-digital converter (TDC)
sub-sampling PLL (SS-PLL)
oversampling PLL (OS-PLL)
sigma-delta-modulator (SDM)
counter-assisted ADPLL
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/3/333
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