A $\Delta\Sigma$ Modulator-Based Spread-Spectrum Clock Generator with Digital Compensation and Calibration for Phase-Locked Loop Bandwidth

A spread-spectrum clock generator (SSCG) is an essential building block for reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI) in a system-on-a-chip without shielding the device that increases the system cost and weight. In a ΔΣ modulator (DSM)-based SSCG, EMI reduction is degraded by attenuating the harmonic components of the generated profile owing to the phase-locked loop bandwidth (f
_LBW
). This brief proposes a DSM-based SSCG with a digital compensator to maximize EMI reduction with a triangular profile. By adaptively reconfiguring the gains of the digital compensator, the proposed SSCG maintains the EMI reduction regardless of f
_LBW
variations. The EMI reduction is improved by 2.17 dB at 1.35 GHz with the lowest f
_LBW
. A prototype of the proposed SSCG is fabricated using 65-nm CMOS technology. The measured RMS jitter and power consumption are is 2.47 ps and 7 mW, respectively and the die occupies 0.292 mm
²
.