[time-nuts] Philips PLL

[Magnus Danielson]

From: "Poul-Henning Kamp" <phk at phk.freebsd.dk>
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Philips PLL
Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2006 15:56:39 +0000
Message-ID: <13431.1155138999 at critter.freebsd.dk>

> In message <D6D8D27B5219D649A005529978F79137133AE2 at SBSERVER.Synergy-GPS.sbs>, "
> Randy Warner" writes:
> > Said/Didier,
> >
> >There just must be something special about Philip's PLL designs. Way
> >back when when I was working in the underwater world we used a small
> >underwater range finder (sonar) that used the Philips 4046 PLL. The
> >Philips part was the ONLY 4046 that would meet the range and jitter
> >specs. We used other parts if we needed to test something and weren't
> >too concerned about accuracy, but none of those sonars ever SHIPPED
> >without the Philips part inside.
> 
> They learned a lot about PLL design during the development of the
> Compact Disc.

There is actually two different 4046s around. One has more input gain than the
other, which can create a huge difference in performance. If you depend on it,
certain vendors will not work while others will. This traces back to the two
different implementations of the 4046 that has since spread around the silicon
houses.

None of the Sony and Philips chipset that I have seen for CD-players have ever
used a 4046 for anything. Besides, the data clock to the DAC comes of a crystal
oscillator and not the PLL needed to keep feeding it data.

Cheers,
Magnus