Some effects of quantization on a noiseless phase-locked loop

Abstract

If the VCO of a phase-locked receiver is to be replaced by a digitally programmed synthesizer, the phase error signal must be sampled and quantized. Effects of quantizing after the loop filter (frequency quantization) or before (phase error quantization) are investigated. Constant Doppler or Doppler rate noiseless inputs are assumed. The main result gives the phase jitter due to frequency quantization for a Doppler-rate input. By itself, however, frequency quantization is impractical because it makes the loop dynamic range too small.