What does phase-locked loop mean?
Definitions for phase-locked loop
phase-locked loop
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word phase-locked loop.
Wiktionary
phase-locked loopnoun
an electronic circuit used to lock an oscillator in phase with an arbitrary input signal
Wikipedia
Phase-locked loop
A phase-locked loop or phase lock loop (PLL) is a control system that generates an output signal whose phase is related to the phase of an input signal. There are several different types; the simplest is an electronic circuit consisting of a variable frequency oscillator and a phase detector in a feedback loop. The oscillator's frequency and phase are controlled proportionally by an applied voltage, hence the term voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The oscillator generates a periodic signal of a specific frequency, and the phase detector compares the phase of that signal with the phase of the input periodic signal, to adjust the oscillator to keep the phases matched. Keeping the input and output phase in lockstep also implies keeping the input and output frequencies the same. Consequently, in addition to synchronizing signals, a phase-locked loop can track an input frequency, or it can generate a frequency that is a multiple of the input frequency. These properties are used for computer clock synchronization, demodulation, and frequency synthesis. Phase-locked loops are widely employed in radio, telecommunications, computers and other electronic applications. They can be used to demodulate a signal, recover a signal from a noisy communication channel, generate a stable frequency at multiples of an input frequency (frequency synthesis), or distribute precisely timed clock pulses in digital logic circuits such as microprocessors. Since a single integrated circuit can now provide a complete phase-locked-loop building block, the technique is widely used in modern electronic devices, with output frequencies from a fraction of a hertz up to many gigahertz.
Wikidata
Phase-locked loop
A phase-locked loop or phase lock loop is a control system that generates an output signal whose phase is related to the phase of an input "reference" signal. It is an electronic circuit consisting of a variable frequency oscillator and a phase detector. This circuit compares the phase of the input signal with the phase of the signal derived from its output oscillator and adjusts the frequency of its oscillator to keep the phases matched. The signal from the phase detector is used to control the oscillator in a feedback loop. Frequency is the time derivative of phase. Keeping the input and output phase in lock step implies keeping the input and output frequencies in lock step. Consequently, a phase-locked loop can track an input frequency, or it can generate a frequency that is a multiple of the input frequency. The former property is used for demodulation, and the latter property is used for indirect frequency synthesis. Phase-locked loops are widely employed in radio, telecommunications, computers and other electronic applications. They can be used to recover a signal from a noisy communication channel, generate stable frequencies at a multiple of an input frequency, or distribute clock timing pulses in digital logic designs such as microprocessors. Since a single integrated circuit can provide a complete phase-locked-loop building block, the technique is widely used in modern electronic devices, with output frequencies from a fraction of a hertz up to many gigahertz.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of phase-locked loop in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of phase-locked loop in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4
Translations for phase-locked loop
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"phase-locked loop." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 20 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/phase-locked+loop>.
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