Electronic – How does VCO in PLL in computer processor work

clock-speedoverclockingpllprocessorvco

In todays personal computers and notebooks, what is usually used as a Voltage-Controlled Oscillator for generating clock signal for processor?

  1. Is that a crystal rather than RC circuit?
  2. Is it tuned by varicap?
  3. Does it contain reference voltage and comparator?
  4. What is a diagram/scheme of that circuit?
  5. Is frequency of the internal crystal the maximum possible output
    frequency?
  6. Does VCO work on clock signal or continuously?
  7. What is the physical principle behind changing the frequency? Can I
    see graphs explaining how it works?

EDIT
Let me state, that I have read all the related Wikipedia pages, so please don't send me search through it again. That's pointless. I wouldn't have so many questions, if I haven't read about PLL's for hours and hours. Now I need to put all the information into frame. I'm asking for guidance. I understand it takes a person with very deep knowledge about the subject. So please if you don't have the knowledge, don't spam here. I am really interested in the subject. Thank you.

Best Answer

The question is ill-formulated. Is this about a clock FOR the processor, or about MAXIMUM INTERNAL CLOCK in the processor? The tag "overclocking" seems to hint for the latter.

So, the clock FOR a processor is usually coming from a crystal-stabilized oscillator, from an external one, or from built-in.

The INTERNAL clock inside a processor is generated from a special unit called PLL - Phase Locked Loop, which includes a VCO (Voltage-controlled oscillator) as inseparable part. The idea behing PLL is well introduced in this Wikipedia article.

The design of VCO can vary, and I believe in most current processors it is based on idea of ring oscillator having variable voltage-controlled delay. Several ideas of modern VCO designs are illustrated in this lecture.

The VCOs in microprocessors usually run continuously at a pretty high frequency - several GHz. Then digital dividers (in reference and VCO channels) mix at a phase detector, which outputs analog voltage that controls the VCO, and the properly filtered feedback locks the frequency to one from a working set of internal frequencies. These frequencies are used in various technologies to align the execution speed of a microprocessor with manageable power consumption, dynamically.

To achieve the goal of several internal frequencies, the VCO must operate in certain linear range of frequencies, to get into the frequency lock defined by digital frequency dividers, so no, it doesn't operate at its maximum, but rather somewhere in between min and max.

Be aware that the frequency synthesis is one of the most challenging areas of electrical engineering, so you should note that the lecture level is 620, post-graduate level, far from 101.