PIC24 PLL configuration

oscillatorpicpll

My PIC datasheet (PIC24HJ128GP202) specifies three parameters to configure the PLL which are N1, N2 and M. Each of them have to satisfy some clock frequencie ranges in input/output of each block inside the PLL. I looked all around the datasheet and did not found the answer for this question:

what happens if I do not respect these ranges?

I mean, in the final output for example. The frequency should be between 12.5 MHz and 80MHz. What happens if I select PLLPOST (N2) which leads me to 80.5 MHz? Or yet select a PLLDIV (M) which leads me to 201MHz (when PLLPOST intput should be between 100-200 MHz)?

Best Answer

Generally when you go outside what is recommended the behavior is undefined. It's not guaranteed to work, but neither is it guaranteed not to work. It might work when it's cold but not when it's hot. It might work at 3.3V Vdd but not at 3.29V Vdd. It might work on 19 units and fail on the 20th.

That said, if everything else was nominal (not too hot or cold, power supply near nominal) it's unlikely, in my (somewhat ill-considered) opinion, that they could make it tetchy enough that it would work perfectly at 200MHz and fail at 201, but if it does happen to behave that way you have nobody to blame but yourself.

From the datasheet:

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