US Patent 7391839 Accumulator based phase locked loop

There is disclosed a phase locked loop comprising: a phase frequency detector for receiving as a first input a reference signal and for generating a control signal; a voltage controlled oscillator for receiving the control signal and for generating a signal defining an output frequency, a feedback path connecting the output signal to a second input of the phase frequency detector; and a digital accumulator for generating the reference signal under the control of an accumulator reference clock.