Presentation – pdf

Paper – pdf

Abstract

Since their initial invention, phase-locked loops (or PLLs) have been used in a wide range of electrical engineering applications from communication and digital signal processing to digital clocks and control systems. Initially, there only existed the analog PLL consisting of an analog loop filter and voltage controlled oscillator. However, modern advancements in technology have resulted in digital, software, and neuronal (i.e. neuron-based) PLLs. As such, a comparison of tradeoffs and applications of the different design techniques and uses can be valuable to those who are looking to research and use PLLs in modern design. This paper seeks to concisely compare the different PLL designs and their respective applications in history and in the modern day.