#60: Basics of Phase Locked Loop Circuits and Frequency Synthesis

This tutorial style video presents the basics of Phase Locked Loop circuits. A basic block diagram of a PLL is shown, and the individual blocks are discussed. The Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) is described and demonstrated. The two basic types of Phase Comparators/Detectors, often referred to as Type I and Type II, are described and demonstrated. Then, the overall operation of the PLL is demonstrated. The addition of a simple divide-by-2 is shown, and how this is used to double the output frequency of the VCO, the basis for frequency synthesis. Finally, the operation of the phase detectors is demonstrated a little further by purposely injecting an offset into the feedback loop to show how the loop compensates for this offset. A copy of the notes in this video can be found here:
www.qsl.net/w/w2aew//youtube/B...

[@douggale5962]

This is the most informative electronics channel I have found yet. Thanks!

[@unlokia]

This and "Mr Carlson's Lab" are absolute gems of information. 💎

[@SuburbanDon]

He's good isn't he ?

[@RadioWhisperer]

Another straight forward explanation of a reasonably complex topic. I have learned more from your videos than I did when I got my degree back in '81. Great job as always, and thank you for what you do. I don't even know how to begin to thank you and express how much I appreciate the time and effort you put into this!

[@asalgolmanesh7817]

There is no word that I can express my appreciate to you

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

This is the fourth or fifth video explanation of the PLL I've watched. Should have come here first, Alan nails it again. It's the difference between "that kind of makes sense" and "Aha! I get it!".

[@tombardier]

This mirrors my thoughts exactly!

[@MythCraft00]

Things really start to make sense if the teacher isn’t just throwing formulas at you :) amazing explanation, as always

[@gregorymccoy6797]

Hands down the best PLL explanation I have seen. Thank you for such a great video.

[@Zurh1994]

Thank you, you saved me. I didn't know ANYTHING about PLLs and now I think I understand in just 20 min! THANK YOU

[@VoidHalo]

I've found a lot of topics in electronics are a lot easier than they seem. Even the math.

[@hyperboogie]

Incredibly informative and well explained. Thank you so much for taking the time to create these videos.

[@MikeMoretti]

Thanks for this video! It's frickin awesome! I've been trying to figure this stuff out for years and you made it sooooo simple and easy to understand!

[@PYoung2493]

Thanks for taking the time to do such a good video explanation. The extra credit was just excellent!

[@chrisengland5523]

Another excellent video from Alan - again with just the right amount of theory and plenty of oscilloscope waveforms to illustrate what's going on.

[@BenBilesBB-box]

Thanks, this is a great video, simple and to the point, finally i'm begining to understand how the PLL / phase detector is working :)

[@Pillowcase]

this is amazing. The more I watch your tutorials and other EE videos like this - the more I realize that even I can understand this analog (well, and digital) black-magic :)

[@Bestietvcute]

Thanks for making this video man very clear and straightforward and very helpful too

[@chuchan60]

I really enjoyed this video and your explanation and demonstration of the PLL in work was wonderful! You inspired me to want to experiment with an analog PLL circuit someday soon. Thank you for taking the time to make this video and I look forward to watching more of your videos!

[@MichaelLloyd]

I know it's an older video but I really liked this one. You simplified the mysterious.

[@kd1s]

Thank you for the explanation of PLL. It's used in a lot of receivers that I now of and all the videos I've watched make me itch to start experimenting again.

[@Paddington2000]

This is definitely the best explanation of a PPL that I've found, thank you.

[@ehsanbadry8878]

This is fantastic, you practically explained my 9 hours theory class on PLL in under 20 minutes. Great video.

[@jiaweitang3994]

sincerely thanks for your sharing!!! pll has puzzled me for a really long time, and your video is so informative! thanks!

[@EJEuth]

Great explanation, demystifying PLL and showing in practice how (and why) it works, with lab equipment setup that usually is not available for most of us at home. Thank you!

[@scottneels2628]

Thank you so much for this. It's answered so many questions I've had for such a long time. I thought I'd never understand but now I do. Thank you especially for the"Extra Credit" bit at the end, it's exactly what I need for my application of this circuit.

[@m1geo]

I knew absolutely everything in this video. But it was fantastic to watch! How satisfying!

[@TheRealMonnie]

This is the boat I'm in. Love his videos.

[@BM-jy6cb]

I've only just come across your channel and have watched 5 videos in a row. Straight to the point. Clear diagrams and explanations. Superb. Thank you. Subscribed!

[@walterwinnipeg7350]

Wow, a great explanation video for that 4046 chip! My first electronics engineering job after graduation in the late 1970s was with Burroughs, and I worked on a large mainframe disk drive that used a 4046 PLL circuit to generate a clock signal frequency that was locked to the spinning spindle, on which four 14" diameter disks were mounted. The input reference signal was a once-per-rev pulse from a magnetic sensor. We used a multi-stage divider after the VCO to generate a comparison signal. I did not do any of the design work on that PLL circuitry, although I did troubleshoot quite a few product units that weren't work properly. I do have a couple of those same Motorola MC14046 chips in my IC collection, so one of these days I'll take a close look at the data sheet (in the original printed data book 🙂) and set up a few experiment circuits, just as you've done in this video. There's nothing like "doing the math" on component selection and actually coming up with a circuit that does what it was supposed to do.

[@billmoran3812]

Alan, the first time I watched this it made sense, but going back and reviewing it, I found the answer for a project I'm building to use WWV to provide clock correction for a 10MHZ frequency standard. It's exactly what I am trying to do. Time to get the breadboard out.

[@Aemilindore]

Thank you so much. By far the most practical way to learn the functionality of a PLL. Lovely work. Lovely thinking! Thank you so much and hats off to you!

[@SuperJetjockey]

I always admire the fact that you can take a complex subject and explain it in a clear, easily understood manner.

[@GabeShaikh]

Phenomenal! Best explanation of PLL I've ever seen!

[@Nermash]

This is the best explanation of PLL I have seen so far!

[@Manticore1960]

Been a few decades since I last had dealings with PLL & frequency sythesis. This video was a great refresher course for me. Everything was explained clearly & concisely. Your "hands on" video is much easier to understand than the pure theory explanation provided by other You Tube videos. Excellent.

[@viswatess]

I became a fan of you. What a way to explain the PLL working principle with live demo. No word to explain. Hats off to you.

[@MrOndrejHruska]

Great video, thanks for sharing! I never understood what's going on in a PLL-until now.

[@2z250]

Thank you it’s really useful 😊 I’m doing a project on radio and your video is the most useful I found yet

[@T7thK]

I remember watching this video just about 10 years ago when I was in Electronics Engineering school. I haven't come across PLL's again, until now. I've come full circle so to speak. This is a timeless explanation of PLL's. Well done sir!

[@henrihoopkins2822]

Excellent video as compared to other videos I have looked at on the same subject. There is nothing like comparing paper design to building the circuit and seeing how close the two agree.

[@BrockNanson]

I needed to understand a PLL board I'm trying to adjust and decided to see if you had done a video explaining the basics. Sure enough, here it is! Simple and concise - much, MUCH appreciated!

[@geofftarcha1117]

This was a really excellent video, I learned a lot about Phase Locked Loops and it reaffirmed what I knew before. Thanks!

[@hackercop]

This was a very informative video, far above the low tier educational content on youtube. Have subscribed

[@LL-ue3ek]

Great video! Important concepts made easy to understand, clear and to the point. Although these are the basics they are critically important basics only on which can you build complications with confidence! Thank you for the presentation.

[@rycable]

That so nice to see real example of pll, not just the written theory. Like the fact the you go step by step.

[@praveenkumarsingh1436]

This is the best video i have found ever on KZbin for PLL. Thanks a lot..❤

[@ecniv5700]

Thanks so much for your tutorial. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate this, but your contents have given me job opportunities

[@peterjones3245]

What an absolutely outstanding tutorial. Content and delivery are perfectly balanced. I now understand the use of a type 1 PLL where the incoming signal is RF carrying intelligence so the polarity of the phase comparator is not important. I now feel confident in trying to repair the PLL on my ham radio. Thank you so much.

[@TheKolcantas]

Excellent video, thank you very much! Someone finally gave an insight about how a PLL can be used for frequency multiplying or dividing!

[@mopar3502001]

This is a very good video! Thanks very much for taking the time to produce this video and make it available to us ;-)

[@abdullahsy7072]

Thanks so much for this video. You just clear out a big misunderstanding I had for many years. wish you all the happiness :D

[@davidlisney2597]

Once again a fascinating video, it is funny how all sorts of applications spring to mind. Many years ago I worked for a company that used a PLL in a squelch circuit... it was an SSB radio and the PLL was in the audio path... unfortunately I don't remember the details but it did work pretty well.

[@902Steeler]

I apreciate the work that you put in to make these video tutorials thank you

[@dereklaur2154]

Very good explanation. Loved the old analog meters and diagrams

[@TheKybliceek]

Awesome video, thank you for your time, work and passion in electronic design.

[@kellyklaask7su990]

I really like your videos! LOTS of good information. Thank you!

[@ruchir2]

brilliant video, brilliant channel and brilliant instructor. Thank you for creating the content.

[@zacharypeattie]

Awesome video! Learning about this in my PMEL course for the Air Force. Should be fun calibrating with this explanation thank you!

[@alocin110]

As always, your vidoes and subject are well explained. The bonus part of this video was really amazing. I love watching your videos. Thank you for sharing. Regards.

[@Amir-kz6yq]

Great video as always, thank you Mr. Wolke.

[@GregSr]

Excellent tutorial! My training is in Air Force analog flight simulators - non-engineer. As a civilian, back in 1988 my GE television lost its audio. I had to teach myself how a phase lock loop synthesizer worked and used a scope to prove the PLL had died in my TV. It had no analog output to control which channel the audio should be on. I installed a new PLL and all was good. I wish I would have had your video back then. Thanks for posting. Brings back great memories!

[@sdejesus13]

Excellent description of a commonly misunderstood circuit. Thank you very much!

[@ozandogan948]

Best explanation I have ever watched.

[@famossfla]

Wonderful explanation of Phase Lock Loop Circuits. Very much appreciated. Thanks very much. Amos

[@bhavani1089shankar]

you are amazing w2aew, i wanted to do this experiment and i will get back to you and share my experiences after that

[@user-ww2lc1yo9c]

+Bhavani Shankar and...?

[@ArjunaWeerasinghe]

You are my favourite teacher! May you get long life and happiness!!! Love from Asia

[@mutahher2k]

very nice way to define, i never got bored during all time. At start of video, i was annoyed of moving camera. but very soon I started to enjoy moving camera. (my heart synced​ with camera movements)

[@DavePKW]

You know I have some basic knowledge of these circuits from school many years ago. However there is nothing like seeing a real world working example of the circuit. That is my favorite thing with your videos. You close the loop on the explanation 🙂. You see what I did there. 73

[@fallacyz3r0]

This is a really amazing video with great explanations. Thank you very much!

[@onefractalfield6818]

I got so much understanding GOOD PERSON. THANK YOU. YOU DAMN GENIUS

[@albertyian732]

Great video for a very complete PLL basics. Thanks a lot.

[@eugenealamo335]

Very informative, Straightforward. lab samples makes easy to understand.

[@ufohunter3688]

I miss your back to basics series. They're timeless. I've watched them all and learned so much. Thank you.

[@w2aew]

Are there any topics that you'd like to see a "back to basics" video on?

[@ufohunter3688]

@@w2aew I'd love to know more about filters used on SMPS output filtering, Understanding Op Amp Parameters in a datasheet and what to watch out for, Exotic Op Amps like Chopper Op Amps and their use,... But anything will do. You make videos no one else makes. None of that "Lets make a video about a subject that ten other people have already made a video on KZbin"!

[@martinsdundurs9497]

I feel like my Chakras have opened and I made a profound connection with the Universe (of Electronics) after watching this video. Those analog scopes are fantastic.

[@islammutaev3269]

I liked this video so much, that I've even opened it again without ADblock))) Thank you!

[@alvaro6917]

Perfect explanation for the pll and the frecuency synthesizer

[@casao011]

Helped me a lot on my studies. Thank you and Keep it up!

[@prajanpradhan6089]

Wow...That is what I call an explanation.....Thank You very much.

[@ruchir2]

awesome, awesome video. I highly recommend this channel. Great content. Thank you so much for your time and effort.

[@histopixelfilms6778]

I really enjoy these video's......even as an old techo, I still find them inspiring

[@cynikalX]

...wow! the quality of your videos has NEVER dissappointed me and this particular one is a GEM :-) seriously, they should just put a link to this/your youtube video in that data sheet :P

[@paulpreu6708]

Thank you very much for this video. The first time I really understood phase locked loops.

[@naftilos76]

Really cool. Waveforms really say the whole story. Thanks!

[@vinnovation447]

I got this class 30 years ago however, I have use the XOR and the LM566 VCO separately. It is now that I see it all together. It has always been there in front of me and now I understand it well. Thanks w2aew.

[@markday3145]

The description of frequency synthesis was an "Ah ha!" moment for me. Now I have a much better understanding of how a microcontroller can create a rational multiple of some reference frequency (like from a crystal). Another use case I've seen for a PLL is when you have an external data signal with a clock signal embedded (like Group Code Recording for floppy disks), and you need to synchronize the receiver's clock so that you can reliably sample the data at the correct rate.

[@DeeegerD]

I remember hearing about PLL back in the 70's - it was a selling feature. Nobody knew what it was except that it was more precise.

[@respomanify]

Given that they are almost indifferent to internal properties (monotonous VCO and good enough low pass filter) means that they are precise enough even with simplest and cheapest circuits. But probably real reason was that they were trivial to control digitally.

[@MickHealey]

You have a brilliant teaching method. This is the second of your videos that I have watched. In both cases, there was a point where I thought "yeah - got it". Once I have 'got it', it becomes something that I understand, so nothing to remember. It's great that you avoid complicated maths, and get straight down to how it works. Once I understand how something works, the maths is much easier.

[@w2aew]

Great - now you only have 336 more videos to go!

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

This is a very informative video and easy to understand for non techies like me. Thanks.

[@agstechnicalsupport]

A very good video explaining the basics of phase locked loop circuits theory along with some experiments.

[@iamswastik]

Wonderful explanation. Thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you!

[@DrCassette]

Thanks for this great explanation!

[@RanHam]

Thanks. I wanted to learn about phase locked loops, clicked on the first video that came up, and Im glad I did

[@aerofart]

Great video. Theory and lab all in one! Now I know what PLL is all about. Thanks!

[@yaghiyahbrenner8902]

This is so useful especially useful for demystifying a micro-controller PLL block.

[@DAVET38]

Another clear and useful video, w2aew. I found it interesting and understandable - if only my lecturers had made the subject that clear before they raced into the maths!

[@ahmetserdr2920]

Sir , i always like your videos. When i dont understand what you say i know that is my problem because you are perfect 😊

[@mohamedabdel-moneim3832]

Golden! You explained it all simple and easy

[@garygrove2884]

Hi Alan !! I always enjoy watching your videos !! 73's Gary Grove

[@NumosG]

Finally! Always wondered, how FPGAs were able to upscale a given clock signal. Now it all makes sense. Thanks!

[@chandrikadevib1100]

Helpful as always, love the conciseness

[@skyking6989]

Always wondered how PLL works. Thanks for excellent explanation

[@anandmirji831]

I wish PLLs were taught like this in school.

[@KangJangkrik]

I wish highschool teaches practical knowledge, so trainer like me don't have to train new employee "from scratch" (also yes, they're still not properly get it at college)

[@tubical71]

Beein new to your channel, this is a very excellent demo and tutorial to a PLL... Big THANX!

[@poreilly55]

Excellent - fabulous use of KZbin thank you