Performance measures for phase-locked loops - A tutorial

This paper discusses the principle of operation of a phase-locked loop using a vector diagram approach. From this diagram the acquisition, tracking, and frequency stability performance measures are introduced without the need of a loop mathematical model and associated loop analysis. Designers of phase-lock technology should find this tutorial discussion useful in understanding and writing specifications to meet system performance and testing requirements. On the other hand, users should find this discussion useful in interfacing with phase-locked loop designers. Additionally, those who wish to obtain an overview of the phase-lock technical parlance should also find this paper of interest.