Adaptive clock spreading for platform RFI mitigation

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method, the method including receiving clock frequency parameter information for at least one clock source; receiving radio parameter information for at least one radio receiver; determining one or more spread spectrum clocking (SSC) profiles for the at least one clock source and the at least one radio receiver, each SSC profile to reduce radio frequency interference between the clock and radio receivers; and storing the SSC profiles.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
 receiving clock frequency parameter information for at least one clock source; 
 receiving radio parameter information for at least one radio receiver; 
 determining, by a processor, one or more spread spectrum clocking (SSC) profiles for the at least one clock source based on the clock frequency parameter information and the at least one radio receiver based on the radio parameter information, each SSC profile to reduce radio frequency interference between the clock and radio receivers, wherein the determining of the one or more SSC profiles for the at least one clock source and the at least one radio receiver comprises:
 calculating harmonics of the at least one clock source within a band of one of the at least one radio receiver; 
 calculating, based on the calculated harmonics, a range of clock frequencies having a potential to include harmonic content within the band of one of the at least one radio receiver; and 
 determining of the one or more SSC profiles for the at least one clock source and the at least one radio receiver based on the calculated harmonics, the range of clock frequencies having a potential to include harmonic content, and at least one of: a maximum spread limit, a minimum spread limit, and a combination thereof; and 
 
 storing the SSC profiles. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each SSC profile includes a gap in at least a part of a frequency range of the clock signal source. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one clock source is one clock and the at least one radio receiver is a plurality of radio receivers. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating a device including the at least one clock source and the at least one radio signal in accordance with the one or more SSC profiles. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein a specific one of the SSC profiles used in operating the device is automatically invoked depending on which of the at least one clock source and which of the at least one radio signal the device is actively using. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one radio receiver; 
 at least one clock source; 
 a processor to: 
 receive clock frequency parameter information for the at least one clock source; 
 receive radio parameter information for the at least one radio receiver; and 
 determine one or more SSC profiles for the at least one clock source based on the clock frequency parameter information and the at least one radio receiver based on the radio parameter information, each SSC profile to reduce radio frequency interference between the clock and radio receivers, wherein the determining of the one or more SSC profiles for the at least one clock source and the at least one radio receiver comprises:
 calculating harmonics of the at least one clock source within a band of one of the at least one radio receiver; 
 calculating, based on the calculated harmonics, a range of clock frequencies having a potential to include harmonic content within the band of one of the at least one radio receiver; and 
 calculating of the one or more SSC profiles for the at least one clock source and the at least one radio receiver based on the calculated harmonics, the range of clock frequencies having a potential to include harmonic content, and at least one of: a maximum spread limit, a minimum spread limit, and a combination thereof; and 
 
 a memory to store the SSC profiles. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein each SSC profile includes a gap in at least a part of a frequency range of the clock source. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one clock source is one clock and the at least one radio receiver is a plurality of radio receivers. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus method of  claim 6 , further comprising operating the apparatus including the at least one clock source and the at least one radio signal in accordance with one or more of the SSC profiles. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein a specific one of the SSC profiles used in operating the apparatus is automatically invoked depending on which of the at least one clock source and which of the at least one radio signal the apparatus is actively using. 
     
     
       11. A system, the system comprising:
 a data storage device; 
 at least one radio receiver; 
 at least one controllable clock source; 
 a processor to: 
 receive clock frequency parameter information for the at least one controllable clock source; 
 receive radio parameter information for the at least one radio receiver; and 
 determine one or more SSC profiles for the at least one controllable clock source based on the clock frequency parameter information and the at least one radio receiver based on the radio parameter information, each SSC profile to reduce radio frequency interference between the clock and radio receivers, wherein the determining of one or more SSC profiles for the at least one clock source and the at least one radio receiver comprises:
 calculating harmonics of the at least one clock source within a band of one of the at least one radio receiver; 
 calculating, based on the calculated harmonics, a range of clock frequencies having a potential to include harmonic content within the band of one of the at least one radio receiver; and 
 calculating the one or more SSC profiles for the at least one clock source and the at least one radio receiver based on the calculated harmonics, the range of clock frequencies having a potential to include harmonic content, and at least one of: a maximum spread limit, a minimum spread limit, and a combination thereof; and 
 
 a memory to store the SSC profiles. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein each SSC profile includes a gap in at least a part of a frequency range of the clock source. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one clock source is one clock and the at least one radio receiver is a plurality of radio receivers. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising operating the system including the at least one clock source and the at least one radio signal in accordance with the one or more SSC profiles. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein a specific one of the plurality of SSC profiles used in operating the system is automatically invoked depending on which of the at least one clock source and which of the at least one radio signal the system is actively using.