Network Dynamics of a Fractional-Order Phase-Locked Loop with Infinite Coexisting Attractors

Abstract

We have investigated a fractional-order phase-locked loop characterised by a third-order differential equation. The integer-order mathematical model of the phase-locked loop (PLL) is first converted to fractional order using the Caputo-Fabrizio method. The stability of the equilibrium points is discussed in detail in both parameter and fractional-order domain. The proposed fractional-order phase-locked loop (FOPLL) model shows multiple coexisting attractors which was not discussed in the earlier literature of PLL. The significance of these infinite coexisting attractors is that they exist in the operation region of the PLL between [−π,π] which increases the complexity of operation of the PLLs. Mainly when such FOPLLs are used in large-scale networks, the synchronisation of the FOPLLs becomes complicated and will result in unstable control conditions. Hence, studying the network dynamics of such FOPLLs is significant which motivates us to investigate the synchronisation phenomenon of the FOPLLs constructed in a square network. We could show that, because of the multiple coexisting attractors, the FOPLLs show various synchronisation phenomena, and more importantly in the chaotic region for lower fractional-order values, we could show that the FOPLLs are synchronised and this finding is very useful to completely analyse the FOPLL networks in high-frequency operations.