The Texas Instruments SN74LV4046APW is a phase-locked loop (PLL) with an integrated voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), part of the 74LV low-voltage logic family. The single PLL circuit provides a 1:3 input-to-output ratio, meaning the phase detector and VCO outputs are available on separate pins for flexible loop-filter design.
The 38 MHz maximum frequency sets the upper bound for the VCO and phase-detector operation. In practice, the loop bandwidth should be kept well below this — typically 1/10th to 1/20th of the VCO center frequency — to maintain stable lock and adequate phase margin. If your application requires locking above 38 MHz, this part will not close the loop; consider a higher-speed PLL family such as the 74HCT series (also 38 MHz but in a through-hole DIP) or a dedicated clock-multiplier IC. For designs that stay under 38 MHz, the 74LV4046APW offers a clean single-rail solution in a compact surface-mount footprint.
The 3 V to 5.5 V supply range means this PLL can share a 3.3 V or 5 V rail with the rest of the logic, eliminating a dedicated regulator. The 16-TSSOP package (4.40 mm width) saves board area compared to the older SOIC-16 or DIP-16 footprints, which matters when routing dense mixed-signal boards.
Procurement can add this to the BOM without planning for a near-term replacement.