Oscillator with digitally variable phase for a phase-locked loop

1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for independently controlling phase and frequency using an oscillator having a plurality of stages in combination with a phase selector within a digitally controlled phase-locked loop, preferably, a read phase locked loop. The present invention provides a digitally controlled variable phase of the read timing loop in read channel integrated circuits associated with data storage devices. The phase selector has a digitally controlled fine interpolator with 12 states for further fine interpolation between at least two multiplexer phase outputs to provide a single phase output selected from a range comprising at least 2 in selectable variable phase increments of 2 /96 radian. The combined oscillator with the phase selector within a phase locked loop controls phase by exact fractional increments of equally space phases of the operating frequency within the phase locked loop, therein controlling phase at all operating frequencies.