Frequency to digital converter
US6486805B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 9, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 26, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 9, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/504
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an input signal is provided to an oscillator, which creates a count signal with a greater frequency than the input signal. The input signal triggers the oscillator to oscillate depending on the value of the input signal. The oscillator output is provided to a counter, which counts the number of oscillations undergone by the oscillator during a single period of the input signal or a number of periods of the input signal, whichever is desired. Since the oscillator frequency is greater than the frequency of the input signal, the oscillator effectively acts like a clock to time the input signal; the counter effectively acts to record the ‘time’ measured by the oscillator (clock). More formally, the counter generates a count value based upon the width of the input signal pulses. The counter output is provided to a decoder, which interprets the count generated by the counter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.