Re-circulating time-to-digital converter (TDC)
US9197402B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 10, 2012 |
| Grant date | Nov 24, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 10, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03L7/1974
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A re-circulating time-to-digital converter (TDC) can include a triggered reference ring oscillator (TRRO) and a delay module. The triggered reference ring oscillator can, when triggered by a reference signal edge, generate a periodic ring oscillator signal with a ring oscillator period that is a selected ratio of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) period. The delay module can store, in a plurality of latches, samples of a VCO signal docked by the periodic ring oscillator signal. Each latch can generate an output of the sample, and each latch output can represent a time difference polarity between VCO signal and TRRO signal. In another example, the re-circulating TDC can include the triggered reference ring oscillator, a digital frequency lock module, and a TDC post-process module. The digital frequency lock module can generate a ring oscillator control signal, which sets the ring oscillator period for the triggered reference ring oscillator. The TDC post-process module can generate a TDC output, which can be a binary representation of a phase difference between a reference signal and a VCO signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.