High resolution clock signal generator
AssigneeCredence Systems Corporation
InventorEric B. Kushnick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A clock signal generator having first and second coarse delay circuits connected in series delays pulses of a reference signal having period TP to produce pulses of the clock signal. The first coarse delay circuit delays pulses of the reference signal with a delay resolution of TP/N seconds over a range spanning TP seconds to produce pulses of an output signal. The second coarse delay circuit delays pulses of the output signal of the first coarse delay circuit over a range spanning TP seconds with a delay resolution of TP/M seconds to provide pulses of the clock signal with a timing resolution of TP/(M*N) seconds when the integers N and M are relatively prime.
Claims38
An apparatus for generating pulses of a third pulse sequence in response to pulses of a periodic first pulse sequence having a period TP, wherein timing of each pulse of the third pulse sequence is adjustable with a resolution that is smaller than period TP, the apparatus comprising:
- first means for generating each pulse of a second pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the first pulse sequence with a first delay adjustable by first control data with a resolution of TP/N over a first range substantially wider than TP/M, wherein M and N are differing integers greater than one;
- second means for generating each pulse of the third pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the second pulse sequence with a delay adjustable by a second control data with a resolution of TP/M over a second range substantially wider than TP/N, and
- means for generating the first control data and the second control data in response to each pulse of the first pulse sequence.
An apparatus for generating pulses of a third pulse sequence in response to pulses of a periodic first pulse sequence having a period TP, wherein timing of each pulse of the third pulse sequence is adjustable with a resolution that is smaller than TP, the apparatus comprising:
- first means for generating each pulse of a second pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the first pulse sequence with a delay adjustable by first control data with a resolution of TP/N,
- second means for generating each pulse of the third pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the second pulse sequence with a delay adjustable by a second control data with a resolution of TP/M,
- means for generating the first control data and the second control data in response to each pulse of the first pulse sequence, and
- wherein M and N are relatively prime integers greater than one.
A method for generating pulses of a third pulse sequence in response to pulses of a periodic first pulse sequence having a period TP, wherein timing of each pulse of the third pulse sequence is adjustable with a resolution that is smaller than a period TP, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. generating each pulse of a second pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the first pulse sequence with a first delay adjustable by first control data with a resolution of TP/N over a first range substantially wider than TP/M, wherein M and N are differing integers greater than one;
- b. generating each pulse of the third pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the second pulse sequence with a delay adjustable by a second control data with a resolution of TP/M over a second range substantially wider than TP/N, and
- c. generating the first control data and the second control data in response to each pulse of the first pulse sequence.
A method for generating pulses of a third pulse sequence in response to pulses of a periodic first pulse sequence having a period TP, wherein timing of each pulse of the third pulse sequence is adjustable with a resolution that is smaller than TP, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. generating each pulse of a second pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the first pulse sequence with a delay adjustable by a first control data with a resolution of TP/N,
- b. generating each pulse of the third pulse sequence in response to a separate pulse of the second pulse sequence with a delay adjustable by a second control data with a resolution of TP/M,
- c. generating the first control data and the second control data in response to each pulse of the first pulse sequence, and
- wherein M and N are relatively prime integers greater than one.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.