US 6,304,623 B1 · Precision timing generator system and method

Abstract

A frame reference signal is produced as a function of a clock signal. A first timing generator generates a coarse timing signal having a nominal period and a transition occurring at a precise temporal position with respect to the nominal period. The nominal period is a function of the frame reference signal. The temporal position is a function of a first input timing command and the clock signal. A second timing generator generates at least one fine timing transition as a function of a second input timing command and the clock signal. A combiner circuit uses the coarse timing signal to select one of the at least one fine timing transitions to output a precise timing signal, wherein the precise timing signal has a high temporal precision with respect to the frame reference signal.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A precision timing generator, comprising:

a coarse timing generator that receives a clock signal and a timing command input and generates a coarse timing signal;
a fine timing generator including a sine generator and a phase shifter, wherein the sine generator receives the clock signal and generates a sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft), and wherein the phase shifter receives the sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft) and the timing command input and phase shifts the sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft) based on a fine timing component of the timing command input to generate a phase shifted sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft+B) having a desired phase shift (B);
a converter that converts the phase shifted sine wave signal into a square wave signal having the desired phase shift (B), wherein the square wave signal comprises a fine timing signal;
and
a combiner that uses the fine timing signal and the coarse timing signal to generate precision timing signal.

2 more elements

A method for generating a precision timing signal based on a timing command input that includes a fine timing component, comprising the steps of:

a. generating a coarse timing signal based on a clock signal and the timing command input;
b. generating a sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft) and a cosine signal (Sin 2 πft) based on the clock signal;
c. generating an analog DC level signal representing a sine of a desired phase shift (sin B) based on the fine timing component of the timing command input;
d. generating an analog DC level signal representing a cosine of the desired phase shift (cos B) based on the fine timing component of the timing command input;
e. multiplying the sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft) by the DC level signal representing the cosine of the desired phase shift (cos B) to produce a first product signal;
f. multiplying the cosine wave signal (Cos 2 πft) by the DC level signal representing the sine of the desired phase shift (sin B) to produce a second product signal;
g. adding the first product signal and the second product signal to produce a phase shifted sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft+B) having the desired phase shift (B);
h. converting the phase shifted sine wave signal (Sin 2 πft+B) into a square wave signal having the desired phase shift (B), wherein the square wave signal comprises a fine timing signal;
and
i. generating the precision timing signal based on the fine timing signal and the coarse timing signal.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Precision timing generator system and method

Life of this patent

Precision timing generator system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30