Sampling assembly and testing instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11933668-B2
Application number	US-202016780550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A sampling assembly is described. The sampling assembly comprises an input, a light source unit, at least one deflector unit, and a light receiver. The input is configured to receive an electrical input signal. The light source unit is configured to generate and output a light beam in the direction of the deflector unit. The light source unit is configured to adapt an intensity of the light beam based on an amplitude of the input signal. The deflector unit is configured to obtain a deflection command signal. The deflector unit further is configured to deflect the light beam into at least one spatial direction based on the deflection command signal. The light receiver comprises at least two photosensitive pixels. The light receiver is configured to receive the light beam via at least one of the at least two photosensitive pixels, and the light receiver is configured to convert received light into an electrical output signal. Further, a testing instrument is described.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A method of converting an electrical input signal into a set of acquisition samples, the method comprising:
receiving an electrical input signal;
generating and outputting a light beam or a particle beam based on said electrical input signal;
deflecting said light beam or said particle beam into at least one spatial direction based on a deflection command signal, wherein said light beam or said particle beam is deflected according to a predefined pattern, wherein the predefined pattern is determined by the deflection command signal;
receiving said light beam or said particle beam by photosensitive pixels and converting said received light beam or said particle beam into electrical output signals; and
determining a set of acquisition samples based on the electrical output signals, wherein the set of acquisition samples comprises a plurality of acquisition samples, wherein the acquisition samples comprise information about an amplitude of the electrical input signal, and wherein the acquisition samples comprise time information about a time relation between the acquisition samples.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said deflecting said light beam further comprises providing one of an electric field or a sound wave, said one of an electric field or a sound wave causing the light beam to be deflected into the at least one spatial direction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said deflecting said particle beam further comprises providing one of an electric field or a magnetic field, said one of an electric field or a magnetic field causing the particle beam to be deflected into the at least one spatial direction.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising digitizing the electrical input signal to obtain a set of analog-to-digital converter (ADC) samples, and synchronizing the set of ADC samples with the set of acquisition samples.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the set of ADC samples is aligned with the set of acquisition samples such that a temporal accordance is obtained between the set of ADC samples and the set of acquisition samples.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adapting an intensity of said light beam or an intensity of said particle beam based on a momentary amplitude of the electrical input signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said light beam or said particle beam is deflected such that the photosensitive pixels are hit by said light beam or said particle beam in a predetermined order, wherein the predetermined order is determined by the deflection command signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said light beam or said particle beam is deflected such that the photosensitive pixels are hit by said light beam or said particle beam in a periodic pattern.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the periodic pattern comprises a spiral pattern or a zig-zag pattern.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the said light beam or said particle beam is deflected such that at least 25 percent of the photosensitive pixels are hit by said light beam or said particle beam within one repetition of said periodic pattern.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the said light beam or said particle beam is deflected such that at least 50 percent of the photosensitive pixels are hit by said light beam or said particle beam within one repetition of said periodic pattern.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said time information about the time relation between the acquisition samples is derived from the deflection command signal.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acquisition samples comprise information about a development of the amplitude of the electrical input signal over time.

Assignees

• Rohde & Schwarz

Inventors

• Sterzbach Bernhard

Classifications

• G01J1/44 Primary

  Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} · CPC title

• G01J1/0414

  using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or plane beam-splitters · CPC title

• H01J37/1472

  Deflecting along given lines · CPC title

• H01J37/244

  Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor · CPC title

• H03M1/1009 Primary

  Calibration · CPC title