Electronically variable analog delay line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9559663-B2
Application number	US-201514745711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jun 22, 2015
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

An electronically variable analog delay line including at least one segment with an electronically variable inductance. The at least one segment includes a signal path, a ground return path, and a plurality of switches configured to vary the inductance of the segment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronically variable analog delay line, comprising:
at least one segment with an electronically variable inductance, the at least one segment including:
a signal path;
a ground return path; and
one or more switches configured to vary the inductance of the segment;
wherein the at least one segment includes a short-delay mode and a long-delay mode, and the at least one segment is configured to delay a signal in the signal delay path a first delay amount in the short-delay mode and a second delay amount in the long-delay mode; and
wherein the one or more switches includes three switches, two of the switches connected to ground at the ends of the ground return path, and the other of the switches connected to ground at the center of the ground return path.

2. The electronically variable analog delay line of claim 1 , wherein during the short-delay mode, the two switches connected to ground at the ends of the ground return path are on, and the other of the switches is off, and during the long-delay mode, the two switches connected to ground at the ends of the ground return path are off, and the other of the switches is on.

3. The electronically variable analog delay line of claim 2 , the at least one segment further comprising at least one capacitor configured to add capacitance to the signal path during the long-delay mode.

4. The electronically variable analog delay line of claim 3 , wherein the capacitance added is the same ratio as the variance of inductance.

5. The electronically variable analog delay line of claim 1 , wherein the impedance of the electronically variable analog delay line is substantially unchanged between the short-delay mode and the long-delay mode.

6. The electronically variable analog delay line of claim 1 , further comprising at least two segments with the electronically variable inductance.

7. The electronically variable analog delay line of claim 6 , wherein one segment of the at least two segments includes a different delay time in the short-delay mode and the long-delay mode than the other segment of the at least two segments.

8. The electronically variable analog delay line of claim 1 , further comprising two switches to vary the inductance of the segment.

9. A method for delaying a signal on an electronically variable analog delay line, comprising:
switching between a short-delay mode and a long-delay mode;
sending a signal on a signal path;
adding capacitance to the signal path when in the long-delay mode to delay the signal by a first amount; and
grounding a ground return path via turning on a first switch located at one end of the ground return path and a second switch located at the other end of the ground return path when in the short-delay mode to delay the signal by a second amount;
wherein adding capacitance to the signal path when in the long-delay mode further includes turning on a center switch of the ground return path and turning off the first switch and the second switch of the ground return path.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising varying the inductance of the electronically variable analog delay line between the short-delay mode and the long-delay mode.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the impedance of the electronically variable analog delay line is substantially unchanged between the short-delay mode and the long-delay mode.

Assignees

• Tektronix Inc

Inventors

• Knierim Daniel G

Classifications

• H03H11/265 Primary

  with adjustable delay · CPC title

• H03K2005/00045

  DC voltage control of a capacitor or of the coupling of a capacitor as a load · CPC title

• H03K5/133

  using a chain of active delay devices · CPC title

• H01P9/00 Primary

  Delay lines of the waveguide type · CPC title

• H03H7/345

  Adjustable networks · CPC title