Delay line system, high frequency sampler, analog-to-digital converter and oscilloscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9800228-B2
Application number	US-201514859899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Jul 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A delay line device is provided for a high frequency sampler for high frequency signal transmission, or for an oscilloscope for measuring high frequency signals. The delay line device includes two distributed tapped transmission delay lines. Each of the delay lines includes two terminals. An analog input signal is applied to a first terminal of the first delay line, and a clock signal is applied to a first terminal of the second delay line. The delay lines are configured such that the analog input signal propagates through the first delay line in an opposite direction as compared to the propagation of the clock signal through the second delay line.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus comprising:
a first delay line that comprises a first terminal, a plurality of distribution segments, a plurality of taps, and a second terminal, wherein each tap of the first delay line is arranged between two of the distributions segments that are adjacent to one another;
a second delay line that comprises a first terminal, a plurality of distribution segments, a plurality of taps, and a second terminal, wherein each tap of the second delay line is arranged between two of the distributions segments that are adjacent to one another; and
wherein each tap of the first delay line corresponds to a respective tap of the second delay line, and a respective sampling circuit is arranged between each tap of the first delay line and the corresponding tap of the second delay line, and
wherein the first delay line and the second delay line are configured in a manner whereby an analog input signal applied to the first terminal of the first delay line propagates through the first delay line in a first direction, a clock signal applied to the first terminal of the second delay line propagates through the second delay line in a second direction, and the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

2. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first delay line is arranged in parallel to the second delay line, and the first terminal of the first delay line is arranged at an end of the first delay line that is arranged opposite to an end of the second delay line at which first terminal of the second delay line is arranged.

3. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first delay line and the second delay line each comprises a number of delay elements of equal dimensions, and the number of delay elements of the first delay line equals the number of delay elements of the second delay line.

4. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each delay element comprises one or more of a transmission line and a discrete element.

5. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein each discrete element comprises a circuit arrangement that exhibits an inductance and a capacitance, wherein the capacitance is connected to a reference potential.

6. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one tap of the first delay line is arranged in a position of relatively close proximity to a respective tap of the second delay line.

7. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a delay element is arranged between each of one or more respective pairs of two adjacent taps of each of the first delay line and the second delay line, and each delay element of the first delay line is equivalent to a respective delay element of the second delay line.

8. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the taps of the first and second delay lines are arranged in an equidistant manner.

9. The interleaved high frequency sampler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a period of a clock signal of the interleaved high frequency sampler is at least equal to a sum of a signal propagation time between two consecutive taps of the second delay line and a signal propagation time between two consecutive taps of the first delay line multiplied by an interleave factor.

10. An analog-to-digital converter comprising the interleaved high frequency sampler according to claim 1 .

11. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 10 , wherein an output of each sampling circuit is connected to a respective digitizing unit, wherein each digitizing unit is configured to digitize an output of the respective sampling unit.

12. An oscilloscope, for measuring a high frequency analog input signal, comprising:
an input node configured to receive the high frequency analog input signal; and
an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) according to claim 11 , wherein the ADC is arranged downstream to the input node, and is configured to convert the high frequency analog input signal to a digital input signal.

Assignees

• Rohde & Schwarz

Inventors

• Hidri Ols

Classifications

• H03M1/1215

  using time-division multiplexing · CPC title

• H03M1/124

  Sampling or signal conditioning arrangements specially adapted for A/D converters · CPC title

• G01R13/0272

  for sampling · CPC title

• H03H11/265 Primary

  with adjustable delay · CPC title

• H03K5/159 Primary

  Applications of delay lines not covered by the preceding subgroups · CPC title