Time intervals measurements

and generation methods review

Pablo Alvarez CERN AB/CO

Time interval measurement

Phase measurement
Delay generation
Phase generation

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 • Time interval measurement Å
• Phase measurement
• Delay generation
• Phase generation

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 Time Interval Measurements
Techniques
1. Specifications
2. Course counting
3. Fine time interval measurement
4. Interpolation
5. Calibration

Based on “Review of methods for time interval measurements with picosecond

resolution” Josef Kalisz, Metrologia 41 (2004) 17-32

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 Principles
Event Start
Detector

TIM
Read Out 123.456ns

Event Stop
Detector

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 Specifications
• Measurement range (MR)
• Standard measurement uncertainty or random
error or precision (s)
• Non linearity. Differential (DNL) and integral
(INL)
• Quantization step (q)
• Dead time (Td) or the shortest TI between the
end of a measurement and the start of then next
one.
• Read out speed
• Stability
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 Coarse counting
Time interval configuration
Start
Stop Enable Enable
Reset Reset 1

Enable
Counter Read Out
+ q
Synchronization
q

XO

T1-T0 T1 T T1+T0 T1+2*T0

Time tag configuration 0.5

max/T0
/T0 vs c=frac(T/T0)

Event Pulse Enable 0.4 av/T0

Edge Register
Read 0.3
Out
Detector Free Running /T0
Counter Data 0.2

0.1

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
c=frac(T/T0)
XO

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 Fine analogue TIM 1

• TI stretching + counter
• Time to amplitude + ADC
– Charge capacitor
• Periodic function sampling
• Vernier method with 2 startable oscillators
• Tapped delay line

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 TI streching

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 TI to amplitude

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 Periodic function sampling

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 Tapped delay line
CERN HPTDC
Low resolution: 32 channels with 100ps resolution
High resolution: 8 channels with 25ps resolution

Comercial TDC-GPX offers 10ps

Some designs in FPGAs have reached a precision of 200ps. See “Field

Programmable Gate Array based time to digital converter with 200-ps resolution”
Kalisz J et al, 1997

50-60 ps on a XC4VSX35 FPGA

Upgrading of Integration of Time to Digit Converter on a Single
FPGA
Young ZHANG1,2, Peicheng HUANG1 and Renjie ZHU1,2
Abstract-A Time to Digit Converter (TDC), which can achieve
resolution 50-60 picoseconds, is integrated on a single FPGA.
Implementation a TDC on FPGA provides not only higher precision
and shorter dead time compared to traditional methods….

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 Nutt interpolation method

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 Calibration
• Non linearity is measured with a “statistical
code density test”
– A random oscillator generates events that
should be evenly distributed along the
different TIM codes. The frequency of a code
is proportional to the code size.
• Offset error is measured shortening the
Start and Stop inputs

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• Time interval measurement
• Phase measurement Å
• Delay generation
• Phase generation

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 Phase Measurement
• Principles
• Specifications
• Direct Measurements
• Feedback Based Measurements
• Calibration

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 Principles

• Sinusoidal signals ÆY=A*sin(2πf·t-φ)

• Any periodic signal Æφ= 2π tc/T
– tc: time between equal level crossings
– T: period

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 Specifications
•Transfer Gain (V/rad)
•Maximum frequency
•Phase offset
•Added random jitter
•Cycle−to−Cycle jitter
•Stability (sometimes an Allan deviation
plot of the two inputs wired to the same
reference)

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 Classical PHDs
Multiplier V=K*sin(Φ)

X LPF

Phase frequency detector

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. PAAS Time intervals measurement and 18
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 Dual Mixer Time Difference System
Y=A*sin(2π(f-fb)·t-θ)·sin(2πf·t-φ)=A/2(cos(2π(2f-fb)·t+(θ-φ))-cos(2π(fb)·t-(θ-φ))
Tshift=φ/2πf --> Tshiftb=φ/2πf b
For f=100MHz and fb=100Hz the time shift is increased by 1e6

Development of Multichannel Dual-Mixer Time

Difference System to Generate UTC (NICT)
Fumimaru Nakagawa, Michito Imae, Yuko Hanado, and Masanori Aida

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 Time interval meters
Any TIM with low dead time can do a good job

– Tapped Delay Lines. Typically used in FPGAs.

– Asynchronous free running counter. Counting at high
frequencies and averaging can provide with a good phase
estimate. Beware of Injection locking of the "independent"
oscillator to the system clock.

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 Programmable delay loop

Input1

Loop
Comparator Delay
Filter
Programmable
Input2
Delay

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 Calibration
• There is not an easy response to
calibration for phase detectors
• Gain and non linearity errors can be
corrected with a TIM, a fine delay
generator or a better phase detector.
• Dual Mixer Time Difference Systems are
per se linear. Possible problems will
normally show up in Allan variance plots.

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• Time interval measurement
• Phase measurement
• Delay generationÅ
• Phase generation

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 Delay generation
• Ramp + comparator
• Programmable passive delay line
• Triggered phase locked oscillator
• TIM + oscillator + Fine delay

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 Ramp + comparator

• A constant current source that loads a

capacitor generates a voltage ramp. A
comparator will trigger the output at a
selected voltage.

• The voltage ramp is nowadays normally

generated with a high precision DDS.

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 Programmable passive delay line

• Normally it is formed by a configurable

capacitor and a programmable current
source
• Very used in clock distribution ICs

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Triggered phase locked oscillator

Hewlett Packard journal august 1978. David C. Chu

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 TIM + oscillator + Fine delay

• The incoming pulse can be time tagged

respect to a local oscillator. The delay
generator can calculate the corresponding
output phase respect to the local oscillator
and program a fine delay

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 • Time interval measurement
• Phase measurement
• Delay generation
• Phase generation Å

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 Phase generation
• Phase can be generated starting from
delay generators
• Phase generation systems can also be
based on a feedback from a phase
measurement

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 Phase generation from phase
measurement loop

Setpoint
Loop OUT
PD Filter
VCO

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