Differential Time-to-Digital Converter for Linear Low-Power Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional time to digital converters face challenges in achieving high precision and wide range while maintaining low power consumption, as the range and area of measurement are positively correlated, leading to increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A novel time to digital converter comprising a polarity detecting module and a time to digital conversion module with multistage differential time delay units and trigger units, which improves the linearity of digital conversion by ensuring phase-complementary signals enter the trigger units, reducing mismatch between inverter time and sampling time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the range of measurement is increased, then the area and power consumption increase, but the power consumption becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the time interval measurement into multiple segments using a three-phase structure with different frequency dividers (N1, N2, N3). Each phase measures a portion of the total time interval, allowing the system to achieve wide measurement range without proportionally increasing the area and power consumption of a single measurement unit. The segmented approach enables the converter to handle both small and large time intervals efficiently.
2Measurement precision
If a simple inverter is used for time interval quantization, then high resolution is achieved, but the area and power consumption increase for wide range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different measurement strategies to different parts of the time interval range. For fine resolution measurement, it uses the high-frequency phase with appropriate dividers. For wide range coverage, it switches to lower-frequency phases. This local optimization ensures that high resolution is achieved when needed without continuously consuming high power across all operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects which phase and frequency divider combination to use based on the magnitude of the time interval being measured. The controller adjusts the operating parameters in real-time, switching between phases 1, 2, and 3 depending on whether the measurement requires fine resolution or wide range coverage, thereby optimizing power consumption adaptively.
Data Source
AI summary
A time to digital converter includes a polarity detecting module and a time digital conversion module. The time digital conversion module includes a digital coding unit, a ring vibration enabling unit, multistage differential time delay units sequentially forming a closed loop in series and a plurality of trigger units. Each differential time delay unit includes a first input end, a second input end, a first output end and a second output end. The first output end and the second output end of each differential time delay unit outputs differential signals which are complementary to each other. Mismatching between the ascending and descending time of a phase inverter and sampling of a trigger can be improved to enable signals entering the trigger units to be phase-complementary signals, thus improving the linearity of digital conversion.