Digital Edge Averaging for Jitter-Resilient Timing Diagrams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital acquisition devices face limitations in accurately representing waveforms due to jitter effects and complex signal relationships, particularly when signals are not Uniformly Synchronous (US) with the trigger event, leading to obscured edges and reduced timing accuracy.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Digital Edge Mapping (DEM) techniques, which utilize repeated and targeted Digital Edge Averaging (DEA) operations to identify and elaborate both Uniformly Synchronous (US) and Quasi-Synchronous (QS) edges, enhancing timing accuracy and recovering signals obscured by jitter, by designating QS edges and iteratively refining edge placements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If Digital Edge Averaging (DEA) is applied to eliminate jitter-related chatter and increase timing accuracy, then timing precision is improved, but the method requires all edges to be Uniformly Synchronous (US) to the trigger event, limiting applicability to complex signal relationships
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments edges into two categories: Uniformly Synchronous (US) edges that occur at the same relative time in every acquisition, and Quasi-Synchronous (QS) edges that occur at different relative times. This segmentation allows different processing approaches for each type, enabling QS edges to be handled through multiple acquisitions and aperture adjustments, thus extending DEA applicability beyond just US edges while maintaining timing accuracy improvements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic aperture adjustment where the DEA aperture is adaptively modified based on the specific signal characteristics and edge types being analyzed. This dynamic approach allows the system to accommodate QS edges by adjusting the aperture to capture edges at varying relative positions, thereby maintaining versatility while achieving timing precision comparable to DEA
2Measurement precision
If a high sample clock frequency is used to provide high resolution on the signal under test, then measurement resolution is improved, but the sampling bin width decreases, making it more difficult to consistently capture edges within a single sample bin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple acquisitions with different sample clock phases to create a composite view of the signal. By combining data from multiple acquisitions where edges may fall into different sample bins, the system achieves high resolution timing accuracy without requiring edges to consistently land in the same sample bin, thus resolving the contradiction between high resolution and capture consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary processing layer that interpolates and reconstructs edge positions based on data from multiple sample bins and acquisitions. This intermediary process allows the system to achieve timing accuracy finer than the sample bin width while maintaining reliability even when edges fall into different bins across acquisitions
3Reliability
If repeated acquisitions are performed to observe consistent output patterns, then reliability of observation is improved, but signals with complex relationships to the trigger event become obscured rather than clarified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a temporal dimension by performing repeated acquisitions and analyzing edge positions across multiple time instances. QS edges are identified by their varying positions across acquisitions, and the system uses this temporal variation as an additional dimension for classification and recovery, preventing information loss while maintaining observation reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A method can include receiving an input signal having multiple signal edges, performing an initial scan of the input signal to identify peaks corresponding to the signal edges, and determining whether each peak is a Uniformly Synchronous (US) edge or a Quasi-Synchronous (QS) edge. The method can also include generating a final waveform and displaying the final waveform on a display device.