Harmonic Time Interleaving for Oscilloscope Bandwidth Extension
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oscilloscope technologies face limitations in extending bandwidth and sample rate, requiring complex digital signal processing and software mixers for signal reconstruction, which hinders efficiency and increases complexity.
Innovation Solution
The harmonic time interleave (HTI) system employs analog mixers with synchronized reference oscillator harmonics and optimized delays to perform signal reconstruction through simple time domain interleaving, eliminating the need for software mixers and reducing digital signal processing requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If digital bandwidth interleave or asynchronous time interleave is used to extend oscilloscope bandwidth and sample rate, then the bandwidth and sample rate are extended, but complex digital signal processing and software mixers are required for signal reconstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex digital signal processing and software mixers with a purely analog mixing system. Multiple analog mixers with synchronized reference oscillators process signals in the analog domain, eliminating the need for digital reconstruction algorithms and software-based mixing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the high-bandwidth signal into multiple lower-bandwidth channels using analog mixers, each processing a segmented portion of the spectrum. These segmented channels are then combined through time-domain interleaving to reconstruct the full high-bandwidth signal without requiring complex digital processing.
2Speed
If sequential multi-acquisition approach is used to multiply bandwidth, then bandwidth is extended over multiple acquisitions, but acquisition time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves continuous high-bandwidth signal capture in a single acquisition by operating multiple analog mixers simultaneously. Unlike sequential approaches that require multiple sweeps, this system continuously processes the full bandwidth signal path, eliminating acquisition time penalties.
3Device complexity
If analog mixers with synchronized reference oscillators are used for time domain interleaving, then signal reconstruction is simplified, but hardware synchronization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple reference oscillators into a single synchronized timing source that drives all analog mixers. This unified reference ensures consistent phase relationships across all mixing channels, simplifying the synchronization mechanism while maintaining high reliability through a centralized timing architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
HTI systems achieve higher bandwidth and sample rates with greater efficiency, optimized signal-to-noise ratio, and simplified signal reconstruction, outperforming traditional methods like digital bandwidth interleave and asynchronous time interleave by leveraging time domain interleaving and synchronized mixer harmonics.
Implementation Method 1
analog mixers in the path to standard interleaved digitizer blocks
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A harmonic time interleave (HTI) system can include a sample clock to provide a reference signal, a summing component to receive the reference signal and a second input, a splitter component to receive an input signal, and delay blocks to each receive an output from the splitter. The HTI system can also include digitizing components to receive the reference signal from the sample clock and an output from each of the mixing components, and a poly-phase filter matrix block to receive an output from each of the digitizing components. The HTI system can also include an interleave reconstruction block to receive an output from the poly-phase filter matrix block and interleave time domain signal samples from each digitizer to create a reconstructed waveform.