Fully Scalable Power-Efficient Electronic Digitizer Architecture

Photonic Systems, Inc. (PSI) and GMR Research & Technology (GMR) propose a novel combination of electronic and photonic hardware together with digital processing software that implements an ultra-wideband, power-efficient, high-performance analog-to-digital converter (ADC). This unique combination of hardware and software enables a wide ADC design trade space. Consequently this approach makes the design point specified in the solicitation attainable by the end of Phase II of this SBIR program, and can easily be adapted to the design of other ADCs at different points in the ENOB vs. sampling rate trade space. The PSI/GMR team"s innovative design meets this program"s challenging ENOB, dc power, and sampling rate goals by leveraging the best features of the team members"work on previous ADC programs: sampling with wide-bandwidth photonics, interleaving of multi-channel ADCs, and processing algorithms that compensate for channel mismatch, timing skews, etc., and thus enable high dynamic range with minimum power consumption. The result is an ADC system whose design permits maximum use of COTS technology, thereby achieving extraordinary performance using ordinary components. The approach is scalable in ENOB and sample rate as the performance of electronic ADCs improves, and its output is compatible with standard interfaces for digital data signal transfer.