Coherent Clocking in Digital Arrays

We propose to solve the multi-point coherent-sampling problem in this solicitation by using our new clock distribution technology. Invented for multi-GHz VLSI clocking and beam-steering antenna array synchronization, our technique has substantially lower cost, lower power, better phase precision (skew) at the delivery points, and lower jitter than conventional corporate feed distribution systems. In addition, it is fully compatible with conformal applications, since it does not require any spatial uniformity or symmetries for proper operation, unlike tree networks. We use a serial architecture with transmission line connectivity between clients and a simple signaling method, which carries absolute timing information to any place along the chain. Not only that our method is capable of inexpensively and accurately distributing a high frequency clock signal but in certain implementations it delivers synchronous signals to the clients at twice the transmitted frequency. At the client points, we extract the absolute timing information with simple, classical circuits. In the case of sampling arrays, we have the capability of distributing a very high frequency sampling clock, which would be used directly by the client samplers without the need for local frequency multiplication for optimum jitter performance.