Sub-Picosecond Resolution Time-to-Digital Converter

Sub-picosecond-resolution time-to-digital converters are needed to satisfy the requirements of time-on-flight measurements for the next generation of high energy and nuclear physics experiments. The converters must be highly integrated, power effective, and low cost, and feature plug-and-play capabilities, in order to handle the increasing number of channels (up to hundreds of millions). Current state-of-the-art, time-to-digital-converter integrated circuits do not have the sufficient degree of integration and flexibility to fulfill these requirements. This project will develop a multiple channel, time-to-digital converter which will provide high accuracy (sub-picosecond range), low power consumption, and minimal switching noise. In Phase I, the critical components of the system, including signal delay lines and delay-locked loops with proprietary differential delay cells, will be designed and simulated. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by the Applicant: The converter should find applications in electronics for high energy physics and nuclear physics experiments, radar systems, collision-avoiding devices for military and commercial aircraft, space ship docking for NASA, anti-missile defense, and measurement instrumentation.