EP0165144A1 - Elektronisches Chronometersystem mit hoher Auflösung - Google Patents

Elektronisches Chronometersystem mit hoher Auflösung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0165144A1
EP0165144A1 EP85400976A EP85400976A EP0165144A1 EP 0165144 A1 EP0165144 A1 EP 0165144A1 EP 85400976 A EP85400976 A EP 85400976A EP 85400976 A EP85400976 A EP 85400976A EP 0165144 A1 EP0165144 A1 EP 0165144A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
duration
values
time
calibration
clock
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Granted
Application number
EP85400976A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0165144B1 (de
Inventor
Gilbert Charles
Assad Assadoullah
Jean-Marie Bernet
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Thales SA
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Thomson CSF SA
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04F—TIME-INTERVAL MEASURING
    • G04F10/00—Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means
    • G04F10/10—Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means by measuring electric or magnetic quantities changing in proportion to time

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an electronic chronometry system including the time measurement method and the corresponding chronometer apparatus.
  • the invention is addressed, in this technical field, to measurement systems having a high resolution, better than 100 picoseconds.
  • Electronic chronometers for non-repetitive phenomena which measure the time interval between a start pulse and a stop pulse, very often proceed by counting the periods of a clock with a well-known frequency.
  • this time base circuit is formed using a quartz oscillator of high stability compensated in temperature.
  • the time T to be measured is then equal to N. T to within + T / 2, T being the clock period, N being the number present in the counter which is started by the start pulse and stopped by the pulse stop.
  • the stop pulse causes this linear variation to block.
  • the quantification of time can be done in several possible ways.
  • One of the most used is the multiplication of time t by a factor K, the time Kt being measured by the method already mentioned of clock counting.
  • the phase between the starting pulse and the clock being a priori arbitrary, the time T1 will be between 0 and T.
  • the voltage V (Tl) is then converted into the form of an expanded time as indicated above and is digitized (time expansion and analog-digital conversion).
  • the stop pulse in turn causes a ramp to start; like the start pulse, it is stopped by the first clock pulse which follows after a time T2.
  • the stop pulse only blocks the main counter after taking this same clock pulse into account.
  • the counter indicates N.
  • the measured time is then given by: T being the clock period, Tl * and T2 * then being the quantized values of Tl and T2.
  • the quantum is equal to T / K.
  • the ramp stops are produced on the second pulse following (or on the second edge of given direction, said active front, by a clock signal formed by pulses of a certain width, the verniers work in a time domain between T and 2 ⁇ , the principle of measurement remains unchanged.
  • An object of the invention is to overcome these limitations by using a method which makes it possible to compensate for the defects resulting from the non-linearity and, in so doing, to correct the measurement; the resolution reached is less than 50 picoseconds.
  • an electronic timekeeping system using, for measuring a duration T between a starting instant tl and a stopping instant t2, fine counting means of the vernier ramp type with time expansion to measure the duration Tl between the instant tl and a subsequent edge of a clock signal and the duration T2 between the instant t2 and a subsequent edge of the clock, and large counting means for counting the number N of clock periods of duration T between said edges.
  • the system is characterized in that it further comprises means for compensating for errors of non-linearity of the ramp in order to determine, in magnitude and in sign, whatever the duration T to be measured, the corrective term to be applied for obtaining the corrected measurement, said corrective term being determined during a calibration cycle as a function of the parameters Tl and (Tl - T2) measured.
  • the main means constituting the system appear on the functional diagram of FIG. 1. They already include, according to the aforementioned prior art, a time base circuit called clock 1 to produce a clock signal SH, a main counter circuit 2 for perform the rough measurement, and ramp circuits 3 and 4 to perform the fine measurement.
  • a time base circuit called clock 1 to produce a clock signal SH
  • main counter circuit 2 for perform the rough measurement
  • ramp circuits 3 and 4 to perform the fine measurement.
  • FIG. 2 shows the corresponding essential signals: a clock signal SH of a determined stable period T , the pulses SI and S2 which represent the start and stop times of the duration T to be measured, and the ramps SR1 and SR2 of duration Tl and T2 respectively.
  • the duration T is given by N T + (T1-T2), N being the large count and Tl and T2 the fine values obtained with temporal expansion.
  • the falling edge of the clock SH is the active edge.
  • the values N, T1 and T2 obtained are transmitted in digital form to a management and calculation processor 5 which may consist of a microprocessor with associated read and write memories and interface circuits.
  • Circuit 5 calculates the time phase AT of duration T with respect to the clock signal, this phase being constituted by the value (Tl - T2) representing the fine measurement which exceeds the integer number N of clock periods.
  • the other circuits shown consist of a programmable delay generator 6 and a switching circuit 7 and are used to perform the calibration.
  • the processor circuit 5 controls the generator 6 to produce local signals S10 and 520, and the switch 7 to transmit these signals to the verniers 3 and 4 in place of the actual measurement signals S1 and S2.
  • the programming of circuit 5 is done to control at least one series of measurements with a constant delay (t2-tl) between signals S10 and S20 and by varying the start time each time, i.e. the phase time of S10, with respect to the clock SH.
  • the constant delay is produced by the circuit 6 by means, for example, of an assembly of temperature compensated delay lines.
  • a complete calibration cycle will comprise several series of measurements so as to also traverse the range of variation ⁇ of the delay by modifying its value from one series of measurements to the next.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to the previous one but transposed to the time T measured by the vernier as a function of the real time T R.
  • the difference in charge dV variable as a function of the operating point and therefore of the parameter Tl which corresponds to the time phase of the instant t l is replaced there by the time difference on the measurement of Tl, (and of T2 for the other vernier).
  • the shape of the variation in Tm is similar to that of the ramp.
  • T being the range of variation of Tl (and T2)
  • Tm T R
  • the curve Tm therefore repeats for time to be measured modulo T, that is to say of period ⁇ .
  • a series of measurements is produced with (t 2 -t 1 ) equal to a constant value of R and by varying the phase t 1 to traverse the range 0 -T in a uniform manner.
  • the number of samples per slice is equal, or substantially, and the average value Tmj of these samples is determined which will characterize this slice.
  • Average values Tm l to Tmp above are calculated for the measured Tl parameter.
  • the stop vernier provides a measured T2 value, similarly called T2m.
  • the fine count value (T lm - T 2m ) therefore corresponds to the theoretical value (Tl - T2) affected by the measurement error dm.
  • L be the number of measurement series; we denote by R1, R2, ... R k , ... R L the L values of R used.
  • R1, R2, ... R k the L values of R used.
  • the delay generator 6 can be equipped with delay devices connected in series to give successive steps ⁇ / L.
  • the table in figure 9 shows the values finally memorized in the random access memories of processor 5.
  • Tlm measured by the starting vernier 3 indicates the section j to be assigned, to which now corresponds either 1 but L values dm 1j to dm Lj as a function of the phase ⁇ T of the time T to be measured.
  • the corresponding calculated value Tlm-T2m defines the channel k to be assigned and it is therefore possible to extract the corrective term dm kj to be applied for the measurement and to obtain the corrected quantity which corresponds very substantially to the real quantity of T.
  • the complete calibration cycle will include 8000 measurements for the case considered.
  • the number of slices will be quantitatively determined, depending on whether the 'we are able to carry out a greater or lesser number of measurements and depending on the fineness of the correction to which we want to achieve.
  • Random triggering of the measurement can be produced in various ways; one of them consists in producing at the microprocessor a second local clock of frequency different from that very stable SH delivered by the circuit 1, the frequencies being chosen in an irrational ratio, so that the phase presented by the front active of this local clock with respect to that of reference SH is arbitrary, practically changing value each time.
  • This local clock thus gives successive values T1 varying randomly.
  • the processor circuit 5 will have to temporarily store the values T1 and T2 measured by the verniers before proceeding with a classification in ascending order of the values T1 measured to then determine the means T1. slice by slice. Care should be taken to ensure that the Tl and T2 values of the same measurement are followed during these operations so as to find in each slice ( Figure 7) the values (TI-T2), called ⁇ R, measured and corresponding to the Tl values of this section so that the determination of the mean deviation dmj retains its full meaning.
  • the chronometer apparatus proposed puts into practice the process which has just been described using the processor circuit 5 programmed to perform the various calculations and to control during the calibration the switching of the switches 7 to connect the outputs S10 and S20 of generator 6 on the vernier circuits in place of the inputs SI and S2; it also controls the generator circuit 6 to produce the desired series of measurements.
  • Circuit 6 produces a start pulse S 10 and a stop pulse S2 0 whose delay; by compared to the start pulse, is low noise (that is to say practically without fluctuations) and is programmable over a space of time substantially equal to ⁇ .
  • the vernier circuit 3 comprises a threshold comparator 31 which produces reshaping of the input pulse S1 or S10; the following circuit 32 is a bistable flip-flop, the change of state of which will control, through a gate circuit 33 and a diode 34, the linear charge of the capacitor 35.
  • the clock signal SH then controls, via the circuit 36 consisting of rocker circuits and via the gate circuit 37 followed by the diode 38, the discharge of the capacitor 35.
  • the circuits 39 and 40 represent amplifiers.
  • the start of the charge and the end of the discharge are respectively determined to obtain the desired expansion coefficient, for example 400 Tl, thanks to the threshold comparator 41 at the output which causes the circuit 32 to switch back to the initial position.
  • the counter 42 performs the measurement of the total duration of charge and discharge and this information, measured in number of clock periods SH is transferred to the processor 5 which calculates the corresponding duration T1.
  • the stop vernier 4 is similarly constructed to allow T2 to be calculated.
  • the processor circuit 5 is represented in a conventional structure with a microprocessor 51, input 52 and output interface circuits 53, read-only memories 54 and read-only memories 55 and the control buses C, of addressing A and of data D.
  • a microprocessor 51 input 52 and output interface circuits 53, read-only memories 54 and read-only memories 55 and the control buses C, of addressing A and of data D.
  • the organization of living memories 55 we considered an organization. corresponding to that of FIG. 9 at L addressing lines according to the channel and P addressing columns according to the section, to store the different measurement deviations dm kj .
  • processor 5 The programming of processor 5 is made to accomplish the various successive phases of the method which has been previously described. This technique responds to known, relatively simple measurements, which do not require the software to be reported here in more detail. The result of the measurement after correction is transmitted to an annex 10 operating unit.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Unknown Time Intervals (AREA)
EP85400976A 1984-05-17 1985-05-17 Elektronisches Chronometersystem mit hoher Auflösung Expired EP0165144B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8407652 1984-05-17
FR8407652A FR2564613B1 (fr) 1984-05-17 1984-05-17 Systeme de chronometrie electronique de haute resolution

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0165144A1 true EP0165144A1 (de) 1985-12-18
EP0165144B1 EP0165144B1 (de) 1989-03-22

Family

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Family Applications (1)

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EP85400976A Expired EP0165144B1 (de) 1984-05-17 1985-05-17 Elektronisches Chronometersystem mit hoher Auflösung

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US (1) US4637733A (de)
EP (1) EP0165144B1 (de)
DE (1) DE3569051D1 (de)
FR (1) FR2564613B1 (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0277638A2 (de) * 1987-02-04 1988-08-10 Advantest Corporation Gerät zur sukzessiven Umwandlung von Zeitperioden in Spannung
EP0793153A1 (de) * 1996-03-01 1997-09-03 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Präzisionszeitintervallmessvorrichtung

Families Citing this family (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4772843A (en) * 1986-06-06 1988-09-20 Yokogawa Electric Corporation Time measuring apparatus
US4704036A (en) * 1986-06-23 1987-11-03 Tektronix, Inc. Pulse measurement circuit
JPS636483A (ja) * 1986-06-27 1988-01-12 Hamamatsu Photonics Kk 時間間隔測定装置
JP2582250B2 (ja) * 1986-10-03 1997-02-19 日本電信電話株式会社 タイミング信号遅延回路装置
US4908784A (en) * 1987-08-04 1990-03-13 Wave Technologies, Inc. Method and apparatus for asynchronous time measurement
US5033012A (en) * 1989-02-22 1991-07-16 Wohld Peter R Motor-operated valve evaluation unit
US4982349A (en) * 1989-06-29 1991-01-01 At&T Bell Laboratories Response time analysis system
US5020038A (en) * 1990-01-03 1991-05-28 Motorola, Inc. Antimetastable state circuit
US5150337A (en) * 1990-02-21 1992-09-22 Applied Magnetics Corporation Method and apparatus for measuring time elapsed between events
US5325313A (en) * 1990-07-20 1994-06-28 H & S Technical Systems, Inc. System for measuring timepiece beat interval accuracy
US5566139A (en) * 1993-09-20 1996-10-15 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States National Aeronautics And Space Administration Picosecond resolution sampling time interval unit
SE9703134L (sv) * 1997-09-01 1999-03-02 Ifunga Test Equipment Bv Metod och anordning för inmätning och sammanställning av statistiska tidsvariationer för en optisk databärare
US6621275B2 (en) * 2001-11-28 2003-09-16 Optonics Inc. Time resolved non-invasive diagnostics system
US6819117B2 (en) * 2002-01-30 2004-11-16 Credence Systems Corporation PICA system timing measurement & calibration
US6753760B2 (en) * 2002-11-12 2004-06-22 Adam L. Schwartz Random offset alarm clock

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2437648A1 (fr) * 1978-09-29 1980-04-25 Mitec Moderne Ind Gmbh Procede de chronometrage a haute resolution et de haute precision
EP0092676A2 (de) * 1982-04-28 1983-11-02 MTC Messtechnik und Optoelektronik AG Zeitmessverfahren und Vorrichtung zu seiner Durchführung

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS57151888A (en) * 1981-03-16 1982-09-20 Advantest Corp Time measuring device

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2437648A1 (fr) * 1978-09-29 1980-04-25 Mitec Moderne Ind Gmbh Procede de chronometrage a haute resolution et de haute precision
EP0092676A2 (de) * 1982-04-28 1983-11-02 MTC Messtechnik und Optoelektronik AG Zeitmessverfahren und Vorrichtung zu seiner Durchführung

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
INSTRUMENTS AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, vol. 24, no. 1, janvier/février 1981, partie 1, pages 78-83, Plenum Publishing Corp., New York, US; S.V. DENBNOVETSKII et al.: "Interpolating time interval meter based on an elektronika B3-21" *

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0277638A2 (de) * 1987-02-04 1988-08-10 Advantest Corporation Gerät zur sukzessiven Umwandlung von Zeitperioden in Spannung
EP0277638A3 (en) * 1987-02-04 1989-08-09 Advantest Corporation Successive period-to-voltage converting apparatus
EP0793153A1 (de) * 1996-03-01 1997-09-03 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Präzisionszeitintervallmessvorrichtung
FR2745668A1 (fr) * 1996-03-01 1997-09-05 Commissariat Energie Atomique Dispositif de mesure precise de la duree d'un intervalle de temps
US5912728A (en) * 1996-03-01 1999-06-15 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Device for precisely measuring the duration of a time interval

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US4637733A (en) 1987-01-20
DE3569051D1 (en) 1989-04-27
FR2564613B1 (fr) 1987-04-30
EP0165144B1 (de) 1989-03-22
FR2564613A1 (fr) 1985-11-22

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