JPH05175781A - Active delay line - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To minimize a mount space by providing a mount member to the delay line so as to freely replace a passive element for deciding a delay line being a component of the active delay line together with an active element. CONSTITUTION:The active delay line 1 consists of an active element 2 and a delay element 4 of an input output section and an active element 3 or the like in an output section. The delay line 1 is provided with a mount member 4, the element 4 is freely replaced and the delay time is adjusted as desired by replacing the element 4 and it is not required to increase number of delay elements and number of active elements. Thus, the mount space is minimized, the line performance is enhanced by the delay time reduction resulting from the mount space reduction, the power consumption is reduced and the delay time is fine-adjusted over a wide range by means of the delay line.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a delay time adjustment circuit for a clock distribution system of an information processing apparatus, and more particularly to an active delay line which is a delay element package for delay time adjustment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an active delay line of this type, as shown in FIG. 3, a signal is input from one external input terminal 12 to an active element 9 of an input section, and the active element 9 of the input section is operated. The delay element 11 is connected to the output terminal, the active circuit 10 of the output section is connected to the delay element 11 at regular intervals, and a signal is output from the output terminal of each active circuit 10 to the external output terminal 13. The delay time is adjusted by switching the output from each external output terminal 13 with an external switch.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional active delay line, the signal input from the external input terminal 12 drives the delay element 11 through the active element 9, and the delay element 11 has a length from the input end. Outputs are taken from a plurality of different points, and the active element 10 and the external output terminal 13 are connected to the respective output ends. Here, the delay time is adjusted by selecting one of the external output terminals 13 by an external changeover switch. At this time, an active element is used internally and there is no problem in characteristics. However, there is a drawback that the characteristics are deteriorated by the added external switch. Further, in the active delay line, the number of active elements used increases as the number of switching points, that is, the number of adjustment points increases, and the power consumption increases as the number of active delay lines increases. Further, in the conventional active delay line, the internal delay element cannot be replaced, so that the delay time cannot be finely adjusted.

[0004]

An active delay line according to the present invention has a mounting member for detachably mounting the passive element in an active delay line including an active element and a passive element for determining a delay time.

When there are a plurality of passive elements, it is preferable to have a mounting member for detachably attaching at least one of the plurality of passive elements, and it is also preferable that the passive element is a delay element.

[0006]

The active element and the passive element for determining the delay time, especially the passive element in the delay line from the delay element can be replaced by the mounting member. When there are a plurality of passive elements, it is not necessary that all of them are replaceable, but at least one of them is replaceable. Therefore, a delay element having a desired delay time can be appropriately used.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an active delay line of the present invention.

A signal input from the external input terminal 5 of the active delay line 1 enters the active element 2 of the input section,
The active element 2 drives the delay element 4. Here, the delay element 4 has a structure in which it can be replaced with another delay element, that is, a delay element having a different delay time by the mounting member 4 ₁ shown by the dotted line in FIG. As a specific example, there is a method in which a connector is provided on the active delay line 1 side and the conductive pad of the delay element 4 is brought into contact with the connector. By adjusting the delay time by exchanging a delay element having a certain delay time, only one active element in the output section, which is conventionally required for the number of adjustment points, is sufficient, and the number of pins and power consumption of the active delay line 1 Can be reduced, the mounting space for the external changeover switch can be omitted, and the characteristics can be improved. Also, from the viewpoint of the adjustment value, for example, it is 1ns in the conventional active delay line.
With an ec unit that has an output terminal of 10 points, you can only adjust up to 10 nsec, and 10 nsec
100 ns for each 10-point output terminal
Adjustment is possible up to ec, but fine adjustment within 10 nsec is impossible. The above-mentioned adjustment is possible even if two conventional active delay lines are used, but it is disadvantageous in terms of mounting and performance due to the increase in the number of delay lines. In the active delay line of the present invention, the delay time is adjusted by exchanging the delay element, so that the above problem does not occur at all.
Since an active element is used for the active delay line, a power supply terminal is required as an external terminal, but the description is omitted because it is not directly related to the gist of the present invention.

Although it has been described so far, there is no problem in characteristics and mounting, but since a large number of types of delay elements are required for actual adjustment, the improvement is made by the second embodiment shown in FIG. Here is an example. The second embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment of FIG. 1, but two delay elements 4 are mounted, and one active element 7 is connected between the two delay elements 4. It is composed. Here, one delay element is used for coarse adjustment with a large delay time, and the other delay element is used for fine adjustment with a small delay time. It can be realized in a form that minimizes the types. Of course, it is also possible to make one fixed and the other removable for adjustment.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, the mounting space is minimized by mounting the passive element or the delay element for adjusting the delay time in the active delay line in a replaceable manner by the mounting member. In addition, the device performance is improved by the amount of shortening the delay time caused by the reduction of the mounting space, the power consumption of the active delay line itself is also reduced, and a wide adjustment range and fine adjustment are possible with one delay line. There is an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an active delay line of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. Active delay line 2. Input element active element 3. 3. Output active element Delay element 5. External input terminal 6. External output terminal 7. Active element

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An active delay line comprising an active element and a passive element for determining a delay time, the active delay line comprising a mounting member for detachably mounting the passive element. 2. An active delay line composed of an active element and a plurality of passive elements for determining a delay time, comprising an attachment member for detachably attaching at least one of the plurality of passive elements. Active delay line. 3. The passive element is a delay element.
The active delay line described in 2.