RO127778A3 - Method and system for measuring time intervals - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for precisely measuring the time intervals in a wide range of values, in case of using microsystems based on micro-controllers, in particular. The claimed method uses a microsystem provided with a counter which registers the clock periods on a time interval from the moment when the initiation of an event is effectively sensed to the moment when the termination of the event is effectively detected, in conjunction with an alternative method which ensures the precise measurement of the small amounts of time on the duration of the interval fractions to be measured where the counter is inactive, and also on the duration of time where the counter is active, although the event is terminated, the microsystem switching rapidly between the two methods, the total measured time being obtained as a sum of the time determined by the counter and the times determined for the situation when the counter is inactive on the duration of the external impulse where from there is subtracted the time determined for the situation when the counter is active beyond the moment when the external event is terminated. The claimed system comprises a pulse shaper () producing an input binarized signal for controlling a circuit implementing a method of measuring the small amounts of time with high precision, comprising a current generator (), a sampling-memorizing circuit () and a circuit () which implements the time-to-voltage conversion and also some circuits () ensuring the measurement by the method of counting by a programmable system provided with a controllable counter.