Research on Dead-time Free Frequency Measurement Technology Based on TDC
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摘要: 在精密时频测控领域中,高分辨率、无死区的时间间隔和频率测量非常关键,而时间数字转换器(Time to Digital Converter, TDC)是时间频率测量的常用手段。该文研制了基于ACAM公司生产的时间数字转换芯片TDC-GP21和Altera公司FPGA芯片EP4CE6E22C8N的时间频率测量设备,实现了高分辨率的时间间隔测量,测量分辨率达到13ps 。同时采用时间间隔测量模块两两组合的方式实现了无死区频率测量,创新性地采用每组3个TDC芯片,共4组搭建了时间频率测量系统,并对组内3个TDC芯片测量结果采用平均值滤波法,使频率测量稳定度达到
$ 1.1 $ ×$ {10}^{-11} $ @1 s,$ 5.6\times {10}^{-15} $ @10000 s,与商用K+K FXE频率计数器指标相当。本设备具有体积小、无需校准、成本低等优点,能够广泛应用到高精度时间间隔和精密频率测量领域中。-
关键词:
- 频率测量 /
- 时间间隔测量 /
- 时间数字转换器(TDC) /
- 高精度 /
- 无死区
Abstract: In the fields requiring precise time and frequency measurement and control, high-precision, dead-time free time interval and frequency measurements are highly demanded. TDC (Time to Digital Converter) is commonly adopted in time and frequency measurement. In this paper, a self-developed multi-module time-interval measurement system is built based on the time digital conversion chip TDC-GP21 from ACAM company and the Cyclone IV FPGA chip EP4CE6E22C8N from Altera Company. For each time-interval measurement module, a time-interval measurement resolution as small as 13 ps is achieved. By further duplex operating two such time-interval measurement modules, a dead-time free frequency measurement is realized, the time and frequency measurement system involves three groups, each of which has 3 TDC chips. By averaging the measurement results of three TDC chips in each group, a frequency instability reaches$ 1.1\times {10}^{-11} $ @ 1s and$ 5.6\times {10}^{-15} $ @10000 s. This result shows that this self-developed apparatus approaches the performance of the commercial K+K FXE frequency counter. Due to its advantages of small size, no calibration and low cost, this apparatus can be widely used in applications that require high-precision time interval and precise frequency measurements. -
表 1 测量结果稳定性对比表
频率测量设备名称 短期稳定性 长期稳定性 本文所设计的时频测量设备 1.1e-11@1s 5.6e-15@10000s K+K FXE 2.3e-11@1s 3.8e-15@10000s 53230A 1.9e-11@1s 2.3e-13@10000s -
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