[time-nuts] On low-voltage TAC/TDCs for a GPSDO
Bruce Griffiths
bruce.griffiths at xtra.co.nz
Mon Aug 16 10:48:29 UTC 2010
J.D. Bakker wrote:
> At 23:49 +1200 14-08-2010, Bruce Griffiths wrote:
>> J.D. Bakker wrote:
>>> At 19:01 +1200 14-08-2010, Bruce Griffiths wrote:
>>>> J.D. Bakker wrote:
>> However the ultimate test (other than breadboarding it) is to
>> actually simulate the sampling process and look at the deviation of
>> the sampled voltages from linearity.
>
> That's not a bad idea (the recent "Simulation" thread
> notwithstanding), I'll see if I can find the time to cobble something
> together.
>
> Suggested procedure:
> - Assume perfect ADC buffers (not unrealistic, some of the MCP6xxx
> parts have enough GBW and slew rate), and a 2V ADC reference.
> - Independent variables:
> * Number of ADC bits (8...12)
> * ADC input noise (model as AWGN, vary over 0...10LSB)
> * ADC aperture jitter (AWGN, 0...2ns)
> * ADC sample rate (1 or 2 MSPS)
> * Ramp rate (0.1/0.2/0.5/1V/us, to be varied by changing C1 and only
> C1)
> * For Circuit 3: Difference between ramp rates (0...10%, again
> through C1)
> - Have LTSpice generate a simulated ramp with enough time resolution
> (say 100ps), do linear interpolation if needed.
> - For each combination of independent variables:
> * Generate simulated ramp(s)
> * Run a realistic number of -100ns/0ns/+100ns calibrations (call it
> 100 runs)
> * Sweep the simulated offset from -500ns to 500ns in 1ns steps
> * For each simulated offset, do a few thousand measurement runs
> * Collect statistics
> - Plot RMS and 90%-limits for the recorded data.
>
> That should keep all eight cores busy for a day or so. Does that sound
> like a workable plan? If I feel up to it, I'll see if I can add the
> simple RC-filter to the mix, although I'm less confident about doing
> proper a priori weighed error curve fitting on that than on the simple
> linear ramps.
>
Its probably more informative to look at the effect of the factors one
at a time before doing the full blown simulation that includes all such
factors.
Start with an ideal current source to isolate the effects due to switch
capacitance etc, then try a few real current sources.
It should be a relatively simple case of a nonlinear least squares fit
for the simple RC circuit.
Simulating the effect of statistical calibration using a uniformly
distributed set of time intervals.
In this case the non linearity will be reflected in the non statistical
variations in the histogram of frequencies for each ADC value.
> (I'd like to look at slower ramps/ADCs because the more I think about
> it the more I prefer the ADuC7024, with +/-1LSB INL @1MSPS over the
> +/-6LSB @2MSPS of the ATXMega. An added bonus of the ADuC is that it
> has a small on-chip PLA, which might allow me to do without a CPLD).
>
>> In the case of the 3 diode TAC devised by Kasper Pedersen some
>> compensation of diode capacitance modulation occurs if the diodes are
>> matched.
>
> Hadn't seen that one yet. Looks interesting, but losing another two
> diode drops on top of the current source's compliance range may be a
> bit too tight for 3.3V operation.
>
>>> I've tried it in the simulator and on the bench, and it works quite
>>> well.
>>
>> I'll check again, but thats not consistent with what I found with a
>> simulated 1mA current source.
>
> As I mentioned a few messages ago the ramp becomes much more linear
> (due to swamping of parasitics) when the current and the capacitor are
> increased tenfold. Tried it again on the bench with the values as in
> the attached sim file (SMD parts dead bug on a ground plane, with a
> FDV301N in series with a 10R resistor shorting the capacitor, and a
> resistor to set the current), and as far as I can eyeball it on my
> 100MHz scope it works as advertised. Not that a scope check is the
> last word in linearity, but at least there are no gross discrepancies
> with the simulator's results. Having said that, I'm open for other
> suggestions wrt the current source.
>
> JD "Monte Carlo" B.
>
The deviations in the current visible in the simualtion are too small to
be noticeable with a scope.
Increasing the ramp capacitor value has little effect on nonlinearity
due to the Early effect.
Bruce
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