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Innovation & Technologie Angebot

Optoelectronic track-and-hold circuit.

Country of Origin: Germany
Reference Number: TODE20180316001
Publication Date: 16 March 2018

Summary

A German university offers an improved track-and-hold circuit that makes use of optical control of a switching element. This results in improved accuracy of analog-to-digital converters. Applications are the areas of communication and sensor technology and control engineering across different sectors. Industrial licensees are sought.

Description

Sample-and-hold circuits or track-and-hold (TH) circuits, along with analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), are the link from the analog to the digital world. The TH is used to prepare the signal for the ADC so that the ADC can digitize the signal. Therefore the TH's electrical properties have a major impact on the accuracy of the ADC. Important parameters such as effective resolution, linearity, and bandwidth are typically limited by the TH.



A German university found a way to improve the TH's properties. Their solution is based on optical triggering. Mode-locked lasers provide very low pulse width, extremely low jitter periodic pulse sequences which are used in the present invention as the clock for the TH. The university’s  optoelectronic track-and-hold circuits use the direct optical control of a switching element. The circuitry may be used for both differential and non-differential circuitry. Optoelectronic track-and-hold circuits allow reduced jitter of the sampling clock.  Furthermore these optoelectronic TH circuits allow shorter switching time (aperture), lower aperture uncertainty due to the low jitter of the optical clock, excellent effective resolution due to the low clock jitter of the optical clock, high linearity sampling, high bandwidth and high immunity to common mode and common mode noise.



Optoelectronic track-and-hold circuits can be used in many areas of communication technology, sensor technology and control engineering. In particular, when the application places high demands on bandwidth and effective resolution, the new optoelectronic TH circuits  can exploit their advantages.



Licensees are sought. The collaboration would include further development to bring the product to the market. Potential partners could be from the above-mentioned fields of activity.

Advantages and Innovations

The innovation lies in the optical triggering. The invention is among others characterized by shorter switching time and lower aperture uncertainty than conventional solutions.



Resulting advantages are:

•	Excellent jitter

•	Excellent resolution

•	High bandwidth

•	High linearity

•	High immunity to common-mode signals and noise

Stage Of Development

Under development/lab tested

Stage Of Development Comment

The procedure was verified simulatively and experimentally

Requested partner

The German university offers interested companies the opportunity to license and further develop the technology which is at this stage experimentally verified. Companies could be involved in the application areas, such as communication technology, sensoring and engineering control.