On-chip picosecond time measurement

Abstract

A flash Time to Digital Converter (TDC) can be calibrated to a precision on the order of the arbiter aperature without precise input signals. A theoretical result useful for calibration of a noise-limited arbiter array is derived, and verified empirically. A test chip with 64 arbiters in a 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS process shows temporal resolution better than 2 picoseconds.