Digital time base generator and method for providing a first clock signal and a second clock signal
View Patent ↗A digital time base generator and method for providing a first clock signal and a second clock signal in which a base clock signal having a base frequency is generated to provide two clock signals of slightly different frequencies with defined time or phase delay. Here, the base frequency is divided by a first integer to produce a first auxiliary signal, the frequency of the first auxiliary signal is multiplied by a factor to obtain the first clock signal, the base frequency is further divided by a second integer to produce a second auxiliary signal, and the frequency of the second auxiliary signal is multiplied by the factor to obtain the second clock signal.
1. A digital time base generator arranged in one of a radar, a laser and time domain reflectometer, the digital time base generator providing a first clock signal and a second clock signal, frequencies of the first and second clock signals being different, the time base generator comprising:
a base clock signal generator which provides a base clock signal at a base frequency;
a first frequency divider which divides the base frequency by a first integer to produce a first auxiliary signal;
a first frequency multiplier which multiplies the frequency of the first auxiliary signal by a factor to generate the first clock signal;
a second frequency divider which divides the base frequency by a second integer to produce a second auxiliary signal; and
a second frequency multiplier which multiplies the frequency of the second auxiliary signal by the factor to generate the second clock signal.
2. The digital time base generator of claim 1 incorporated into a radar, laser or time-domain reflectometer, wherein the first clock signal triggers a transmitter to produce a transmit signal and wherein the second clock signal one of gates and is mixed with detected echoes of the transmit signal.
3. The digital time base generator of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second frequency multipliers comprises a phase-locked loop.
4. The digital time base generator of claim 3 incorporated into one of a radar, laser and time-domain reflectometer, wherein the first clock signal triggers a transmitter to produce a transmit signal and wherein the second clock signal one of gates and is mixed with detected echoes of the transmit signal.
5. A method implemented in one of a radar, a laser and time domain reflectometer and for providing a first clock signal and a second clock signal, frequencies of the clock signals being different, said method comprising:
providing, by a base clock signal generator, a base clock signal having a base frequency;
dividing, by a first frequency divider, the base frequency by a first integer to produce a first auxiliary signal;
multiplying, by a first frequency multiplier, a frequency of the first auxiliary signal by a factor to obtain the first clock signal;
dividing, by a second frequency divider, the base frequency by a second integer to produce a second auxiliary signal; and
multiplying, by a second frequency divider, the frequency of the second auxiliary signal by the factor to obtain the second clock signal.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first clock signal triggers a transmitter to produce a transmit signal and wherein the second clock signal one of gates and is mixed with detected echoes of the transmit signal.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the frequency multiplication is performed by a phase-locked loop.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first clock signal triggers a transmitter to produce a transmit signal and wherein the second clock signal one of gates and is mixed with detected echoes of the transmit signal.