Multi-Channel, High Resolution Time-to-Digital Converter

The design and the realization of a multi-channel, high resolution time-to-digital converter(TDC) based on USB2.0 were introduced. The NIM-to-LVPECL logic level converter, the high-speed series-to-parallel converter, and the FPGA based data process and logic control circuit are completed. In the end, some parameters of the TDC are measured and given. The parameters of the TDC show that the minimum time resolution is 403 ps, the range of measurement is 420 us, and the dead time is less than 13 ns. The TDC can be used in the fields wheh high resolution time measurement are required, for example, in the application of time-of-flight mass spectrometer(TOF-MS).