Delta Modulation Technique for Improving the Sensitivity of Monobit Subsamplers in Radar and Coherent Receiver Applications

Rodenbeck, Christopher T.; Tracey, Keith J.; Barkley, Keith R.; DuVerneay, Brian B.

doi:10.1109/TMTT.2014.2332433

Title: Delta Modulation Technique for Improving the Sensitivity of Monobit Subsamplers in Radar and Coherent Receiver Applications

Full Record
Other Related Research

Abstract

This paper introduces a technique for improving the sensitivity of RF subsamplers in radar and coherent receiver applications. The technique, referred to herein as “delta modulation” (DM), feeds the time-average output of a monobit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) back to the ADC input, but with opposite polarity. Assuming pseudo-stationary modulation statistics on the sampled RF waveform, the feedback signal corrects for aggregate DC offsets present in the ADC that otherwise degrade ADC sensitivity. Two RF integrated circuits (RFICs) are designed to demonstrate the approach. One uses analog DM to create the feedback signal; the other uses digital DM to achieve the same result. A series of tests validates the designs. The dynamic time-domain response confirms the feedback loop’s basic operation. Measured output quantization imbalance, under noise-only input drive, significantly improves with the use of the DM circuit, even for large, deliberately induced DC offsets and wide temperature variation from -55°C to +85 °C. Examination of the corrected vs. uncorrected baseband spectrum under swept input signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) conditions demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach for realistic radar and coherent receiver applications. In conclusion, two-tone testing shows no impact of the DM technique on ADC linearity.

Authors:

Rodenbeck, Christopher T. ^[1]; Tracey, Keith J. ^[1]; Barkley, Keith R. ^[1]; DuVerneay, Brian B. ^[1]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014

Research Org.:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1140866

Report Number(s):: SAND2014-2348J
Journal ID: ISSN 0018-9480; 505919

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 62; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 0018-9480

Publisher:: IEEE

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; Analog-to-digital conversion; Doppler radar; RF integrated circuits (RFICs); coherent receivers; sampled data circuits

Citation Formats


                    Rodenbeck, Christopher T., Tracey, Keith J., Barkley, Keith R., and DuVerneay, Brian B. Delta Modulation Technique for Improving the Sensitivity of Monobit Subsamplers in Radar and Coherent Receiver Applications.  United States: N. p., 2014. 
Web.  doi:10.1109/TMTT.2014.2332433.

Copy to clipboard


                    Rodenbeck, Christopher T., Tracey, Keith J., Barkley, Keith R., & DuVerneay, Brian B. Delta Modulation Technique for Improving the Sensitivity of Monobit Subsamplers in Radar and Coherent Receiver Applications.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2014.2332433

Copy to clipboard


                    Rodenbeck, Christopher T., Tracey, Keith J., Barkley, Keith R., and DuVerneay, Brian B. Fri .  
"Delta Modulation Technique for Improving the Sensitivity of Monobit Subsamplers in Radar and Coherent Receiver Applications".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2014.2332433.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1140866.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_1140866,

  title        = {Delta Modulation Technique for Improving the Sensitivity of Monobit Subsamplers in Radar and Coherent Receiver Applications},

  author       = {Rodenbeck, Christopher T. and Tracey, Keith J. and Barkley, Keith R. and DuVerneay, Brian B.},

  abstractNote = {This paper introduces a technique for improving the sensitivity of RF subsamplers in radar and coherent receiver applications. The technique, referred to herein as “delta modulation” (DM), feeds the time-average output of a monobit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) back to the ADC input, but with opposite polarity. Assuming pseudo-stationary modulation statistics on the sampled RF waveform, the feedback signal corrects for aggregate DC offsets present in the ADC that otherwise degrade ADC sensitivity. Two RF integrated circuits (RFICs) are designed to demonstrate the approach. One uses analog DM to create the feedback signal; the other uses digital DM to achieve the same result. A series of tests validates the designs. The dynamic time-domain response confirms the feedback loop’s basic operation. Measured output quantization imbalance, under noise-only input drive, significantly improves with the use of the DM circuit, even for large, deliberately induced DC offsets and wide temperature variation from -55°C to +85 °C. Examination of the corrected vs. uncorrected baseband spectrum under swept input signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) conditions demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach for realistic radar and coherent receiver applications. In conclusion, two-tone testing shows no impact of the DM technique on ADC linearity.},

  doi          = {10.1109/TMTT.2014.2332433},

  journal      = {IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques},

  number       = 8,

  volume       = 62,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},

  month        = {Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}

}

Copy to clipboard

Journal Article:

Free Publicly Available Full Text

Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Publisher's Version of Record

https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2014.2332433

Other availability

Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 5 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Similar Records in DOE PAGES and OSTI.GOV collections:

VXI based multibunch detector and QPSK modulator for the PEP-II/ALS/DA{Phi}NE longitudinal feedback system

Conference Young, A ; Fox, J ; Teytelman, D

The PEP-II/ALS/DA{Phi}NE feedback systems are complex systems implemented using analog, digital and microwave circuits. The VXI hardware implementation for the Front-end and Back-end analog processing modules is presented. The Front-end module produces a baseband beam phase signal from pickups using a microwave tone burst generator. The Back-end VXI module generates an AM/QPSK modulated signal from a baseband correction signal computed in a digital signal processor. These components are implemented in VXI packages that allow a wide spectrum of system functions including a 120 MHz bandwidth rms detector, reference phase servo, woofer link to the RF control system, standard VXI status/control,more »« less
Full Text Available
Integration of the Longitudinal Feedback System in NSRRC

Journal Article Hu, K H ; Kuo, C H ; Yeh, M S ; ... - AIP Conference Proceedings

An operation version of longitudinal feedback baseband processing electronics was implemented. The system consists of a bunch phase detector, a 500-MS/s analog-to-digital converter and demultiplexer module (ADC/DEMUX), DSP modules, a digital-to-analog converter and multiplexer module (DAC/MUX), and an RF modulator. The ADC/DEMUX unit has a fast ADC that digitizes the bunch phase signal. The down-sampled phase error data of each bunch are then distributed to the DSP boards to perform filtering and applied control rule. In the DAC/MUX, bunch kick signals are converted into analog signals for bunch phase feedback. Design and implementation of the system will be summarized inmore » this report.« less
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1831161
A simple analog clock used for reducing pedestal noise

Technical Report

Experimental facilities are inherently noisy places. Try as one might to eliminate it, there always seems to be some residual low frequency electronic hum that works its way into low level analog signals, such as calorimetry into analog-to-digital converters (ADC). At the Fermilab Wide Band Lab, the predominant noise (between experimental hall and counting room, and between electronics racks within experimental hall and within counting room) consists of a combination of 60 Hz plus 180 Hz adding together with equal amplitudes and identical phase. The noise contributions at these low frequencies are easily removed by capacitor-coupling or isolation transformers. Thismore »« less
https://doi.org/10.2172/362536

Full Text Available
Development of ROACH firmware for microwave multiplexed X-ray TES microcalorimeters

Conference Madden, T. J. ; Cecil, T. W. ; Gades, L. M. ; ... - IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

We are developing room temperature electronics based upon the ROACH platform for reading out microwave multiplexed X-ray TES. ROACH is an open-source hardware and software platform featuring a large Xilinx Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Power PC processor, several 10GB Ethernet SFP+ interfaces, and a collection of daughter boards for analog signal generation and acquisition. The combination of a ROACH board, ADC/DAC conversion daughter boards, and hardware for RF mixing allows for the generation and capture of multiple RF tones for reading out microwave multiplexed x-ray TES microcalorimeters. The FPGA is used to generate multiple tones in base band, frommore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2017.2650903

Full Text Available
The design and initial testing of a beam phase and energy measurement for LEDA

Journal Article Power, J ; Stettler, M - AIP Conference Proceedings

A diagnostic system being designed to measure the beam phase and beam energy of the Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA) is described and the characterization of the prototype presented. The accelerator, being built at LANL, is a 350 MHz proton linac with a 100 mA beam. In the first beam experiments, the 6.7 MeV RFQ will be characterized. Signals received from an rf cavity probe in the RFQ and capacitive pick-ups along the high-energy beam transport line will be compared in phase in order to calculate the beam phase and energy. The 350 MHz signals from four pick-ups will bemore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.57053

Similar Records