Phase detector for phase-locked loops

    公开(公告)号:US11005482B1

    公开(公告)日:2021-05-11

    申请号:US16740103

    申请日:2020-01-10

    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for phase detection in a phase-locked loop (PLL) control system, such as a millimeter-wave PLL. A PLL control system includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit and a sub-sampling phase detector (SSPD). The VCO circuit is configured to generate an oscillating VCO output voltage based at least in part on an error signal generated by the SSPD. The error signal is proportional to a phase difference between an oscillating reference input voltage and the oscillating VCO output voltage. The SSPD includes a switched emitter-follower (SEF) sampling network, also referred to in this disclosure as an SEF circuit. In contrast to existing CMOS-based techniques, the SEF sampling network allows the SSPD to operate up to higher frequencies, for example, greater than 100 GHz, than possible using a CMOS sampler, and is also compatible with BiCMOS processes, which generally do not have access to advanced small-geometry CMOS.

    Refractive laser communication beam director with dispersion compensation

    公开(公告)号:US11002956B1

    公开(公告)日:2021-05-11

    申请号:US16952589

    申请日:2020-11-19

    Abstract: A co-boresight refractive beam director for a full duplex laser communication terminal includes a chromatic beam steering element, such as a two or three prism Risley prism assembly, and a dispersion compensation mechanism (DCM) inserted in either the transmit or receive path. The DCM adjusts a beam direction of either the transmit or receive laser beam to compensate for a pointing difference introduced by the beam steering element due to a difference between the transmit and receive wavelengths. The DCM can include a tip/tilt mirror and actuator, which can be a commercially available FSM assembly. The beam steering element can be temperature stabilized. Position feedback sensors can increase DCM speed and accuracy. The pointing difference can be calculated and/or interpolated from a pre-established look-up table or fitted curve relating pointing differences to transmit and receive frequencies and the pointing direction of the beam steering element.

    Systems and methods for simulation of shearographic imaging

    公开(公告)号:US10931899B1

    公开(公告)日:2021-02-23

    申请号:US16717010

    申请日:2019-12-17

    Abstract: Systems and methods for computationally simulating and optimizing shearography systems are provided. The systems and methods for simulation and optimization avoid ray tracing, and, instead, implement a phase screen approach to image computation. The systems and methods include physics-based surface texture and surface motion simulations, the application of phase screens to computer-generated simulations of shearographic remote sensing, and the inclusion of de-polarization due to multiple scattering and birefringence at a surface being imaged. The systems and methods include further greatly optimize diffraction computations by treating an optical transfer function (OTF) of an arbitrary aperture as a sum of separable OTFs.

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