A High-Accuracy Programmable Pulse Generator With a 10-ps Timing Resolution

Automatic test equipment must have high-precision and low-power pulse generators (PGs) for testing memory and device-under-test ICs. This paper describes a high-accuracy and wide-data-rate-range PG with a 10-ps time resolution. The PG comprises an edge combiner (EC) and a multiphase clock generator (MPCG). The EC can produce an arbitrary waveform through 32 phase outputs of the MPCG. The EC adopts a one/zero detector and phase selection logic to define an operational data rate range and a timing resolution, respectively. Therefore, the EC uses the phase selection logic to combine the period window of the one/zero detector with the MPCG output phases. The EC also uses a countdown counter for a wide operational range. In the MPCG, a multiphase oscillator (MPO) adopts a ring oscillator scheme with subfeedback loops to extend its maximum operational frequency. The MPO also uses a phase error corrector to reduce the output phase error resulting from process and layout mismatches. Thus, the PG can obtain high-accuracy waveforms owing to small phase errors. The test chip was implemented using a 0.13-mu m CMOS process. The core area and power consumption of the PG were measured to be 250 x 300 mu m(2) and 18.7 mW, respectively. The data rate range of the PG was determined to be from 3.2 kHz to 893 MHz. The time resolution and average accuracy of the PG were measured to be 10 ps and +/- 0.3 LSB, respectively.