INFERRING TRIGGER NOISE FROM TRIGGER JITTER

Franсois Lamarche

Franсois Lamarche Teledyne LeCroy, 700 Chestnut Ridge rd., Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977 USA

Keywords: jitter, noise, bandwidth, threshold, discriminator, hysteresis, skewness

Abstract

We address the relationship between voltage noise at the input of a threshold comparator and random changes in the timing of the comparator output toggle timing (jitter). Models that go beyond the na¨ıve linear relationship are presented and shown to match experiment. They help reconcile predictions with verifiable device performance; more over, they allow an approximate measurement of the noise bandwidth without the help of high-frequency equipment. In the course our investigation, a PC/laptop toolset was constructed that lets a neophyte study noise via jitter. This toolset can also be used in education to teach the notion that a biased view of a random phenomenon can arise from triggering on the tails of its distribution.

Author Biography

Franсois Lamarche, Teledyne LeCroy, 700 Chestnut Ridge rd., Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977 USA

Dr, (PhD Physics, McGill University, 1989) Metrologist at Teledyne LeCroy Inc, Chestnut Ridge, NY, USA, francois.lamarche@teledyne.com

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