Improving calibration precision of signal-delay-based time measurement systems in FPGAs

For inherent technical reasons, most asynchronous time measurement systems, such as tapped delay lines and BOUNCE, yield superior resolutions than the synchronous counterparts. However, for high performance systems with a resolution of 10 ps or below, the calibration process is involving, tedious, and error prone. This paper shows that with the integration of another asynchronous phase shift detector, called X-ORCA, the calibration process becomes more reliable and surprisingly easy.