Picosecond time interval measurements

Efficient measurement techniques have been developed to adequately characterize the performance of a new generation of programmable equivalent time sequential sampling oscilloscopes. These instruments provide time interval measurements with increased repeatability and accuracy. The same characterizations are applicable to more general time interval measurement, and subpicosecond repeatability for rise time measurement of fast step generators (<20 ps rise time) has been demonstrated. Furthermore, for longer intervals (tens of nanoseconds), a typical peak error of 3 picoseconds has been demonstrated