Automatic testing of high resolution time digitizers

An automated system for the testing and performance evaluation of high-resolution, long-range time digitizers is described. The test system uses an IBM PC/XT or PC/AT personal computer together with appropriate hardware interfacing modules to control the digitizer under test. Precise timing intervals for testing are generated by a pulse-calibration module driven by a programmable low-phase-noise frequency synthesizer. The time intervals measured by the digitizer are compared under computer control with the actual intervals produced by the synthesizer for a sufficient number of cases to establish the digitizer performance. The hardware and software components used are discussed.<>