Patent ID: 6785194
Filing Date: 2004-08-31
Classification: G04F

Abstract:
A time digitizer for use in a data acquisition system, said time digitizer comprising:an input circuit for accepting an event signal, said event signal having an arbitrary arrival time; a clock circuit defining a time reference; a synchronizing circuit in electrical communication with said input circuit and said clock circuit, said synchronizing circuit producing a serial data stream of digital data bits corresponding to said event signal arrival time, said serial data stream synchronized to said time reference; a serial-to-parallel conversion circuit in electrical communication with said synchronizing circuit, said serial-to-parallel conversion circuit producing a parallel data stream of data packets containing a number of digital data bits, said parallel data stream digital data bits being organized in a sequence corresponding to said serial data stream digital data bits; a processing unit in electrical communication with said serial-to-parallel conversion circuit, said processing unit producing a data list including at least an event type identifier and a position identifier corresponding to a position of said event signal within said parallel data stream.