Patent ID: 6356221
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
An electron beam analog to digital converter, comprising:an electron beam former generating an electron beam; an array of substantially equally spaced electron beam detector elements located in the path of the electron beam; first electron beam deflecting apparatus responsive to an analog input signal for deflecting the beam in a first direction across the detector elements to a location proportional to the amplitude of the input signal, the electron beam exciting at least one of said detector elements which thereby generates an output signal indicative of the deflected beam angle; second electron beam deflecting apparatus responsive to a periodic reference signal for simultaneously deflecting the beam in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, across the detector elements causing a time sample of the detected input signal to be generated of the output signal during a crossover time interval; and a binary encoder coupled to the output signal and generating a binary output signal corresponding to the time sample of the input signal.