A practical method to process time and frequency signal

Abstract

A new practical time and frequency signal processing method can be used to generate an accurate time signal, stable phase step, frequency change and synthesis, and in other practical uses. The method can accomplish the time and frequency signal processing by changing the period and phase of the machine cycle of a microcomputer. It is based on pulse deletion of high frequency clock signal, quantified phase delay, and other phase lock and variation in a microcomputer clock signal circuit. The pulse deletion and phase delay can be implemented periodically or singly for different purpose, and the frequency change and synthesis or phase shift of the microcomputer output signal can be obtained respectively. With this method and software control, a simple narrow frequency range regulation can generate an accurate frequency and time signal in a wider frequency range. Many multiple frequency difference, phase and time processing methods, period deletion methods can be used here, and different precision can be obtained. With this method the time signal processing precision can be from several tens ns to less than 1 ns. Combined with other techniques, 100 ps to 10 ps precision can be obtained.