Abstract: A digital architecture for a pulse generator includes a triggerable voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with two alternative sources of frequency control voltage, an internal DAC or a phase frequency comparison with an external timebase. In a top octave of operation, the output of the triggerable VCO is used to produce output pulses whose edge locations are then adjusted by small digital increments or "slivers" and very small analog increments or "verniers". In lower octaves of operation, the contents of a pattern RAM serve to frequency divide the triggerable VCO output frequency by powers of two. The RAM contents are converted to a serial bit stream that imposes the coarse pulse width and period as an integral number of top octave periods, or quanta. The edge locations are then adjusted with slivers and verniers, as in the top octave. Automatic calibration facilities are included.

Abstract: A digital architecture for a pulse generator includes a triggerable voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with two alternative sources of frequency control voltage, an internal DAC or a phase frequency comparison with an external timebase. In a top octave of operation, the output of the triggerable VCO is used to produce output pulses whose edge locations are then adjusted by small digital increments or "slivers" and very small analog increments or "verniers". In lower octaves of operation, the contents of a pattern RAM serve to frequency divide the triggerable VCO output frequency by powers of two. The RAM contents are converted to a serial bit stream that imposes the coarse pulse width and period as an integral number of top octave periods, or quanta. The edge locations are then adjusted with slivers and verniers, as in the top octave. Automatic calibration facilities are included.

Abstract: A digital architecture for a pulse generator includes a triggerable voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with two alternative sources of frequency control voltage, an internal DAC or a phase frequency comparison with an external timebase. In a top octave of operation, the output of the triggerable VCO is used to produce output pulses whose edge locations are then adjusted by small digital increments or "slivers" and very small analog increments or "verniers". In lower octaves of operation, the contents of a pattern RAM serve to frequency divide the triggerable VCO output frequency by powers of two. The RAM contents are converted to a serial bit stream that imposes the coarse pulse width and period as an integral number of top octave periods, or quanta. The edge locations are then adjusted with slivers and verniers, as in the top octave. Automatic calibration facilities are included.

Abstract: A digital architecture for a pulse generator provides a method of synchronizing signals of the pulse generator. The pulse generator has a timebase card, a microprocessor and a plurality of pulse cards. The microprocessor controls the parameters of the timebase card and pulse cards, and the timebase card provides a common master clock signal to all of the pulse cards determined by a triggerable voltage controlled oscillator that has two sources of frequency control voltage, an internal DAC for absolute frequency and a frequency comparison circuit for synchronization with an external timebase. The pulse cards produce pulses, either singly or in bursts, with the leading and trailing edges being separately positionable using quantum, sliver and vernier controls. A pattern RAM on each pulse card provides a pulse pattern that provides an approximation of the desired pulses to one quantum, and repeated iterations through the pattern RAM provide bursts of pulses.

Abstract: A digital architecture for a pulse generator includes a triggerable voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with two alternative sources of frequency control voltage, an internal DAC or a phase frequency comparison with an external timebase. In a top octave of operation, the output of the triggerable VCO is used to produce output pulses whose edge locations are then adjusted by small digital increments or "slivers" and very small analog increments or "verniers". In lower octaves of operation, the contents of a pattern RAM serve to frequency divide the triggerable VCO output frequency by powers of two. The RAM contents are converted to a serial bit stream that imposes the coarse pulse width and period as an integral number of top octave periods, or quanta. The edge locations are then adjusted with slivers and verniers, as in the top octave. Automatic calibration facilities are included.