OPTOELECTRONIC ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: radio signal processing. SUBSTANCE: optoelectronic analog-to-digital converter has electrooptical crystal of lithium niobate of z-cut which surface carries interferometer in the form of couple of diffusion light guides having shape of spiral with length 1= l=C_n/4f_o(where C_n is velocity of light in crystal; f_o is frequency of radio signal) and provided with controlling electrodes in the form of two-wire strip line of spiral shape with strips being positioned above light guides. Starts of light guides are optical inputs of interferometer and their finishes are optical outputs. Dielectric sublayer is placed between crystal surface and electrodes. Its thickness decreases from start of light guide to its finish. Optical quantum generator with pulse emission mode is connected to optical input of interferometer which optical output is connected to input of P-digit encoder (where P is number of digits of ADC). Matched load in linked to finishes of two-wire strip line placed on side of optical input of interferometer. In compliance with invention converter is supplemented with P tapping delay line and key via which input of delay line is linked to signal input of ADC, with adder and weight elements with gain factor K_i=1/2ⁱ, where i= 1. . . P via which inputs of adder are connected to proper taps P of tapping delay line. Output of adder is coupled to finishes of two-wire strip line located on side of optical output of interferometer. EFFECT: simplified design of converter by exclusion of P-1 interferometers and P-1 channels in encoder. 2 dwg