ABSTRACT
The basic function of a time interval measurement device is to produce a quantitative measure of the length of a time interval at the input to the device. Typically, this time interval is represented by logic-level timing pulses, which are related to the beginning and end of a physical phenomenon whose time behavior is to be studied. The output of a time interval measurement device is typically given in the form of a digital number, which expresses the measured length of the time interval as a multiple of the smallest resolvable time interval of the device, see Figure 5.1. The smallest resolvable time interval characterizing the measurement system can be regarded as the value of its least significant bit (LSB) by analogy with ADCs. It is this that defines the resolution of the device. Accordingly, a time interval measurement device is typically referred to as a TDC.
