Orthogonal Sampling based Broad-Band Signal Generation with Low-Bandwidth Electronics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel orthogonal sampling method using sinc-pulse sequences across multiple branches to generate wide-band signals with low-bandwidth electronics, overcoming DAC bandwidth limitations.

Contribution

The proposed method enables wide-band signal generation with low-bandwidth electronics, improving ENOB and reducing electronic processing requirements, compatible with existing DAC designs.

Findings

Successful proof of concept for analog and data signal generation

Simulation results for 60 GHz data with 20 and 12 GHz electronics

Significant reduction in bandwidth and sampling rate requirements

Abstract

High-bandwidth signals are needed in many applications like radar, sensing, measurement and communications. Especially in optical networks, the sampling rate and analog bandwidth of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) is a bottleneck for further increasing data rates. To circumvent the sampling rate and bandwidth problem of electronic DACs, we demonstrate the generation of wide-band signals with low-bandwidth electronics. This generation is based on orthogonal sampling with sinc-pulse sequences in N parallel branches. The method not only reduces the sampling rate and bandwidth, at the same time the effective number of bits (ENOB) is improved, dramatically reducing the requirements on the electronic signal processing. In proof of concept experiments the generation of analog signals, as well as Nyquist shaped and normal data will be shown. In simulations we investigate the performance of 60 GHz data generation by 20 and 12 GHz electronics. The method can easily be integrated together with already existing electronic DAC designs and would be of great interest for all high-bandwidth applications.