Measurement of Time Differences in the Range Milli- to Picoseconds

The application of the internal electronics of a commercial sampling oscilloscope, modified by a few additional components which do not interfere with the normal functions of the oscilloscope, as a very fast time-to-amplitude converter for measurements of short time differences is described. The electronic modifications and their functions are reported. The electronic time resolution has a FWHM of 3.2×10−11 sec, a slope decay t1/2 of 5×10−12 sec, and certainly can be improved. The range of measurable time differences lies between some picoseconds and some milliseconds.