High-speed high-resolution low-power self-calibrated digital-to-analog converters

High-speed and high-resolution low-power digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are basic design blocks in many applications. Several obvious conflicting requirements such as high-speed, high-resolution, low-power, and small-area have to be satisfied. In this dissertation, a modular architecture for continuous self-calibrating DACs is proposed to satisfy the above requirements. This includes a redundant-cell-relay continuous self-calibration scheme. Several prototype DACs were implemented with self-calibration schemes. Also a DAC synthesis algorithm using a direct-mapping method and the modular structure was developed and implemented in the Cadence SKILL programming language.;One of the prototypes is a 250MS/s 8-bit continuous self-calibrated DAC that has been implemented in TSMC\u27s 0.25mu single poly five metal logic CMOS process. The structure of the self-calibrated current cell has high impedance and low sensitivity to output node voltage fluctuations. The chip has achieved +0.15/-0.1 LSB DNL, -0.6/+0.4 LSB INL, and 55dB SFDR with a lower input frequency at a conversion rate of 250MS/s. It consumes 8 mW of power in a 0.13 mm2 die area.;Glitches caused by switching of the calibration clock degrade the SFDR especially in high-speed applications. A new redundant-cell-relay continuous self-calibration scheme was proposed to reduce the glitches. Simulation results showed that the glitch energy is reduced 10 fold over existing schemes. A 10-bit DAC was implemented in the 0.25mu CMOS process mentioned above. +/-0.5 LSB INL and -0.45/+0.2 LSB DNL were measured and 70dB SFDR was achieved with a lower input frequency at a 250MS/s conversion rate. Up to the Nyquist rate, the SFDR is above 53dB at a conversion rate of 200MS/s. The DAC dissipates 8mW in a 0.3mm2 die area. The testing results verified the redundant-cell-relay continuous self-calibration for high-speed high-resolution low-power and low-cost DACs.;Additionally, a DAC synthesis algorithm was developed based on a direct mapping method. Given the specifications such as the DAC\u27s resolution, full range scale and technology, the synthesizer will map them directly into pre-existing functional blocks implemented in the DAC synthesis libraries. The program will then synthesize the schematic and layout that closely meet the given specifications

Origin of a metamorphosed lithic clast in CM chondrite Grove Mountains 021536

A metamorphosed lithic clast was discovered in the CM chondrite Grove Mountains 021536, which was collected in the Antarctica by the Chinese Antarctic Research Exploration team. The lithic clast is composed mainly of Fe-rich olivine (Fo62) with minor diopside (Fs_(9.7–11.1)Wo_(48.3–51.6)), plagioclase (An_(43–46.5)), nepheline, merrillite, Al-rich chromite (21.8 wt% Al_2O_3; 4.43 wt% TiO_2), and pentlandite. Δ^(17)O values of olivine in the lithic clast vary from −3.9‰ to −0.8‰. Mineral compositions and oxygen isotopic compositions of olivine suggest that the lithic clast has an exotic source different from the CM chondrite parent body. The clast could be derived from strong thermal metamorphism of pre-existing chondrule that has experienced low-temperature anhydrous alteration. The lithic clast is similar in mineral assemblage and chemistry to a few clasts observed in oxidized CV3 chondrites (Mokoia and Yamato-86009) and might have been derived from the interior of the primitive CV asteroid. The apparent lack of hydration in the lithic clast indicates that the clast accreted into the CM chondrite after hydration of the CM components

Real-time intravascular photoacoustic-ultrasound imaging of lipid-laden plaque in human coronary artery at 16 frames per second

Intravascular photoacoustic-ultrasound (IVPA-US) imaging is an emerging hybrid modality for the detection of lipid-laden plaques, as it provides simultaneous morphological and lipid-specific chemical information of an artery wall. Real-time imaging and display at video-rate speed are critical for clinical utility of the IVPA-US imaging technology. Here, we demonstrate a portable IVPA-US system capable of imaging at up to 25 frames per second in real-time display mode. This unprecedented imaging speed was achieved by concurrent innovations in excitation laser source, rotary joint assembly, 1 mm IVPA-US catheter size, differentiated A-line strategy, and real-time image processing and display algorithms. Spatial resolution, chemical specificity, and capability for imaging highly dynamic objects were evaluated by phantoms to characterize system performance. An imaging speed of 16 frames per second was determined to be adequate to suppress motion artifacts from cardiac pulsation for in vivo applications. The translational capability of this system for the detection of lipid-laden plaques was validated by ex vivo imaging of an atherosclerotic human coronary artery at 16 frames per second, which showed strong correlation to gold-standard histopathology. Thus, this high-speed IVPA-US imaging system presents significant advances in the translational intravascular and other endoscopic applications

Real-time intravascular photoacoustic-ultrasound imaging of lipid-laden plaque at speed of video-rate level

Intravascular photoacoustic-ultrasound (IVPA-US) imaging is an emerging hybrid modality for the detection of lipidladen plaques by providing simultaneous morphological and lipid-specific chemical information of an artery wall. The clinical utility of IVPA-US technology requires real-time imaging and display at speed of video-rate level. Here, we demonstrate a compact and portable IVPA-US system capable of imaging at up to 25 frames per second in real-time display mode. This unprecedented imaging speed was achieved by concurrent innovations in excitation laser source, rotary joint assembly, 1 mm IVPA-US catheter, differentiated A-line strategy, and real-time image processing and display algorithms. By imaging pulsatile motion at different imaging speeds, 16 frames per second was deemed to be adequate to suppress motion artifacts from cardiac pulsation for in vivo applications. Our lateral resolution results further verified the number of A-lines used for a cross-sectional IVPA image reconstruction. The translational capability of this system for the detection of lipid-laden plaques was validated by ex vivo imaging of an atherosclerotic human coronary artery at 16 frames per second, which showed strong correlation to gold-standard histopathology

Development of China’s first space-borne aerosol-cloud high-spectral-resolution lidar: retrieval algorithm and airborne demonstration

Aerosols and clouds greatly affect the Earth’s radiation budget and global climate. Light detection and ranging (lidar) has been recognized as a promising active remote sensing technique for the vertical observations of aerosols and clouds. China launched its first space-borne aerosol-cloud high-spectral-resolution lidar (ACHSRL) on April 16, 2022, which is capable for high accuracy profiling of aerosols and clouds around the globe. This study presents a retrieval algorithm for aerosol and cloud optical properties from ACHSRL which were compared with the end-to-end Monte-Carlo simulations and validated with the data from an airborne flight with the ACHSRL prototype (A2P) instrument. Using imaging denoising, threshold discrimination, and iterative reconstruction methods, this algorithm was developed for calibration, feature detection, and extinction coefficient (EC) retrievals. The simulation results show that 95.4% of the backscatter coefficient (BSC) have an error less than 12% while 95.4% of EC have an error less than 24%. Cirrus and marine and urban aerosols were identified based on the airborne measurements over different surface types. Then, comparisons were made with U.S. Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) profiles, Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the ground-based sun photometers. High correlations (R > 0.79) were found between BSC (EC) profiles of A2P and CALIOP over forest and town cover, while the correlation coefficients are 0.57 for BSC and 0.58 for EC over ocean cover; the aerosol optical depth retrievals have correlation coefficient of 0.71 with MODIS data and show spatial variations consistent with those from the sun photometers. The algorithm developed for ACHSRL in this study can be directly employed for future space-borne high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) and its data products will also supplement CALIOP data coverage for global observations of aerosol and cloud properties

Concept Design of the “Guanlan” Science Mission: China’s Novel Contribution to Space Oceanography

Among the various challenges that spaceborne radar observations of the ocean face, the following two issues are probably of a higher priority: inadequate dynamic resolution, and ineffective vertical penetration. It is therefore the vision of the National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology of China that two highly anticipated breakthroughs in the coming decade are likely to be associated with radar interferometry and ocean lidar (OL) technology, which are expected to make a substantial contribution to a submesoscale-resolving and depth-resolving observation of the ocean. As an expanded follow-up of SWOT and an oceanic counterpart of CALIPSO, the planned “Guanlan” science mission comprises a dual-frequency (Ku and Ka) interferometric altimetry (IA), and a near-nadir pointing OL. Such an unprecedented combination of sensor systems has at least three prominent advantages. (i) The dual-frequency IA ensures a wider swath and a shorter repeat cycle which leads to a significantly improved temporal and spatial resolution up to days and kilometers. (ii) The first spaceborne active OL ensures a deeper penetration depth and an all-time detection which leads to a layered characterization of the optical properties of the subsurface ocean, while also serving as a near-nadir altimeter measuring vertical velocities associated with the divergence, and convergence of geostrophic eddy motions in the mixed layer. (iii) The simultaneous functioning of the IA/OL system allows for an enhanced correction of the contamination effects of the atmosphere and the air-sea interface, which in turn considerably reduces the error budgets of the two sensors. As a result, the integrated IA/OL payload is expected to resolve the ocean variability at submeso and sub-week scales with a centimeter-level accuracy, while also partially revealing marine life systems and ecosystems with a 10-m vertical interval in the euphotic layer, moving a significant step forward toward a “transparent ocean” down to the vicinity of the thermocline, both dynamically and bio-optically

High-speed high-resolution low-power self-calibrated digital-to-analog converters

High-speed and high-resolution low-power digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are basic design blocks in many applications. Several obvious conflicting requirements such as high-speed, high-resolution, low-power, and small-area have to be satisfied. In this dissertation, a modular architecture for continuous self-calibrating DACs is proposed to satisfy the above requirements. This includes a redundant-cell-relay continuous self-calibration scheme. Several prototype DACs were implemented with self-calibration schemes. Also a DAC synthesis algorithm using a direct-mapping method and the modular structure was developed and implemented in the Cadence SKILL programming language.;One of the prototypes is a 250MS/s 8-bit continuous self-calibrated DAC that has been implemented in TSMC's 0.25mu single poly five metal logic CMOS process. The structure of the self-calibrated current cell has high impedance and low sensitivity to output node voltage fluctuations. The chip has achieved +0.15/-0.1 LSB DNL, -0.6/+0.4 LSB INL, and 55dB SFDR with a lower input frequency at a conversion rate of 250MS/s. It consumes 8 mW of power in a 0.13 mm2 die area.;Glitches caused by switching of the calibration clock degrade the SFDR especially in high-speed applications. A new redundant-cell-relay continuous self-calibration scheme was proposed to reduce the glitches. Simulation results showed that the glitch energy is reduced 10 fold over existing schemes. A 10-bit DAC was implemented in the 0.25mu CMOS process mentioned above. +/-0.5 LSB INL and -0.45/+0.2 LSB DNL were measured and 70dB SFDR was achieved with a lower input frequency at a 250MS/s conversion rate. Up to the Nyquist rate, the SFDR is above 53dB at a conversion rate of 200MS/s. The DAC dissipates 8mW in a 0.3mm2 die area. The testing results verified the redundant-cell-relay continuous self-calibration for high-speed high-resolution low-power and low-cost DACs.;Additionally, a DAC synthesis algorithm was developed based on a direct mapping method. Given the specifications such as the DAC's resolution, full range scale and technology, the synthesizer will map them directly into pre-existing functional blocks implemented in the DAC synthesis libraries. The program will then synthesize the schematic and layout that closely meet the given specifications.</p

Investigation of asphalt core-plinth connection in embankment dams

The asphalt core itself is a no-joint water barrier in embankment dams and is connected to the concrete plinth on the bottom of the core. A reliable asphalt core-plinth connection is crucial and must remain watertight when the core deforms due to deformations in the embankment and foundation and due to reservoir water pressure. A large number of tension tests were conducted to determine the best ratios, joint thickness and suitable additives for the sandy asphalt mastic (SAM) mix used for the connection. With the ratios of bitumen to filler to sand of 20%:35%:45% and by adding 4% SBS in the bitumen, one got a very suitable composition for the asphalt core-plinth connection in tensile conditions. Model tests were conducted to study the connection behavior when subjected to large shear displacements and high water pressure. The joint model test results indicate that the plane-surface plinth, curved-surface plinth, and plinth with or without copper water-stop showed no significant difference for the connection in the joint shear behavior. However, plinth with copper water-stop is suggested to enhance its tensile and shear behavior

Could Hydraulic Fracturing Take Place for Asphalt Core in Embankment Dams through Possible Cracks in the Core?

Hydraulic asphalt concrete is virtually impervious. Hydraulic fracturing due to the generation of pore water pressure can be generally excluded for asphalt facings and asphalt cores in embankment dams. However, when some cracks and/or large voids exist in the asphalt core in dams, hydraulic fracturing could take place during reservoir impounding. Cracks and/or large voids may be caused by either earthquake shaking, large differential settlements during construction and operation, or poor construction quality. Therefore, asphalt specimens with either cracks of different depths or large air porosity were prepared, and a model test apparatus was developed to investigate the possibility of hydraulic fracturing. Model tests were conducted on cylindrical asphalt concrete specimens of 100 mm in diameter and 180 mm in height. The top boundary of the specimens was either prevented (restrained) from moving in the vertical direction or free to move (unrestrained). The model test results for asphalt concrete with cracks under unrestraint conditions were numerically back-analysed. The model test results indicated that the cracks in the asphalt concrete under the restraint conditions could experience an &ldquo;open&ndash;close&rdquo; progress with increasing water pressure. That suggested that if the asphalt concrete were long, low water pressure would trigger a fracturing through the cracks. Under the unrestraint conditions, low water pressure could cause the asphalt specimens with either cracks or large air porosity to fail. The extensional strains at failure were reduced, and the reductions depended on the magnitude of the crack depth or air porosity. Suggestions are given for designing the asphalt core dams to reduce the possibility of the occurrence of cracks and/or dilations in the core, especially for dams in unfavourable geological and topographical conditions. A specialty contractor is preferable to do the asphalt core job to rule out the possibility of a weak bond between the layers and an air porosity larger than 3.0% in the core