Simultaneous sampling dual transfer channel charge coupled device

Abstract

A dual transport channel charge coupled device for coherently processing two analog signals in a bandwidth compression mode of operation, especially for use in a high resolution coherent radar system, is disclosed. An input charge injection stage is included for each transport channel. The input stages are dependently operative to simultaneously inject charge quantities correspondingly representative of concurrent samplings of the two analog signals being processed into their corresponding associated transport channels. Each transport channel comprises N multi-phase controlled stages in an in-line arrangement with the stages of one transport channel respectively corresponding to the stages of the other, the stages being operative to transport the simultaneously injected charge quantities concurrently along their corresponding channels. Further included are two output buffer amplifier stages respectively corresponding to the transport channels, which are operative to convert the charge quantities transported simultaneously from the dual channels into a coherent time series of analog signals representative thereof. More specifically, the dual input charge injection stages are dependently operative with a common sampling gate to simultaneously input charge quantities into their correspondingly associated transport channels at sampling rates up to at least 60 megahertz. Accordingly, at a subsequent time, the stored charge quantities may be transferred from the dual channel charge coupled device at a much slower rate, say on the order of 2 megahertz, for example.