Programable analog delay line

Thread Starter

jean_jean

Joined Apr 2, 2016
10
Dear all,

I have a project where I need to delay a signal with about tens of microseconds (max. 50µs) and I can only find digital delay lines or 64µs delay lines for PAL TV systems.

The signal I am working with has a max amplitude of 1Vpp, with a 1.5MHz max frequency.

Can anybody help me?

Best regards,
Jean
 

k7elp60

Joined Nov 4, 2008
562
The first thing I thought of was a piece of coaxial cable, but then I did some research and found coax may have a delay of 1.5ns per foot.
Then I thought of a low pass filter. At 1.5Mhz with a phase shift of 60 degrees that would be about .11us and you would have less than 1V pp out. So I have no suggestion for you. Just sharing my thoughts.
 

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
Hello,

You might have to specify what this will be used for exactly.

First thought, CMOS bucket brigade analog delay chip.
Second thought, microcontroller with an ADC and a DAC, simple DSP algorithm.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Dear all,

I have a project where I need to delay a signal with about tens of microseconds (max. 50µs) and I can only find digital delay lines or 64µs delay lines for PAL TV systems.

The signal I am working with has a max amplitude of 1Vpp, with a 1.5MHz max frequency.

Can anybody help me?

Best regards,
Jean

You could try the PT2399 chip. It is an audio echo chip but can delay most any signal.

They are no longer made but old stock is available on eBay and some other distributors.
 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,987
Excellent link from DC.

In 11 days, April 14th marks the 60th anniversary of the introduction of broadcast quality video recording and playback. Due to the mechanical nature of the record/playback transport and rotating heads, there is considerable timebase error in a recovered video signal. To correct this, Ampex developed the AMTEC (AMpex Time Element Corrector) device, a voltage-variable L-C video delay line based on the concepts in Dick's PDF, with varactor diodes for the capacitors. This reduced the timebase error down to 1 us p-p. A second device, the ColorTEC, used the same approach to get the color phase error down to nanoseconds. In the late 60's Ampex introduced the AVR-1. It replaced the voltage-variable line with a group of fixed delay lines in binary increments (1 us, 2us, 4us, 8us, etc.) with high-quality analog switches to insert them in the signal path as needed. Maintenance manuals for the VR-1200, VR-2000, AVR-1, AMTEC, and ColorTEC are wandering around the innergoogle, complete with schematics. Or a local TV station might have them buried in a back room.

Added: many long-time delay devices are acoustic glass lines. Anderson made them back when, don't know who does now (and kinda surprised they're still around).

ak
 
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RichardO

Joined May 4, 2013
2,270
In 11 days, April 14th marks the 60th anniversary of the introduction of broadcast quality video recording and playback.
Up until that time recording of TV broadcasts was done on film. :eek: The recording was done to allow live TV broadcoasts from the east coast to be delayed for playing at a more suitable time farther west in the US. The film was usually recycled. In rare cases, film has been found holding long-ago TV programs that would otherwise be forever lost to time.
 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,987
Not sure what you mean by recycled, as the film was one-use only. Kinescope recordings were used for most national program distribution until a nationwide electronic signal path was completed in 1951. After that, kines were used for time zone delays. When videotape took over in the late 50's, kines were used for simultaneous backup recordings because VT wasn't trusted. and rightly so - those early machines were cranky.

ak
 

RichardO

Joined May 4, 2013
2,270
Not sure what you mean by recycled, as the film was one-use only. Kinescope recordings were used for most national program distribution until a nationwide electronic signal path was completed in 1951. After that, kines were used for time zone delays. When videotape took over in the late 50's, kines were used for simultaneous backup recordings because VT wasn't trusted. and rightly so - those early machines were cranky.

ak
By "recycled", I meant recovering the silver.

Thanks for the more detailed history. :D
 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,987
Having built both, I recommend the switched fixed lines over a single voltage-variable line. The impedance, bandwidth and transient performance are much easier to control. There are transients at the switch points, although today's mux chips are almost glitch-free. It wasn't a problem with video because we did the switching during horizontal blanking. What is the signal you are delaying?

ak
 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,987
Min and max delay times?
Min and max voltage peaks?
Places in the signal to hide small glitches?
Signal characteristics (modulated sinewave, digital media stream, etc.)?

ak
 

Thread Starter

jean_jean

Joined Apr 2, 2016
10
Min and max delay times?
Min and max voltage peaks?
Places in the signal to hide small glitches?
Signal characteristics (modulated sinewave, digital media stream, etc.)?

ak
Hi,

The signal I am trying to delay is a modulated sine wave, 1Vpp and yes, the signal has places where glitches can be hid.
 
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