Abstract
Despite the performed progressive research work, the interpretation of
negative group delay (NGD) function remains not familiar to
non-specialist design and fabrication circuit engineers. The
functionality misunderstanding limits the NGD circuit applications
compared to other classical electronic functions. The present paper is
dealing on the design of tunable property circuit by operating with
positive and negative delay behaviors. The topology of the tunable
circuit by using low-pass (LP) type NGD one is described. The design
formulas for calculating the circuit resistor and capacitor parameters
from the desired delay are expressed. The design feasibility of the
tunable circuit composed of LP-NGD cell and RC-circuit is validated with
a proof-of-concept (PoC) implemented on a test board. Two different
signals with pulse and arbitrary waveforms having tens-milliseconds
duration were considered during the validation tests. As expected by
tuning a varistor from 0.4 kΩ to 1 kΩ, the negative delay behavior
varying from about -0.4 ms was verified thanks to the time-advanced
effect due to the LP-NGD property. Then, the output signal delay was
observed to become positive when the varistor is tuned from 1 kΩ to 3
kΩ.