Patent EP0118178A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
EP0118178A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Offset balancing method and apparatus for a DC amplifier

Assignee: Tektronix Inc
•
Filing: 1984-01-24
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2004-01-24
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Offset balancing method and apparatus for a DC amplifier (24) including gain selection (23) and polarity switching (25) circuits are disclosed. During the offset compensation process, the amplifier input is connected to ground and its polarity is switched between the normal and inverted states before detecting the resulting output DC levels. The difference between such output DC levels is used to generate an offset compensation signal to be applied to the amplifier. The offset compensation process is repeated for each gain selection of the DC amplifier.

Inventors

  • 👤 Lloyd Rodney Bristol

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 22:34
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03G; H03G1/00; H03G1/0005; H03G1/0017; H03G1/0023; H03F; H03F1/00; H03F1/30; H03F1/303; H03F1/304; H03F3/00; H03F3/45; H03F3/45071; H03F3/45076; H03F3/4508; H03F3/45098; H03F3/45103; H03F3/45479; H03F3/45484; H03F3/45596; H03F3/45618; H03F3/45623; H03F3/45928; H03F3/45968; H03F3/45973; H03F3/45977; H03G1/0035; H03F2203/00; H03F2203/45; H03F2203/45318; H03F2203/45702

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 75 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier, comprising: polarity switching means for alternately switching the polarity of said DC amplifier between the normal and inverted states; detection means for detecting the output DC voltages from said DC amplifier while applying a ground potential as an input thereto; and control means for providing DC offset compensation voltage to said DC amplifier in response to the difference between the output DC voltages from said detection means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 75 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier, comprising: polarity switching means for alternately switching the polarity of said DC amplifier between the normal and inverted states; detection means for detecting the output DC voltages from said DC amplifier while applying a ground potential as an input thereto; and control means for providing DC offset compensation voltage to said DC amplifier in response to the difference between the output DC voltages from said detection means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 50 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier in accordance with claim 1 wherein said DC amplifier includes a gain selection stage to select a plurality of different gains under control of said control means and the DC offset compensation voltage for each gain setting is stored in a memory.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 39 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier in accordance with claim 1 wherein said DC amplifier is a differential amplifier includng a pair of input terminals to receive respectively the input signal and the DC offset compenstion signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier in accordance with claim 1 wherein said detection means is an analog-to-digital converter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 36 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier in accordance with claim 4 wherein said analog-to-digital converter incorporates a voltage comparator which is alos used as part of the sweep signal triggering function in an oscilloscope.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier in accordance with claim 1 wherein said control means includes a microprocessor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 36 words
An offset balancing circuit for a DC amplifier in accordance with claim 6 wherein said DC amplifier is a gain selectable amplifier and said control means stores an optimal DC offset signal for each gain setting.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 86 words
An offset balancing method for a DC amplifier including a polarity swithcing section, comprising the steps of: connecting the input of said DC amplifier to a ground; switching the polarity of said DC amplifier alternately between the normal and inverted states; detecting the output voltages from said DC amplifier in both polarities thereof; and generating an offset compensation signal to be applied to said DC amplifier in response to the difference between said detected output voltages, performed automatically by employing a microprocessor and a digital-to-analog converter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 86 words
An offset balancing method for a DC amplifier including a polarity swithcing section, comprising the steps of: connecting the input of said DC amplifier to a ground; switching the polarity of said DC amplifier alternately between the normal and inverted states; detecting the output voltages from said DC amplifier in both polarities thereof; and generating an offset compensation signal to be applied to said DC amplifier in response to the difference between said detected output voltages, performed automatically by employing a microprocessor and a digital-to-analog converter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 51 words
An offset balancing method for a DC amplifier in accordance with claim 8 wherein said DC amplifier is a gain selectable amplifier and said offset balancing process is repeated for each gain selection and said method further includes a step for storing the fnal offset compensation signal for each gain selection.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3781869A Cited
US4229703A Cited
US4356450A Cited
US4392112A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag