Tunnel diode pulse generator having independently controllable pulse width and repetition rate

Claim 1

A SIGNAL GENERATOR COMPRISING: A FIRST TRANSISTOR CIRCUIT HAVING AN INPUT AND AN OUTPUT; A TUNNEL DIODE WHICH SHOWS IN THE CURRENT-VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS THEREOF A REGION OF NEGATIVE RESISTANCE BETWEEN ADJACENT REGIONS OF POSITIVE RESISTANCE; SAID TUNNEL DIODE BEING CONNECTED TO THE INPUT OF THE FIRST TRANSISTOR AND BEING ADAPTED TO OPERATE IN THE LOW VOLTAGE POSITIVE RESISTANCE REGION FOR SIGNALS APPLIED THERETO BELOW A SELECTED VALUE; A CHARGING CIRCUIT HAVING AN OUTPUT AND INCLUDING RESISTANCE AND CAPACITANCE; CIRCUIT MEANS HAVING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TERMINALS AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF P-N SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS AT LEAST SOME OF WHICH COMPRISE THE BASE-EMITTER AND BASE-COLLECTOR JUNCTIONS OF A SECOND TRANSISTOR CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO THE FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS FOR PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY UNITY VOLTAGE GAIN BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS AND AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH OPERATES WITH UNIDIRECTIONAL CONDUCTIVITY, BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THIRD TERMINALS; MEANS CONNECTING THE FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS OF SAID CIRCUIT MEANS RESPECTIVELY TO THE OUTPUT OF THE CHARGING CIRCUIT AND TO THE TUNNEL DIODE FOR SWITCHING THE TUNNEL DIODE TO OPERATION IN THE HIGH VOLTAGE POSITIVE RESISTANCE REGION IN RESPONSE TO THE SIGNAL APPEARING ON SAID SECOND TERMINAL OF THE CIRCUIT MEANS EXCEEDING SAID SELECTED VALUE; SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR CIRCUIT PRODUCING A SIGNAL AT THE OUTPUT THEREOF IN RESPONSE TO THE CHANGE IN THE VOLTAGE ACROSS THE TUNNEL DIODE; AND MEANS CONNECTING THE THIRD AND FIRST TERMINALS OF SAID CIRCUIT MEANS RESPECTIVELY TO THE OUTPUT OF THE FIRST TRANSISTOR AND CIRCUIT TO SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT FOR DISCHARGING SAID CAPACITANCE IN RESPONSE TO SIGNAL APPEARING AT THE OUTPUT OF SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR CIRCUIT; SAID TUNNEL DIODE BEING RETURNED TO OPERATION IN THE LOW VOLTAGE POSITIVE RESISTANCE REGION IN RESPOSNE TO SIGNAL APPLIED THERETO FROM THE SECOND TERMINAL OF SAID CIRCUIT MEANS DECREASING BELOW SAID SELECTED VALUE.