Ramp generator and comparator circuit employing non-saturating gate

Claim 1

A PULSE GENERATOR CIRCUIT FOR PRODUCING A DELAYED OUTPUT PULSE A PREDETERMINED TIME AFTER THE APPLICATION OF AN INPUT TRIGGER PULSE, COMPRISING: A GATING DEVICE QUIESCENTLY BIASED CONDUCTING AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRODES INCLUDING A CONTROL ELECTRODE FOR SWITCHING SAID GATING DEVICE BETWEEN CONDUCTION AND NONCONDUCTION; A REGULATED SOURCE OF CURRENT CONNECTED TO SAID GATING DEVICE TO TRANSMIT SAID CURRENT THROUGH SAID GATING DEVICE WHEN IT IS CONDUCTING A RAMP FORMING NETWORK CONNECTED TO SAID CURRENT SOURCE FOR PRODUCING A RAMP VOLTAGE WHEN SAID GATING DEVICE IS RENDERED NONCONDUCTING; A FIRST SWITCHING CIRCUIT HAVING AT LEAST ONE STABLE STATE, CONNECTED TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF SAID GATING DEVICE SO THAT THE OUTPUT SIGNAL OF SAID FIRST OSCILLATOR RENDERS SAID GATING DEVICE NONCONDUCTING WHEN SAID FIRST SWITCHING CIRCUIT IS TRIGGERED; A COMPARATOR DEVICE QUIESCENTLY BIASED NONCONDUCTING AND HAVING AT LEAST TWO ELECTRODES WITH ONE ELECTRODE CONNECTED TO SAID NETWORK AND ANOTHER ELECTRODE CONNECTED TO A REFERENCE VOLTAGE SO THAT SAID COMPARATOR DEVICE IS RENDERED CONDUCTING WHEN SAID RAMP VOLTAGE EXCEEDS SAID REFERENCE VOLTAGE; A SECOND SWITCHING CIRCUIT HAVING AT LEAST ONE STABLE STATE CONNECTED TO SAID NETWORK AND CONNECTED BETWEEN THE CONSTANT CURRENT SOURCE AND SAID COMPARATOR DEVICE SO THAT THE BIAS CURRENT OF SAID SECOND SWITCHING CIRCUIT IS PROVIDED BY SAID CONSTANT CURRENT SOURCE, SAID SECOND SWITCHING CIRCUIT BEING CONDITIONED TO BE TRIGGERED BY THE RENDERING OF THE GATING DEVICE NONCONDUCTING AND BEING TRIGGERED TO PRODUCE AN OUTPUT PULSE WHEN SAID COMPARATOR DEVICE IS RENDERED CONDUCTING; AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE GATING DEVICE FROM SATURATING WHEN IT IS IN A CONDUCTING STATE.