Measuring and conversion system

Abstract

Abstract THE MEASURING SYSTEM OF THIS INVENTION INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF MEASURING STATIONS, EACH OF WHICH UTILIZES A NOVEL DIGITAL SENSING UNIT. THE SENSING UNIT INCLUDES A TRANSDUCER TO CONVERT AN UNKNOWN FACTOR TO BE MEASURED INTO AN ELECTRICAL ANALOG VOLTAGE AND A NOVEL CONVERSION SYSTEM WHICH EMPLOYS A VOLTAGE COMPARATOR UNIT CAPABLE OF PERFORMING PLURAL SEPARATE COMPARISONS IN A START PULSE COMPARATOR AND A STOP PULSE COMPARATOR. THE START PULSE COMPARATOR OPERATES AT A FIRST COINCIDENCE POINT DETERMINED BY THE ALGEBRAIC SUM OF A POSITIVE RAMP SIGNAL, A NEGATIVE BIAS SIGNAL, AND THE UNKNOWN ANALOG SIGNAL TO INITIATE A PULSE COUNTING PERIOD, WHILE A STOP PULSE COMPARATOR INITIATES A STOP PULSE TO END THE COUNTING PERIOD UPON COINCIDENCE BETWEEN A SECOND NEGATIVE BIAS AND THE RAMP SIGNAL. DIGITAL PULSES CREATED DURING THE COUNTING PERIOD ARE THEN SENT TO A COUNTING UNIT. THESE DIGITAL PULSES MAY RESULT FROM A NUMBER OF SEPARATE SENSING UNITS, FROM A SINGLE SENSING UNIT, OR FROM A SENSING UNIT FORMED BY A NUMBER OF SEPARATE TRANSDUCERS CONNECTED TO A SINGLE CONVERSION SYSTEM. IF DESIRABLE, THE SYSTEM MAY BE EMPLOYED DIRECTLY WITHOUT TRANSDUCERS AS AN ANALOG VOLTAGE MEASURING AND CONVERSION UNIT.

Inventors

• 👤 Robert M Henderson
• 👤 Joseph G Green
• 👤 Richard Zechlin

Bibliographic Details