Signal converter

Abstract

Abstract A VOLTAGE APPLIED TO ONE INPUT TERMINAL OF A DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER IS CONVERTED TO A FREQUENCY SIGNAL. A VOLTAGE THRESHOLD CIRCUIT MONITORS THE DIFFERENCE VOLTAGE OUTPUT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER AND TRIGGERS A PULSE GENERATING CIRCUIT AFTER A PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE THRESHOLD VALUE IS EXCEEDED. THE PULSE GENERATING CIRCUIT PRODUCES A PULSE OF CONSTANT WIDTH AND AMPLITUDE WHICH IS APPLIED TO AN AVERAGING NETWORK, WHICH, IN TURN, IS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER INPUT TERMINAL OF THE DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER. THE PULSE GENERATING CIRCUIT INCLUDES A CONSTANT VOLTAGE SOURCE AND AN ELECTRONIC SWITCH CONNECTING THE SOURCE TO A PULSE OUTPUT TERMINAL. A TIMER, WHICH INCLUDES A CRYSTAL CONTROLLED PULSE OSCILLATOR AND A COUNTER, CAUSES THE SWITCH TO OPEN A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL AFTER IT IS CLOSED. IN ORDER TO INSURE THAT THE WIDTH OF THE PULSES PROVIDED ARE EQUAL, THE THRESHOLD CIRCUIT MAY TAKE THE FORM OF A THRESHOLD AND GATE WHICH PROVIDES AN OUTPUT SIGNAL WHEN THE VOLTAGE THRESHOLD IS EXCEEDED AND A PULSE IS RECEIVED FROM THE CRYSTAL CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR FOR ENABLING THE COUNTER TO COUNT AND FOR CLOSING THE SWITCH. RESISTANCES MAY BE PROVIDED IN THE SWITCH CIRCUIT FOR COMPENSATING FOR SIGNAL NONLINEARITY. THE CONVERTER IS ADAPTABLE AND MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A VOLTAGETO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER, A VOLTAGE RECIPROCAL-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER, A VOLTAGE RATIO-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER, A FREQUENCY-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER, AND A RESISTANCE-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER.

Inventors

• 👤 Herman G Diebler

Bibliographic Details