Astable multivibrator using two complementary transistor pairs

Claim 2

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters, each of said inverters comprising a pair of complementary transistors, means coupling the output of said first inverter to the input of said second inverter, a capacitor coupling the output of said second inverter to the input of said first inverter, a resistor coupled between the input and the output of said first inverter, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from one of said inverters.

Claim 3

A multivibrator according to claim 1 wherein said transistors are each insulated gate field effect transistors.

Claim 4

A multivibrator according to claim 1 wherein each of said inverters comprises a P-channel insulated gate field effect transistor and an N-channel insulated gate field effect transistor.

Claim 5

A multivibrator according to claim 3 including means coupled to said inverters for operating each of said P-channel transistors in the depletion mode and each of said N-channel transistors in the enhancement mode.

Claim 6

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters, each of said inverters comprising a pair of complementary transistors having commonly connected input electrodes whereby one transistor switches off when the other transistor switches on in response to an input signal to said commonly connected electrodes, means for coupling the remaining electrodes of the transistors of each of said inverters in series across a power supply, a single timing circuit for said multivibrator, said timing circuit comprising a capacitor coupling the output of said second inverter to the input of said first inverter and a resistor coupled between the input and the output of said first inverter, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from one of said inverters.

Claim 7

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters, each of said inverters comprising a pair of complementary transistors having commonly connected input electrodes whereby one transistor switches off when the other transistor switches on in response to an input signal to said commonly connected electrodes, means for coupling the remaining electrodes of the transistors of each of said inverters in series across a power supply, a single timing circuit for said multivibrator, said timing circuit comprising a capacitor coupling the output of said second inverter to the input of said first inverter and a resistor coupled between the input and the output of said first inverter, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from one of said inverters.

Claim 8

A multivibrator according to claim 5 wherein said transistors are insulated gate field effect transistors having their gate electrodes connected in common.

Claim 9

A multivibrator according to claim 6 wherein each inverter comprises a P-channel transistor and an N-channel transistor with their drain electrodes connected together.

Claim 10

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters each comprising a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors, each inverter comprising a P-channel transistor and an N-channel transistor with their gates connected together and their drains connected together, means for coupling the source electrodes of each inverter across a power supply, and a single timing circuit for said multivibrator comprising a capacitor coupled between the drains of said second inverter and the gates of said first inverter and resistance means coupled between the gates and drains of said first inverter, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from the drain electrodes of one of said inverters.

Claim 11

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters each comprising a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors, each inverter comprising a P-channel transistor and an N-channel transistor with their gates connected together and their drains connected together, means for coupling the source electrodes of each inverter across a power supply, and a single timing circuit for said multivibrator comprising a capacitor coupled between the drains of said second inverter and the gates of said first inverter and resistance means coupled between the gates and drains of said first inverter, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from the drain electrodes of one of said inverters.

Claim 12

A multivibrator according to claim 8 wherein said capacitor is formed by a piezoelectric crystal controlling the frequency of said multivibrator.

Claim 13

A multivibrator according to claim 8 wherein said resistance means includes a pair of oppositely poled rectifier diodes connected in parallel.

Claim 14

A multivibrator according to claim 10 including a separate resistor in series with each of said diodes.

Claim 15

A multivibrator according to claim 10 including a variable potentiometer connecting both of said dioDes across the gate and drain electrodes of said first inverter.

Claim 16

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters, each of said inverters comprising a pair of complementary transistors, means coupling the output of said first inverter to the input of said second inverter, means for coupling said inverters across a power supply, a single timing circuit for said multivibrator, said timing circuit comprising a capacitor coupled between the output of said second inverter and the input of said first inverter and resistance means including a parallel, a pair of oppositely poled rectifier diodes connected between the input and output of said first inverter, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from one of said inverters.

Claim 17

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters, each of said inverters comprising a pair of complementary transistors, means coupling the output of said first inverter to the input of said second inverter, means for coupling said inverters across a power supply, a single timing circuit for said multivibrator, said timing circuit comprising a capacitor coupled between the output of said second inverter and the input of said first inverter and resistance means including a parallel, a pair of oppositely poled rectifier diodes connected between the input and output of said first inverter, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from one of said inverters.

Claim 18

A multivibrator according to claim 13 including a variable resistor in series with each of said diodes.

Claim 19

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters, each of said inverters comprising a pair of complementary transistors, means coupling the output of said first inverter to the input of said second inverter, means for coupling said inverters across a power supply, a capacitor coupling the output of said second inverter to the input of said first inverter, a resistor coupled between the input and the output of said first inverter, a piezoelectric crystal coupled to one of said inverters for controlling the frequency of said multivibrator, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from one of said inverters.

Claim 20

A multivibrator comprising first and second inverters, each of said inverters comprising a pair of complementary transistors, means coupling the output of said first inverter to the input of said second inverter, means for coupling said inverters across a power supply, a capacitor coupling the output of said second inverter to the input of said first inverter, a resistor coupled between the input and the output of said first inverter, a piezoelectric crystal coupled to one of said inverters for controlling the frequency of said multivibrator, and means for deriving a multivibrator output from one of said inverters.

Claim 21

A multivibrator according to claim 15 wherein each inverter comprising P and N channel insulated gate field effect transistors, said crystal being coupled to the gate of both transistors in one of said inverters.

Claim 22

A multivibrator according to claim 16 wherein said crystal comprises a quartz crystal resonator connected between said gates and the source electrode of one of the transistors in said first inverter.

Claim 23

A multivibrator according to claim 16 wherein said crystal comprises a quartz crystal resonator connected between the output of said second inverter and the input of said first inverter, said capacitor being formed by the capacitance of said crystal.