Electronic current to voltage converter

Claim 2

An electronic converter circuit for converting a current signal developed by a current generating means into a corresponding output voltage signal, comprising, a differential amplifier circuit means having a first and second input and an output, said current generating means operatively connected to said first input, a temperature compensating circuit means operatively connected to said second input and applying a temperature compensating signal thereto, said differential amplifier circuit means developing a voltage signal at said output representing the difference between the signals applied to said first and second input, said voltage signal being proportional to the current signal developed by said current generating means, a feedback circuit means operatively connected between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, and a zero adjust circuit means operatively connected to said differential amplifier circuit means to establish a substantially zero voltage input condition at the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said differential amplifier circuit means maintaining the substantially zero voltage input condition at said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means through said feedback circuit means to provide virtual short circuit current measurements of the current signal developed by said current-generating means, wherein said temperature compensating circuit means includes a field effect transistor circuit.

Claim 3

An electronic converter circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means is an inverting input and said second input is a noninverting input, said zero adjust circuit means being operatively connected to said second input.

Claim 4

An electronic converter circuit for converting a current signal developed by a current generating means into a corresponding output voltage signal, comprising, a differential amplifier circuit means having a first and second input and an output, said current-generating means operatively connected to said first input, a temperature compensating circuit means operatively connected to said second input and applying a temperature compensating signal thereto, said differential amplifier circuit means developing a voltage signal at said output representing the difference between the signals applied to said first and second input, said voltage signal being proportional to the current signal developed by said current-generating means, a feedback circuit means operatively connected between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, and a zero adjust circuit means operatively connected to said differential amplifier circuit means to establish a substantially zero voltage input condition at the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said differential amplifier circuit means maintaining the substantially zero voltage input condition at said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means through said feedback circuit means to provide virtual short circuit current measurements of the current signal developed by said current-generating means, wherein said temperature compensating circuit means comprises an operative combination of a diode-resistor temperature compensating bridge circuit and a field effect transistor circuit.

Claim 5

An electronic converter circuit for converting a current signal developed by a current generating means into a corresponding output voltage signal, comprising, a differential amplifier circuit means having a first and second input and an output, said current-generating means operatively connected to said first input, a temperature compensating circuit means operatively connected to said second input and applying a temperature compensating signal thereto, said differential amplifier circuit means developing a voltage signal at said output representing the difference between the signals applied to said first and second input, said voltage signal being proportional to the current signal developed by said current-generating means, a feedback circuit means operatively connected between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, and a zero adjust circuit means operatively connected to said differential amplifier circuit means to establish a substantially zero voltage input condition at the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said differential amplifier circuit means maintaining the substantially zero voltage input condition at said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means through said feedback circuit means to provide virtual short circuit current measurements of the current signal developed by said current-generating means, wherein said temperature compensating circuit means comprises an operative combination of a diode-resistor temperature compensating bridge circuit and a field effect transistor circuit.

Claim 6

An electronic converter circuit for converting a current signal developed by a current-generating means into a corresponding output voltage signal, comprising, a differential amplifier circuit means having a first and second input and an output, said current-generating means operatively connected to said first input, a temperature compensating circuit means operatively connected to said second input and applying a temperature compensating signal thereto, said differential amplifier circuit means developing a voltage signal at said output representing the difference between the signals applied to said first and second input, said voltage signal being proportional to the current signal developed by said current-generating means, a feedback circuit means operatively connected between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, and a zero adjust circuit means operatively connected to said differential amplifier circuit means to establish a substantially zero voltage input condition at the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said differential amplifier circuit means maintaining the substantially zero voltage input condition at said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means through said feedback circuit means to provide virtual short circuit current measurements of the current signal developed by said current generating means, further including a field effect transistor amplifier having an input and an output and operatively coupling the output of said current-generating means to the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said field effect transistor amplifier establishing a high resistance input, said feedback circuit means operatively coupled between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and the input of said field effect transistor amplifier.

Claim 7

An electronic converter circuit for converting a current signal developed by a current-generating means into a corresponding output voltage signal, comprising, a differential amplifier circuit means having a first and second input and an output, said current-generating means operatively connected to said first input, a temperature compensating circuit means operatively connected to said second input and applying a temperature compensating signal thereto, said differential amplifier circuit means developing a voltage signal at said output representing the difference between the signals applied to said first and second input, said voltage signal being proportional to the current signal developed by said current-generating means, a feedback circuit means operatively connected between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, and a zero adjust circuit means operatively connected to said differential amplifier circuit means to establish a substantially zero voltage input condition at the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said differential amplifier circuit means maintaining the substantially zero voltage input condition at said first input of said differential amplifier circuit means through said feedback circuit means to provide virtual short circuit current measurements of the current signal developed by said current generating means, further including a field effect transistor amplifier having an input and an output and operatively coupling the output of said current-generating means to the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said field effect transistor amplifier establishing a high resistance input, said feedback circuit means operatively coupled between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and the input of said field effect transistor amplifier.

Claim 8

An electronic converter circuit as claimed in claim 4 including a second feedback circuit means operatively coupled between the output of said differential amplifier circuit means and the first input of said differential amplifier circuit means, said second feedback circuit means providing dynamic response of the electronic converter circuit to said input current signal.

Claim 9

An electronic converter circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said differential amplifier circuit means comprises a field effect input differential operational amplifier.