Coupling apparatus

Claim 2

Coupling apparatus for coupling an a.c. signal generator to a load impedance and detecting the level of the signal generator, said apparatus comprising: first impedance means conductive to direct current having two terminals such terminals being coupled between said signal generator and said load for sensing load current; second conductive impedance means divided into two portions and having an intermediate junction and connected from one terminal coupled to said load and to a common ground terminal to sense voltage across said load, rectifying means coupled to said other terminal of first impedance means and said intermediate junction of said second impedance means to rectify the sum of said load current and load voltage samples, d.c. capacitive isolation means series connected in said second conductive impedance means, and d.c. output means coupled across said d.c. isolation means and said common ground terminal to sense the rectified a.c. voltage across said rectifying means.

Claim 3

Coupling apparatus for coupling an a.c. signal generator to a load impedance and detecting the level of the signal generator, said apparatus comprising: first impedance means conductive to direct current having two terminals such terminals being coupled between said signal generator and said load for sensing load current; second conductive impedance means divided into two portions and having an intermediate junction and connected from one terminal coupled to said load and to a common ground terminal to sense voltage across said load, rectifying means coupled to said other terminal of first impedance means and said intermediate junction of said second impedance means to rectify the sum of said load current and load voltage samples, d.c. capacitive isolation means series connected in said second conductive impedance means, and d.c. output means coupled across said d.c. isolation means and said common ground terminal to sense the rectified a.c. voltage across said rectifying means.

Claim 4

Coupling apparatus for coupling an a.c. signal generator to a load impedance and detecting the level of the signal generator, said apparatus comprising: first impedance means conductive to direct current having two terminals such terminals being coupled between said signal generator and said load for sensing load current; second conductive impedance means divided into two portions and having an intermediate junction and connected from one terminal coupled to said load and to a common ground terminal to sense voltage across said load, rectifying means coupled to said other terminal of first impedance means and said intermediate junction of said second impedance means to rectify the sum of said load current and load voltage samples, d.c. capacitive isolation means series connected in said second conductive impedance means, and d.c. output means coupled across said d.c. isolation means and said common ground terminal to sense the rectified a.c. voltage across said rectifying means.

Claim 5

Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 where said first and second impedance means are proportioned so that the ratio of the voltage to current samples is a predetermined ratio for a predetermined characteristic load impedance corresponding to standard two conductor interconnecting transmission lines.

Claim 6

Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 where said common ground terminal is common to both said load impedance and signal generator.

Claim 7

Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 where said first and second impedance means which sample load current and voltage are resistive elements to provide widest possible r.f. bandWidth of operation.

Claim 8

Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 together with a d.c. reference and r.f. level regulating means, said rectified a.c. voltage level being compared with said d.c. reference and the difference error signal being applied to said r.f. level regulating means interposed between said signal generator and said coupling apparatus for minimizing said error signal whereby the combination of signal generator and coupling apparatus operates to provide a constant effective output voltage delivered through an impedance equal to a selected characteristic impedance even when the originating signal generator''s voltage level and impedance vary widely.

Claim 9

Coupling apparatus for coupling an a.c. signal generator to a load impedance and detecting the quality of the load by determining a reflection coefficient, said apparatus comprising: first impedance means conductive to direct current having two terminals such terminals being series coupled between said signal generator and said load for sensing load current; second conductive impedance means divided into two portions and having an intermediate junction and connected from one terminal coupled to said signal generator to a common ground terminal to sense voltage across said signal generator, rectifying means coupled to said other terminal of first impedance means and said intermediate junction of second impedance means to rectify the difference of said current and voltage samples, d.c. capacitive isolation means series connected in said second conductive impedance means, and d.c. output means coupled across said d.c. isolation means at the ground terminal to sense the rectified a.c. voltage across said rectifying means.

Claim 10

Coupling apparatus for coupling an a.c. signal generator to a load impedance and detecting the quality of the load by determining a reflection coefficient, said apparatus comprising: first impedance means conductive to direct current having two terminals such terminals being series coupled between said signal generator and said load for sensing load current; second conductive impedance means divided into two portions and having an intermediate junction and connected from one terminal coupled to said signal generator to a common ground terminal to sense voltage across said signal generator, rectifying means coupled to said other terminal of first impedance means and said intermediate junction of second impedance means to rectify the difference of said current and voltage samples, d.c. capacitive isolation means series connected in said second conductive impedance means, and d.c. output means coupled across said d.c. isolation means at the ground terminal to sense the rectified a.c. voltage across said rectifying means.

Claim 11

Coupling apparatus as in claim 6 where first and second impedance means are proportioned so that the ratio of the voltage to current samples is a predetermined ratio for a predetermined characteristic load impedance corresponding to standard two conductor interconnecting transmission lines.

Claim 12

Coupling apparatus as in claim 7 where said current sample and the voltage sample combine subtractively to provide zero d.c. output when said load impedance is equal to said characteristic impedance but is increasingly non-zero as the applied load value is changed away from the characteristic impedance.

Claim 13

Coupling apparatus as in claim 7 where said signal generator has a constant voltage and an output impedance equal to said characteristic impedance together with resistive means having said characteristic impedance for shunting said rectifying means and where the portion of said second impedance means generating the voltage sample also has said characteristic impedance whereby said rectified output is a direct measure of the classical transmission line reflection coefficient of any unknown applied complex load impedance.