Counting-rate meter

Claim 2

A counting-rate meter comprising, in combination, signal current generator means having two ends and connected at one end to ground to respond to a measured counting-rate of pulses to generate a signal current proportional thereto, an operational amplifier connected at one input to the other end of said signal current means, the other input connected to ground and an output, a pair of first and second sources of constant current having two ends each and connected at one end to ground, a first NPN transistor including a collector electrode connected to the other end of said signal current generator means, an emitter electrode connected to said first source of constant current at the other end, and a base electrode connected to said output of said operational amplifier, a second NPN transistor including a collector electrode connected to a positive source terminal, an emitter electrode connected to the emitter electrode of said first transistor and a base electrode connected to said second source of constant current at the other end, a third NPN transistor including a collector electrode connected to the other end of said second source of constant current, an emitter electrode connected to ground and a base electrode connected to the base electrode of said second transistor, an output terminal, a fourth NPN transistor including a collector electrode connected to said output terminal, an emitter electrode connected to ground and a base electrode connected to said output of said operational amplifier, a constant current from said first source having a magnitude preset to a saturation magnitude of a current resulting from a counting loss of the signal input current at a high frequency of measured pulse thereby to automatically correct the counting loss while said second source of constant current provides a reference voltage for said fourth transistor thereby to produce a linear output at said output terminal.

Claim 3

A counting-rate meter comprising, in combination: a first means connected at one end to ground and responsive to a measured counting rate of incoming pulses to generate a signal current proportional thereto; a source of constant current connected at one end to ground; a pair of first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to said first means to cause said signal current from said first means to flow through said first conversion element, said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to both said source of constant current and said first means to produce a differential current between a constant currenT from said source and said signal current from said first means to pass said differential current through said second conversion element, said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements being interconnected to produce an output voltage formed of a differential voltage between respective converted output voltages from said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said constant current from said source having a magnitude substantially restricted to a saturated magnitude of said signal current resulting from a counting loss of the signal current at a high frequency of measured pulses, whereby said differential voltage gives a logarithmic representation of the measured counting-rate having the counting loss automatically corrected; and an operational amplifier having one input connected to the other end of said first means, the other input connected to ground, and an output, and an output terminal connected to said output of said operational amplifier, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a first semiconductor diode having a cathode electrode connected to the other end of said first means and an anode electrode connected to said source of constant current at the other end and said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a second semiconductor diode having a cathode electrode connected to said output of said operational amplifier and an anode electrode connected to both the other end of said source of constant current and said anode electrode of the first semiconductor diode.

Claim 4

A counting-rate meter comprising, in combination: a first means connected at one end to ground and responsive to a measured counting rate of incoming pulses to generate a signal current proportional thereto; a source of constant current connected at one end to ground; a pair of first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to said first means to cause said signal current from said first means to flow through said first conversion element, said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to both said source of constant current and said first means to produce a differential current between a constant currenT from said source and said signal current from said first means to pass said differential current through said second conversion element, said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements being interconnected to produce an output voltage formed of a differential voltage between respective converted output voltages from said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said constant current from said source having a magnitude substantially restricted to a saturated magnitude of said signal current resulting from a counting loss of the signal current at a high frequency of measured pulses, whereby said differential voltage gives a logarithmic representation of the measured counting-rate having the counting loss automatically corrected; and an operational amplifier having one input connected to the other end of said first means, the other input connected to ground, and an output, and an output terminal connected to said output of said operational amplifier, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a first semiconductor diode having a cathode electrode connected to the other end of said first means and an anode electrode connected to said source of constant current at the other end and said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a second semiconductor diode having a cathode electrode connected to said output of said operational amplifier and an anode electrode connected to both the other end of said source of constant current and said anode electrode of the first semiconductor diode.

Claim 5

A counting-rate meter comprising, in combination: a first means connected at one end to ground and responsive to a measured counting rate of incoming pulses to generate a signal current proportional thereto; a source of constant current connected at one end to ground; a pair of first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to said first means to cause said signal current from said first means to flow through said first conversion element, said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to both said source of constant current and said first means to produce a differential current between a constant current from said source and said signal current from said first means to pass said differential current through said second conversion element, said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements being interconnected to produce an output voltage formed of a differential voltage between respective converted output voltages from said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said constant current from said source having a magnitude substantially restricted to a saturated magnitude of said signal current resulting from a counting loss of the signal current at a high frequency of measured pulses, whereby said differential voltage gives a logarithmic representation of the measured counting-rate having the counting loss automatically corrected; and an operational amplifier having one input connected to said first means at the other end, the other input connected to ground and an output, and an output terminal connected to the output of said operational amplifier, and said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a first transistor having a collector electrode connected to the other end of said first means, an emitter electrode connected to the other end of said source and a base electrode connected to the output of said operational amplifier while said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element includes a second transistor having a collector electrode connected to a positive source terminal, an emitter electrode connected to said emitter electrode of said first transistor and a base electrode connected to ground.

Claim 6

A counting-rate meter comprising, in combination: a first means connected at one end to ground and responsive to a measured counting rate of incoming pulses to generate a signal current proportional thereto; a source of constant current connected at one end to ground; a pair of first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to said first means to cause said signal current from said first means to flow through said first conversion element, said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to both said source of constant current and said first means to produce a differential current between a constant current from said source and said signal current from said first means to pass said differential current through said second conversion element, said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements being interconnected to produce an output voltage formed of a differential voltage between respective converted output voltages from said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said constant current from said source having a magnitude substantially restricted to a saturated magnitude of said signal current resulting from a counting loss of the signal current at a high frequency of measured pulses, whereby said differential voltage gives a logarithmic representation of the measured counting-rate having the counting loss automatically corrected; and an operational amplifier having one input connected to said first means at the other end, the other input connected to ground and an output, and an output terminal connected to the output of said operational amplifier, and said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a first transistor having a collector electrode connected to the other end of said first means, an emitter electrode connected to the other end of said source and a base electrode connected to the output of said operational amplifier while said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element includes a second transistor having a collector electrode connected to a positive source terminal, an emitter electrode connected to said emitter electrode of said first transistor and a base electrode connected to ground.

Claim 7

A counting-rate meter comprising, in combination: a first means connected at one end to ground and responsive to a measUred counting rate of incoming pulses to generate a signal current proportional thereto; a source of constant current connected at one end to ground; a pair of first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to said first means to cause said signal current from said first means to flow through said first conversion element, said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to both said source of constant current and said first means to produce a differential current between a constant current from said source and said signal current from said first means to pass said differential current through said second conversion element, said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements being interconnected to produce an output voltage formed of a differential voltage between respective converted output voltages from said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said constant current from said source having a magnitude substantially restricted to a saturated magnitude of said signal current resulting from a counting loss of the signal current at a high frequency of measured pulses, whereby said differential voltage gives a logarithmic representation of the measured counting-rate having the counting loss automatically corrected; and an operational amplifier having one input connected to said first means at the other end, the other input connected to ground and an output, an output terminal connected to said output of said operational amplifier, and said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a first NPN transistor having a collector electrode connected to a positive source terminal, an emitter electrode connected to the other end of said first means and a base electrode connected to said output of said operational amplifier while said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element includes a second NPN transistor having a collector electrode connected to the other end of said first means, an emitter electrode connected to said emitter electrode of the first transistor and a base electrode connected to ground.

Claim 8

A counting-rate meter comprising, in combination: a first means connected at one end to ground and responsive to a measUred counting rate of incoming pulses to generate a signal current proportional thereto; a source of constant current connected at one end to ground; a pair of first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to said first means to cause said signal current from said first means to flow through said first conversion element, said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element being operatively coupled to both said source of constant current and said first means to produce a differential current between a constant current from said source and said signal current from said first means to pass said differential current through said second conversion element, said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements being interconnected to produce an output voltage formed of a differential voltage between respective converted output voltages from said first and second linear-to-logarithmic conversion elements, said constant current from said source having a magnitude substantially restricted to a saturated magnitude of said signal current resulting from a counting loss of the signal current at a high frequency of measured pulses, whereby said differential voltage gives a logarithmic representation of the measured counting-rate having the counting loss automatically corrected; and an operational amplifier having one input connected to said first means at the other end, the other input connected to ground and an output, an output terminal connected to said output of said operational amplifier, and said first linear-to-logarithmic conversion element including a first NPN transistor having a collector electrode connected to a positive source terminal, an emitter electrode connected to the other end of said first means and a base electrode connected to said output of said operational amplifier while said second linear-to-logarithmic conversion element includes a second NPN transistor having a collector electrode connected to the other end of said first means, an emitter electrode connected to said emitter electrode of the first transistor and a base electrode connected to ground.