Electrical peak detector

Claim 1

A peak detector comprising: signal means for providing an alternating potential between first and second terminals; first and second bi-polar complementary transistors connected emitter-to-emitter, and thereby providing a common emitter terminal, and connected base-to-base, and thereby providing a common base terminal; circuit means connecting said first terminal to said common base terminal; a first capacitor connected in circuit between the collector of said first transistor and any constant potential, and a second capacitor connected in circuit between the collector of said second transistor and any constant potential point; and feedback means connected between said common emitter terminal and said common base terminal, including capacitance means for coupling a capacitive effect between said common emitter terminal and said common base terminal; whereby, upon the application of a said alternating potential and thereby the operation of said transistors, said first and second capacitors are alternately charged to the respective peaks of a common emitter voltage through base-collector diodes of each transistor, and then each capacitor is partially discharged before the next peak of its charging potential by virtue of transistor action of quadrature phased emitter currents.