Data compression system for a photometer

Claim 1

In an apparatus for photometrically analyzing a sample having a replaceable source of radiation receivable in a socket, a first detector for generating a first analog electrical signal representative of the intensity of the radiation transmitted from the source through the sample, and a second detector for generating a second analog electrical signal representative of the intensity of radiation from the source incident on the sample, wherein the improvement comprises a data compression system itself comprising: a logarithmic ratioing network for generating an analog electrical signal functionally related to the ratio of the first and second analog signals; a dual slope analog-to-digital converter having a predetermined signal integrate time T int for converting the analog ratio signal into a digital representation thereof; the logarithmic ratioing network having a first and second chopper stabilized operational amplifier, the chopping frequency f chop of each operational amplifier being proportional to an integer number N times the inverse of the signal integrate time t int of the dual slope analog-to-digital converter such that the average value of the output from the converter due to chopping is zero; and a network responsive to the position of the source within the socket for locating the same so as to produce the maximum light intensity therefrom, said network comprising: a network for applying a predetermined supplemental current to the ratioing network to perturbate the signal output from the ratioing network, the magnitude of the perturbation being related to the position of the source within the socket; and a monitoring arrangement for monitoring the output of the ratioing network as the position of the source within the socket is modified, the monitoring network being responsive to the position of the source within the socket to provide an indication of the location of the source which provides the greatest radiation intensity.