Piezoceramic coupler control circuit

Claim 2

A control circuit for a piezoceramic coupler comprising: controllable drive circuit means for applying an amplitude modulated d-c drive signal to a pair of iput terminals of said piezoceramic coupler comprising: reference frequency oscillator circuit means for providing at an output terminal thereof a switching control signal having a predetermined frequency; operational amplifier means for receiving as one input said switching control signal from said reference frequency oscillator circuit means and providing at an output terminal thereof an amplitude modulated d-c signal; and first power transistor means for receiving said amplitude modulated d-c signal from said operational amplifier means and transmitting said amplitude modulated d-c signal as a drive signal to said piezoceramic coupler; and input discharge means for controllably removing said drive signal from said input terminals of said piezoceramic coupler.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein said reference frequency oscillator circuit means comprises: high frequency oscillator integrated circuit means for generating said switching control signal; and first potentiometer means connected to said high frequency oscillator integrated circuit means for selecting the frequency of the output signal of said oscillator circuit means.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 2 wherein said operational amplifier means further comprises: integrated circuit operational amplifier means for converting said switching control signal into said amplitude modulated d-c output signal; and second potentiometer means connected to one input of said integrated circuit operational amplifier means for selectively controlling the amplitude of said amplitude modulated d-c output signal.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 3 further comprising: a constant voltage power supply means; and wherein said first power transistor means comprises an emitter follower power transistor having a collector terminal connected to said constant voltage power supply means, a base terminal connected to said output terminal of said operational amplifier means and an emitter terminal connected to one input terminal of said pair of input terminals of said piezoceramic coupler.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 4 further comprising: first switching transistor means for receiving said switching control signal and selectively applying an input signal to said operational amplifier means.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 5 wherein said first switching transistor means further comprises: a base terminal connected to said output terminal of said reference frequency oscillator means; an emitter terminal connected to electrical ground; and a collector terminal connected to said constant voltage power supply means and to said one input of said integrated circuit operational amplifier means for preventing the application of an input signal to said one input of said integrated circuit operational amplifier means during the high voltage half-cycle of said switching control signal and enabling the application of an input signal to said one input of said integrated circuit operational amplifier means during the low voltage half-cycle of said switching control signal.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 4 wherein said input discharge means comprises: second power transistor means for controllably removing stored electrical energy from said piezoceramic coupler.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 7 wherein said input discharge means further comprises: second power transistor means comprising an emitter connected to the emitter of said first power transistor means and to said one input terminal of said piezoceramic coupler, a collector connected to a second input terminal of said piezoceramic coupler and to electrical ground, and a base; first diode means for connecting said base terminal of said first power transistor means to said base of said second power transistor means; and second switching transistor means having a base terminal connected to said output terminal of said reference frequency oscillator circuit means and having a collector terminal connected to said constant voltage power supply means and to said base terminal of said second power transistor means for turning on said second power transistor means during the high voltage half-cycle of said switching control signal to remove electrical energy from said piezoceramic coupler and to allow current flow through said first diode means to remove electrical charge from the collector-base junction of said first power transistor means during said high voltage half-cycle of said switching control signal.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 8 wherein said operational amplifier integrated circuit means further comprises: feedback connection means connected between the output of said operational amplifier integrated circuit means and a second input thereof whereby said operational amplifier means operates in a voltage follower mode.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 4 further comprising: output override circuit means for selectively supplying a control signal to said piezoceramic coupler to selectively override said amplitude modulated d-c output signal.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 10 wherein said output override circuit means comprises: third switching transistor means having a collector connected to said base terminal of said first power transistor means and said constant voltage power supply means; an emitter connected to electrical ground; and a base terminal connected to said output terminal of said reference frequency oscillator circuit means; and control switch means connected to said constant voltage power supply means and said base terminal of said third switching transistor means for controlling the on-off state of said third switching transistor means such that when said control switch means is closed said third switching transistor means is saturated and no signal from said third switching transistor is output to said base terminal of said first power transistor means, and when said control switch means is open said third switching transistor means is switched in phase with said amplitude modulated d-c signal from said operational amplifier to provide an override output signal to said base terminal of said first power transistor means during the low voltage half-cycle of said switching control signal.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 11 wherein said output override circuit means further comprises: second diode means connected to said collector terminal of said third switching transistor means and said base terminal of said first power transistor means to prevent electrical current flow from said operational amplifier means to said collector terminal of said third switching transistor means when said third switching transistor means is turned on.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 4 wherein: said frequency of said output signal of said reference frequency oscillator circuit means is selected to be approximately equal to the resonance frequency of said piezoceramic coupler.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 13 wherein: said frequency is in the range of approximately 85 kilohertz to about 110 kilohertz.

Claim 16

The invention of claim 14 wherein: said frequency is approximately 90 kilohertz.