Transmitter including an fsk modulator having a switched capacitor

Claim 2

A transmitter including a Frequency Shift Key modulator comprising: an oscillator circuit adapted to produce a specific output frequency; a capacitor coupled in parallel with said oscillator circuit; and means responsive to a binary data input for switching the capacitor into and out of the parallel connection with the oscillator circuit in order to change the output frequency, said means comprising a PIN diode and a switchable current source coupled between the diode and the binary data input.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 wherein the current source includes a bipolar transistor with its base coupled to the binary input and its collector coupled to the PIN diode.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1 further comprising means for reverse-biasing the diode in order to switch the capacitor out of connection with the oscillator circuit.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1 wherein the switching means further comprises: a bipolar transistor having its collector coupled to the PIN diode and its base coupled to the binary data input; and means including a resistor and inductor for reverse-biasing the PIN diode sufficiently to switch the capacitor out of connection with the oscillator circuit when the transistor is non-conducting.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 1 further comprising a laser for transmitting an optical signal corresponding to said data input.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 1 further comprising means for producing a square wave pattern in response to said output frequency.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 6 wherein said means for producing a square wave comprises an inverter.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 7 further comprising: a low pass filter coupled to the output of the inverter and to one input of an operational amplifier, and circuit means for producing a reference voltage at another input to the operational amplifier, the output of the operational amplifier being coupled to the input of the inverter to adjust the dc level of the input and thereby control the duty cycle of the square wave.

Claim 10

A transmitter including circuit means for converting a sinusoidal signal to a square wave signal having a predetermined duty cycle, said means comprising: an inverter having an input coupled to the sinusoidal signal and having an output; an operational amplifier having an output coupled to the input of the inverter, and also having two inputs; a low pass filter coupled between the output of the inverter and an input of the operational amplifier; circuit means for providing a reference voltage at the other input of the operational amplifier corresponding to the predetermined duty cycle; and an additional inverter, operational amplifier, low pass filter, and circuit means for further adjusting the duty cycle of the square wave at the output of the first inverter.

Claim 11

A transmitter including circuit means for converting a sinusoidal signal to a square wave signal having a predetermined duty cycle, said means comprising: an inverter having an input coupled to the sinusoidal signal and having an output; an operational amplifier having an output coupled to the input of the inverter, and also having two inputs; a low pass filter coupled between the output of the inverter and an input of the operational amplifier; circuit means for providing a reference voltage at the other input of the operational amplifier corresponding to the predetermined duty cycle; and an additional inverter, operational amplifier, low pass filter, and circuit means for further adjusting the duty cycle of the square wave at the output of the first inverter.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 9 wherein the low pass filter comprises a resistor and capacitor.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 9 wherein the circuit means for providing the voltage reference comprises a plurality of resistors.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 9 further comprising a second inverter coupled to the output of the inverter.