Peak power ratio generator
First Claim
1. An electrical circuit for generating an output signal representative of the peak power level of an input signal, said circuit comprising:
- means for dividing the input signal into a first reference signal and a second source signal; and
circuit means for maintaining the peak power level of said reference at a predetermined peak power level, said circuit means including,variable attenuator means for controlling the amplitude of said reference signal;
detector means for detecting when the peak level of the reference signal exceeds a predetermined value; and
control means, responsive to said detector means, for controlling said variable attenuator means to increase the attenuation of said attenuation means when the peak level exceeds the predetermined value and to decrease the attenuation when the peak level is less than the predetermined value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A peak power ratio generator is described for measuring, in combination with a conventional power meter, the peak power level of extremely narrow pulses in the gigahertz radio frequency bands. The present invention in a preferred embodiment utilizes a tunnel diode and a back diode combination in a detector circuit as the only high speed elements. The high speed tunnel diode provides a bistable signal and serves as a memory device of the input pulses for the remaining, slower components. A hybrid digital and analog loop maintains the peak power level of a reference channel at a known amount. Thus, by measuring the average power levels of the reference signal and the source signal, the peak power level of the source signal can be determined.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electrical circuit for generating an output signal representative of the peak power level of an input signal, said circuit comprising:
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means for dividing the input signal into a first reference signal and a second source signal; and circuit means for maintaining the peak power level of said reference at a predetermined peak power level, said circuit means including, variable attenuator means for controlling the amplitude of said reference signal; detector means for detecting when the peak level of the reference signal exceeds a predetermined value; and control means, responsive to said detector means, for controlling said variable attenuator means to increase the attenuation of said attenuation means when the peak level exceeds the predetermined value and to decrease the attenuation when the peak level is less than the predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electrical system for measuring the peak power level of an input signal, said system comprising:
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means for dividing the input signal into a first signal and a second source signal having a peak amplitude proportional to the peak amplitude of the input signal; circuit means for adjusting the peak power level of the first signal to a predetermined level independent of the peak power level of the input signal, thereby defining a reference signal; and means for determining the ratio of the average power levels of said reference and source signals to provide the peak power of the input signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification