System for analyzing transients in a non-luminous signal

• US 4,719,412 A
• Filed: 12/10/1985
• Issued: 01/12/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Bernet, Jean M., d'Humieres, Etienne, Eumurian, Cregoire
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US06/807,461
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 350/355, 350/374, 350/384, 350/385, 350/393, 324/77 K, 324/96, 370/2, 332/7.51
• US Class Current: 324/76.36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/242 based on the Pockels effect, i.e. linear electro-optic effect

Abstract

System making it possible to analyze electrical or other transients with the aid of an easily displaceable, miniature, passive, electrically insulated sensor. It comprises a monomode laser source connected by an optical fibre to an optical transient analyzer. The sensor is formed by a circuit receiving the signal to be analyzed and making it possible to modulate the light intensity in the fibre by means of an integrated optics modulating circuit and which receives the signal in electrical form. An adapting circuit at the input makes it possible to convert the signal to be analyzed into an electrical signal, where necessary. It is constituted by a coil in the case of a magnetic field, an antenna in the case of an electrical field, a quartz in the case of a force, etc.

Claims

1. A transient analyzing system for the analysis of a non-luminous signal to be analyzed comprising:

an optical transient analyzer; and

means for converting the signal to be analyzed into a luminous form of information,

including (a) a monomode laser source emitting a luminous signal in a continuous manner

(b) means, coupled to receive said luminous signal, for amplitude modulating said laser luminous signal to produce said luminous form of information as an output, said producing means having an optical amplitude modulating integrated circuit with an optical input, an optical output and a modulating input, said modulating input being adapted to receive a non-luminous signal which has a characteristic varying in accordance with the signal to be analyzed

and (c) a monomode optical fibre light conductor for connecting the laser source to said optical input, and the said optical output to the optical transient analyzer.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said signal to be analyzed is electrical and constitutes said modulation signal, the system analyzing electrical transients.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said producing means accepts an electrical modulation signal and said producing means includes means for converting a signal to be analyzed which is not in electrical form into said electrical modulation signal.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the said producing means constitutes a small, electrically insulated, easily displaceable, passive sensor, which is provided at its optical input with a first coupler for connecting it by a first monomode fibre element to the monomode laser source and at its optical output with a second coupler for connecting it by a second monomode fibre element to the optical transient analyzer.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the signal to be analyzed is a magnetic field and wherein the complementary circuit is formed by a coil.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein the signal to be analyzed is an electrical field and wherein the complementary circuit is formed by an antenna.

7. A system according to claim 4, wherein the signal to be analyzed is a force and the complementary circuit is formed by a quartz structure.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the amplitude modulating circuit is realized with an integrated optic, two-armed interferometer.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the optical transient analyzer is constituted by a photon sampler tube having an input photocathode coupled to the monomode optical fibre and whose fluorescent screen is coupled to a detecting strip, whose direction corresponds to the cathode beam deflection direction.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the optical transient analyzer is constituted by a photon sampler tube having an input photocathode coupled to the monomode optical fibre and whose fluorescent screen is coupled to a detecting strip, whose direction corresponds to the cathode beam deflection direction.

11. A transient analyzing system for the analysis of a non-luminous signal, including:

an optical transient analyser; and

means for converting the signal to be analyzed into a luminous form of information, including;

(a) a monomode laser source emitting a luminous signal in a continuous manner;

(b) an adapting device for amplitude modulating the laser luminous signal to produce said luminous form of information as an output, said adapting device having an optical amplitude modulating integrated circuit with an optical input, an optical output and a modulating input, said modulating input adapted to receive an electrical signal where amplitude varies in accordance with the variation of the signal to be analyzed, said adapting device including a complementary circuit for converting a signal to be analyzed which is not electrical into said electrical modulation signal; and

(c) monomode optical fibre light conductor means for connecting the laser source to said optical input and said optical output to the optical transient analyzer, said fibre conductor means enabling said adapting device to be easily displaceable with respect to said laser source and optical transient analyzer.