Lamp oscillator for atomic frequency standards

• US 5,489,821 A
• Filed: 12/27/1994
• Issued: 02/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Efratom Time and Frequency Standards, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ball Corporation
• Inventors: Crockett, Jeff D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHINGLETON, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US08/364,765
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 315/248, 315/151, 315/224, 315/348, 323/312, 331/109, 331/3, 331/183, 324/304, 324/305
• US Class Current: 315/151
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/26 using energy levels of molecules, atoms, or subatomic particles as a frequency reference
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/382 during the transitional start-up phase
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/392 using semiconductor devices, e.g. thyristor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/3922 and measurement of the incident light

Abstract

An apparatus for providing excitation of a vapor discharge lamp includes a control circuit for controlling an oscillator circuit during an ignition mode of the vapor discharge lamp to establish and maintain a substantially constant DC voltage at an output of an oscillator transistor and to establish a current flow through the oscillator transistor at a first current level sufficient to ignite the vapor discharge lamp, and for controlling the oscillator after ignition of the vapor discharge lamp to maintain the substantially constant DC voltage at the output of the oscillator transistor while reducing the current flow through the oscillator transistor from the first current level to a second current level, and in preferred embodiments, includes circuitry to suppress unwanted blocking oscillations and optimize the dynamic range of the control circuitry.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing excitation of a vapor discharge lamp, comprising:

a substantially constant voltage DC power source;

an oscillator circuit coupled to said power source, and including a first transistor configured with regenerative feedback, said first transistor having an excitation output coupled to said vapor discharge lamp; and

control means for controlling said oscillator circuit during an ignition stage of said vapor discharge lamp to establish and maintain a substantially constant DC voltage at said output of said first transistor and to establish a current flow through said first transistor at a first current level sufficient to ignite said vapor discharge lamp, and for controlling said oscillator after ignition of said vapor discharge lamp to maintain said substantially constant DC voltage at said output of said first transistor while reducing said current flow through said first transistor from said first current level to a second current level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein after said ignition of said vapor discharge lamp, said control means maintains a constant input power to said oscillator circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first transistor is a field effect transistor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first transistor is a bipolar transistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises:

a photodetector circuit having a photodetector positioned to receive light from said vapor discharge lamp, and having an output for supplying a signal corresponding to an amount of detected light;

a light comparator having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said photodetector, and an output;

a switching transistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal being coupled to said output of said light comparator; and

a resistor having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said switching transistor and having a second terminal coupled to said output of said first transistor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein prior to ignition of said vapor discharge lamp said photodetector circuit detects an absence of light from said vapor discharge lamp and generates a first signal which is supplied to said second input of said light comparator, said light comparator responding by generating an error signal for turning ON said switching transistor to thereby establish a current flow at said first current level through said first transistor, and wherein after said ignition of said vapor discharge lamp, said photodetector circuit detects the presence of light and generates a second signal which is supplied to said light comparator, said light comparator responding by turning OFF said switching transistor to reduce said current flow through said first transistor from said first current level to said second current level.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises:

a control op-amp having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said first transistor, and an output coupled to an input of said first transistor; and

a shift circuit having an input coupled to said output of said first transistor and having an output coupled to said output of said control op-amp, said shift circuit shifting the effective operating range of said control op-amp.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein an output of said shift circuit is summed with an output of said control op-amp.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said shift circuit samples the r.f. signal present at said output of said first transistor and rectifies said r.f. signal to generate a DC shift signal corresponding to said r.f. signal having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the output of said control op-amp to force said control op-amp to generate an output voltage to nullify a voltage of said DC shift signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said shift circuit comprises:

a high frequency switching diode having a cathode coupled to said output of said first transistor;

a capacitor having a first terminal connected to an anode of said switching diode, and having a second terminal coupled to a circuit ground; and

a resistor having a first terminal coupled to said anode of said switching diode and having a second terminal coupled to said output of said control op-amp.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises:

a control op-amp having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said first transistor, and an output coupled to an input of said first transistor; and

a shift circuit having an input coupled to said output of said first transistor and having output coupled to said output of said control op-amp, said shift circuit shifting the effective operating range of said control op-amp, and suppressing blocking oscillations at a frequency above a bandwidth of said control means.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises;

a control op-amp having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said first transistor, and an output coupled to an input of said first transistor; and

a shift circuit having an input coupled to said output of said first transistor and having an output coupled to said output of said control op-amp, said shift circuit shifting the effective operating range of said control op-amp, and suppressing blocking oscillations, thereby allowing said first transistor to operate at lower operating currents without the presence of blocking oscillations, than would be possible in the absence of said shift circuit.

13. An apparatus for providing excitation of a vapor discharge lamp, comprising:

a regulated DC power source;

an oscillator circuit coupled to said power source, and including a first transistor configured with regenerative feedback, said first transistor having an excitation output coupled to said vapor discharge lamp;

control means for controlling said oscillator circuit, said control means including a control op-amp having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said first transistor, and an output coupled to an input of said first transistor; and

a shift circuit having an input coupled to said output of said first transistor and having an output coupled to said output of said control op-amp, wherein said shift circuit samples the r.f. signal generated at said output of said first transistor and rectifies said r.f. signal to generate a DC shift signal corresponding to said r.f. signal having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the output of said control op-amp, said DC shift signal thereby shifting the operating range of said control op-amp in a direction opposite to the polarity of said DC shift signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said first transistor is a field effect transistor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said first transistor is a bipolar transistor.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the output of said control op-amp is controlled to nullify the effect of said DC shift signal at the input of said first transistor.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said shift circuit comprises:

a high frequency switching diode having a cathode coupled to said output of said first transistor;

a capacitor having a first terminal connected to an anode of said switching diode, and having a second terminal coupled to a circuit ground; and

a first resistor having a first terminal coupled to said anode of said switching diode and having a second terminal coupled to said output of said control op-amp.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprises an R-C circuit in parallel with said first resistor.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said shift circuit comprises:

means for setting a DC feedback gain of said shift circuit; and

means for setting an AC feedback gain of said shift circuit, wherein an adjustment of said AC feedback gain does not affect an amount of said DC feedback gain.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said control means further includes a start-up circuit for controlling said oscillator circuit during an ignition stage of said vapor discharge lamp to establish and maintain a substantially constant DC voltage at said output of said first transistor and to establish a current flow through said first transistor at a first current level sufficient to ignite said vapor discharge lamp, and for controlling said oscillator after ignition of said vapor discharge lamp to maintain said substantially constant DC voltage at said output of said first transistor while reducing said current flow through said first transistor from said first current level to a second current level.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein, after said ignition of said vapor discharge lamp, said start-up circuit maintains a constant input power to said oscillator circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said start-up circuit comprises:

a photodetector circuit having a photodetector positioned to receive light from said vapor discharge lamp, and having an output for supplying a signal corresponding to an amount of detected light;

a light comparator having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said photodetector, and an output;

a switching transistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal being coupled to said output of said light comparator; and

a resistor having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said switching transistor and having a second terminal coupled to said output of said first transistor.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein prior to ignition of said vapor discharge lamp said photodetector circuit detects an absence of light from said vapor discharge lamp and generates a first signal which is supplied to said second input of said light comparator, said light comparator responding by generating an error signal for turning ON said switching transistor to thereby establish a current flow at said first current level through said first transistor, and wherein after said ignition of said vapor discharge lamp, said photodetector circuit detects the presence of light and generates a second signal which is supplied to said light comparator, said light comparator responding by turning OFF said switching transistor to reduce said current flow through said first transistor from said first current level to said second current level.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said shift circuit extends the operating range of said control op-amp to allow said first transistor to oscillate at lower operating currents without generating blocking oscillations, than would be possible in the absence of said shift circuit.

25. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said shift circuit suppresses blocking oscillations at a frequency greater than the bandwidth of said control means.

26. An apparatus for providing excitation of a vapor discharge lamp, comprising:

a DC power source with a regulated substantially constant output voltage;

an oscillator circuit coupled to said power source output voltage, and including a first transistor configured with regenerative feedback, said first transistor having an excitation output coupled to said vapor discharge lamp;

first circuit means for controlling said oscillator circuit to establish and maintain a substantially constant DC voltage at said output of said first transistor, said first circuit means including a control op-amp having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said first transistor, and an output coupled to an input of said first transistor, and wherein a shift circuit samples the r.f. signal generated at said output of said first transistor and rectifies said r.f. signal to generate a DC shift signal corresponding to said r.f. signal having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the output of said control op-amp to force said control op-amp to generate an output voltage to nullify a voltage of said DC shift signal, thereby shifting the operating range of said control op-amp; and

second circuit means for controlling a current flow through said first transistor, wherein during an ignition stage of said vapor discharge lamp said second circuit means establishes a current flow through said first transistor at a first current level sufficient to ignite said vapor discharge lamp, and after ignition of said vapor discharge lamp, said second circuit means reduces said current flow through said first transistor from said first current level to a second current level.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein, after said ignition of said vapor discharge lamp, said first circuit means and said second circuit means maintain a constant input power to said oscillator circuit.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said first transistor is a field effect transistor.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said first transistor is a bipolar transistor.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said second circuit means comprises:

a photodetector circuit having a photodetector positioned to receive light from said vapor discharge lamp, and having an output for supplying a signal corresponding to an amount of detected light;

a light comparator having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to said output of said photodetector, and an output;

a switching transistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal being coupled to said output of said light comparator; and

a resistor having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said switching transistor and having a second terminal coupled to said output of said first transistor.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein prior to ignition of said vapor discharge lamp said photodetector circuit detects an absence of light from said vapor discharge lamp and generates a first signal which is supplied to said second input of said light comparator, said light comparator responding by generating an error signal for turning ON said switching transistor to thereby establish a current flow at said first current level through said first transistor, and wherein after said ignition of said vapor discharge lamp, said photodetector circuit detects the presence of light and generates a second signal which is supplied to said light comparator, said light comparator responding by turning OFF said switching transistor to reduce said current flow through said first transistor from said first current level to said second current level.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein an output of said shift circuit is summed with an output of said control op-amp.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said shift circuit comprises:

a high frequency shifting diode having a cathode coupled to said output of said first transistor;

a capacitor having a first terminal connected to an anode of said high frequency shifting diode, and having a second terminal coupled to a circuit ground; and

a resistor having a first terminal coupled to said anode of said high frequency shifting diode and having a second terminal coupled to said output of said control op-amp.

34. An apparatus for exciting a vapor discharge lamp, comprising:

a DC source providing a substantially constant voltage;

an oscillator circuit connected to said substantially constant voltage, including a current sensing resistance and providing an output for exciting said vapor discharge lamp;

an oscillator control circuit connected with said current sensing resistance and adapted to control said oscillator circuit to maintain a substantially constant DC voltage across said current sensing resistance; and

switching means responsive to light from said vapor discharge lamp for reducing the resistance of said current sensing resistance; and

whereby said output for exciting said vapor discharge lamp provides an increased current for igniting the vapor discharge lamp and a reduced current when said vapor discharge lamp is ignited and a substantially constant voltage swing capability under both conditions.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said oscillator circuit has substantially constant efficiency.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said apparatus further comprises a shift circuit connected with said output of said oscillating circuit and generating a DC shift signal connected with said oscillator control circuit to favorably shift the voltage range of its operation.