System and method for noise and spurious supression in power amplifier systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An amplifier system, comprising:
- a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, wherein the vacuum tube amplifier is for amplifying an input signal supplied to the input signal terminal;
a phase comparator having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal and having a second input terminal coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a phase shifter having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal, a second input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the phase comparator, and an output terminal coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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Abstract
An amplifier system including a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, wherein the vacuum tube amplifier is for amplifying an input signal supplied to the input signal terminal, a phase comparator having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal and having a second input terminal coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and a phase shifter having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal, a second input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the phase comparator, and an output terminal coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
78 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, wherein the vacuum tube amplifier is for amplifying an input signal supplied to the input signal terminal;
a phase comparator having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal and having a second input terminal coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a phase shifter having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal, a second input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the phase comparator, and an output terminal coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
an amplitude comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is responsive to the input signal and the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a controller having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the amplitude comparator, and the output terminal is coupled to the electron source.
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10. The amplifier system of claim 9, wherein the output terminal of the controller is coupled to the electron source via a transformer.
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11. The amplifier system of claim 7, further comprising a supplemental noise suppression circuit having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal and a second input terminal coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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12. The amplifier system of claim 11, wherein the supplemental noise suppression circuit includes a circuit selected from the group consisting of a feedforward noise suppression circuit and a feedback noise suppression circuit.
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13. The amplifier system of claim 1, further comprising a supplemental noise suppression circuit having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal and a second input terminal coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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14. The amplifier system of claim 13, wherein the supplemental noise suppression circuit includes a circuit selected from the group consisting of a feedforward noise suppression circuit and a feedback noise suppression circuit.
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15. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, wherein the vacuum tube amplifier is for amplifying an input signal supplied to the input signal terminal; and
a phase noise suppression circuit responsive to an output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier for phase shifting the input signal supplied to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier to compensate for phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
a phase comparator for comparing phases of the input signal and the output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a phase shifter coupled to the phase comparator for phase shifting the input signal based on a comparison of the phases of the input signal and the output signal.
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17. The system of claim 15, further comprising an amplitude noise suppression circuit responsive to both the input signal and the output signal for controlling an amount of electrons emitted by an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a supplemental noise suppression circuit responsive to both the input signal and the output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a supplemental noise suppression circuit responsive to both the input signal and the output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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20. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an in, signal terminal and an output signal terminal, wherein the vacuum tube amplifier is for amplifying an input signal supplied to the input signal terminal; and
means for phase shifting the input signal supplied to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier to compensate for phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
means for comparing phases of the input signal and an output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
means for shifting a phase of the input signal based on a comparison of the phases of the input signal and the output signal.
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22. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for controlling an amount of electrons emitted by an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier to suppress amplitude noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier.
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23. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for canceling noise distortion components at one of the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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24. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for canceling noise distortion components at one of an input signal terminal and the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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25. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, wherein the vacuum tube amplifier is for amplifying an input signal supplied to the input signal terminal;
a second amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, wherein the input signal terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier;
a phase comparator having a first input terminal responsive to the input signal and having a second input terminal coupled to the output signal terminal of the second amplifier; and
a phase shifter having a first input terminal responsive to. the input signal, a second input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the phase comparator, and an output terminal coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for suppressing noise introduced by a vacuum tube amplifier, comprising:
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detecting a phase difference between an input signal to the vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal from the vacuum tube amplifier indicative of phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
shifting a phase of the input signal based on the phase difference. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
detecting an amplitude difference between an input signal to the vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal from the vacuum tube amplifier indicative of amplitude noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
adjusting an amount of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier based on the amplitude difference between the input signal and the output signal.
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Specification