Analyzer sensor

• US 6,545,483 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Santronics Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sensory Technologies LLC (DSI Video Systems LLC)
• Inventors: Douglas, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US09/942,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20030052693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 324/525, 324/600
• US Class Current: 324/525
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07 Non contact-making probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing

Abstract

An analyzer sensor for detecting signal waveforms on a pair of conductors. The apparatus includes capacitive couplers connected to termination impedance and adapted for placement adjacent to the conductors to capacitively couple the signals of the conductors to the associated termination impedance. The invention further includes a first and second buffer amplifier responsive, respectively, to the signals at the termination impedances, for providing at a first and second output thereof, respectively, an amplified difference of the signals. Furthermore, the invention includes a utility module having a battery source connected to the buffer amplifiers by a line for providing power to the buffer amplifiers at a location distant from the buffer amplifiers.

Claims

1. Apparatus for detecting signal waveforms on a pair of conductors, comprising:

a first and second capacitive coupler, each connected to an associated termination impedance and each adapted for placement adjacent to a related one of the two conductors to capacitively couple first and second sample signals, respectively, of the signal waveforms from the related conductor to the associated termination impedance;

a first and second buffer amplifier responsive, respectively, to the first and second sample signals at the termination impedances of the first and second capacitive couplers, for providing at a first and second output thereof, respectively, an amplified difference of the first and second sample signals; and

a utility module including a battery source connected to the buffer amplifiers by a line for providing power to the buffer amplifiers at a location distant from the buffer amplifiers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

each of the capacitive couplers further include an electrically conductive shield, each conductive shield being placed in spaced apart relationship to its associated capacitive coupler;

the first and second buffer amplifiers provide the first and second equivalent sample signals at the same polarity as that of the sample signals received from their respective first and second capacitive couplers; and

each conductive shield receives the equivalent sample signal from the commonly associated one of the buffer amplifiers, whereby the voltage signal potential of the conductive shield is substantially equal to the voltage signal potential of its associated capacitive coupler.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second buffer amplifiers are each operational amplifiers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein

each of the termination impedances associated with the first and second buffer amplifiers includes two resistors in series connected at a juncture;

each operational amplifier receives the sample signal from its associated capacitive coupler at a non-inverting signal input thereof; and

each of the first and second buffer amplifiers further include a resistor and capacitor in series connected to the output of the operational amplifier at one terminator and to the juncture of the two resistors at the other terminator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing, for enclosing the capacitive couplers and the buffer amplifiers, the capacitive, couplers being adapted to be placed by an operator in proximity to one or more conductors.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and second capacitive couplers are each in registration with an associated one of two recesses formed on the housing surface, the recess being adapted to receive individual ones of the pair of conductors so as to place each in registration with an associated one of the capacitive couplers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the housing further include clamp assemblies for holding each conductor in registration with the associated capacitive coupler.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each capacitive coupler is a capacitor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery source is a regulated voltage source.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery source further includes:

a voltage source for supplying power to the buffer amplifiers; and

a regulator connected to the voltage source and adapted to measure and respond to low voltage at the voltage source.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the battery source further includes indicators connected to the regulator indicating the presence of low voltage at the voltage source.

12. Apparatus for detecting signal waveforms on a pair of conductors, comprising:

a first and second capacitive coupler, each connected to an associated termination impedance and each adapted for placement adjacent to a related one of the two conductors to capacitively couple first and second sample signals, respectively, of the signal waveforms from the related conductor to the associated termination impedance;

a first and second buffer amplifier responsive, respectively, to the first and second sample signals at the termination impedances of the first and second capacitive couplers, for providing first and second conditioned signals at a first and second output thereof; and

a third and fourth buffer amplifier including first and second inputs responsive to the first and second conditioned signals, respectively, for providing, at a third and fourth output thereof, respectively, an amplified difference of the first and second conditioned signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second output of the first and second buffer amplifier are each connected to an associated second termination impedance.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

each of the capacitive couplers further include an electrically conductive shield, each conductive shield being placed in spaced apart relationship to its associated capacitive coupler;

the first and second buffer amplifiers provide the first and second conditioned signals at the same polarity as that of the sample signals received from their respective first and second capacitive couplers; and

each conductive shield receives the conditioned sample signal from the commonly associated one of the buffer amplifiers, whereby the voltage signal potential of the conductive shield is substantially equal to the voltage signal potential of its associated capacitive coupler.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the buffer amplifiers are each operational amplifiers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

each termination impedance associated with the capacitive coupler includes two resistors in series connected at a juncture;

each operational amplifier of the first and second buffer amplifier receives the sample signal from its associated capacitive coupler at a non-inverting signal input thereof; and

each of the first and second buffer amplifier further includes a resistor and capacitor in series connected to the output of the operational amplifier at one terminator and to the juncture of the two resistors at the other terminator.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third and fourth buffer amplifiers are each operational amplifiers.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

each operational amplifier receives the conditioned signal from its associated first and second buffer amplifier at a non-inverting input thereof; and

each operational amplifier further includes a resistor connected from the output to the inverting input.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a resistor connected between the inverting inputs of the operational amplifiers.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the impedance of the resistor connected between the inverting inputs of the operational amplifiers is adjustable.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a housing, for enclosing the capacitive couplers and the buffer amplifiers, the capacitive couplers being adapted be placed by an operator in proximity to one or more conductors.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first and second capacitive couplers are each in registration with an associated one of two recesses formed on the housing surface, the recess being adapted to receive individual ones of the pair of conductors so as to place each in registration with an associated one of the capacitive couplers.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the housing further include clamp assemblies for holding each conductor in registration with the associated capacitive coupler.

24. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each capacitive coupler is a capacitor.

25. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a battery source including a regulated voltage source.

26. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a battery source, including;

a voltage source for supplying power to buffer amplifier; and

a regulator connected to the voltage source and adapted to measure and respond to low voltage at the voltage source.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the battery source further includes indicators connected to the regulator indicating the presence of low voltage at the voltage source.

28. Apparatus for detecting signal waveforms on a pair of conductors, comprising:

a first and second capacitive coupler, each connected to an associated termination impedance and each adapted for placement adjacent to a related one of the two conductors to capacitively couple first and second sample signals, respectively, of the signal waveforms from the related conductor to the associated termination impedance;

a first and second buffer amplifier responsive, respectively, to the first and second sample signals at the termination impedances of the first and second capacitive couplers, for providing first and second conditioned signals at a first and second output thereof; and

a first and second operational amplifier, each non-inverting input connected to the first and second output of the first and second operational amplifier, respectively, each including a resistor connected between the output and the inverting input and a resistor connected between the inverting input of each operational amplifier, for providing at a third and fourth output thereof, respectively, an amplified difference of the first and second conditioned signals.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first and second output of the first and second buffer amplifier are each connected to an associated second termination impedance.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein:

each of the capacitive couplers further include an electrically conductive shield, each conductive shield being placed in spaced apart relationship to its associated capacitive coupler;

the first and second buffer amplifiers provide the first and second conditioned signals at the same polarity as that of the sample signals received from their respective first and second capacitive couplers; and

each conductive shield receives the conditioned signal from the commonly associated one of the buffer amplifiers, whereby the voltage signal potential of the conductive shield is substantially equal to the voltage signal potential of its associated capacitive coupler.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the buffer amplifiers are each operational amplifiers.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein:

each termination impedance associated with the capacitive coupler includes two resistors in series connected at a juncture;

each operational amplifier of the first and second buffer amplifier receives the sample signal from its associated capacitive coupler at a non-inverting signal input thereof; and

each of the first and second buffer amplifiers further include a resistor and capacitor in series connected to the output of the operational amplifier at one terminator and to the juncture of the two resistors at the other terminator.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the impedance of the resistor connected between the inverting inputs of the operational amplifiers is adjustable.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a housing, for enclosing the capacitive couplers and the buffer amplifiers, the capacitive couplers being adapted to be placed by an operator in proximity to one or more conductors.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first and second capacitive couplers are each in registration with an associated one of two recesses formed on the housing surface, the recess being adapted to receive individual ones of the pair of conductors so as to place each in registration with an associated one of the capacitive couplers.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the housing further include clamp assemblies for holding each conductor in registration with the associated capacitive coupler.

37. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein each capacitive coupler is a capacitor.

38. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a battery source including a regulated voltage source.

39. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

a battery source, including;

a voltage source for supplying power to buffer amplifier; and

a regulator connected to the voltage source and adapted to measure and respond to low voltage at the voltage source.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the battery source further includes indicators connected to the regulator indicating the presence of low voltage at the voltage source.

41. A method of detecting signal waveforms on a pair of conductors over a full frequency spectrum, comprising:

coupling, capacitively, each of a first and second sample signal of the transmitted signals from the conductors to a termination impedance;

conditioning the sample signal at the termination impedance to provide a first and second equivalent sample signal;

amplifying the difference of the first and second equivalent sample signals with buffer amplifiers; and

powering the buffer amplifiers at a distant location.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of coupling includes:

shielding the capacitive coupling means with a conductive shield to minimize electrostatic effects on the sample signal;

applying the equivalent sample signal to the conductive shield to minimize current leakage effects on the sample signal.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of conditioning includes presenting the sample signal from the termination impedance to the non-inverting input of an operational amplifier.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of coupling further includes:

providing the termination impedance as two resistors in series connected in parallel with the operational amplifier common mode input impedance, from the non-inverting signal input to ground; and

bootstrapping each operational amplifier by a third resistor and capacitor connected in series from the output to the juncture of the two resistors.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of amplifying includes presenting each of a first and second equivalent sample signals to a non-inverting input of a first and second operational amplifier, respectively.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the step of amplifying further includes:

providing an impedance between the inverting input of the first and second operational amplifier; and

providing an impedance feedback from each of the outputs of the first and second operational amplifier its associated inverting input.

47. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

using a housing to enclose the capacitive coupling means, conditioning means, and amplifying means; and

adapting the housing for placement in proximity to one or more conductors.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of powering further includes:

regulating the voltage of the power supplied to the buffer amplifier; and

indicating the presence of a low voltage at the voltage source to an operator.