Binary coded decimal resistive load and network

• US 8,810,354 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense Avionics USA LLC (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Govindasamy, Bhuvan, Baydoun, Habib, Pham, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KYUNG S
• Application Number:
  US13/738,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20140191840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 338/200, 338/215, 338/333, 338/334
• US Class Current: 338/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/203 Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/16 including plural resistive elements

Abstract

An embodiment of an apparatus for providing a variable resistance may be configured to provide a resistance value according to a binary-coded decimal scheme. The apparatus may be referred to herein as a BCD variable resistance apparatus. The BCD variable resistance apparatus may include a plurality of resistive elements and a plurality of switches. In an embodiment, the resistive elements may be coupled with respective switches in a binary-coded decimal scheme.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to provide a variable resistance, comprising:

a plurality of resistive elements, each resistive element having a respective resistance; and

a plurality of switches, each of the switches coupled to a respective one of the plurality of resistive elements, each of the switches configured to selectively include the respective one of the resistive elements in said variable resistance;

wherein the resistive elements and the switches are arranged in a binary-coded decimal scheme, wherein the plurality of resistors are arranged in a plurality of resistor groups, wherein each resistor group comprises four resistors having respective resistances of about 1×

10^X, about 2×

10^X, about 4×

10^X, and about 8×

10^X, where X is an integer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each resistor within a single resistor group has a respective resistance on the same order as each other resistor within the single resistor group.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each resistor group has a respective value of X, wherein the respective resistance of each resistor in a group is determined according to the group'"'"'s respective value of X.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a variable combined resistance of one of the resistor groups is about 1×

10^N ohms to about 15×

10^N ohms, where N is an integer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each resistor group has a different value of N according to which the variable combined resistance of the resistor group is determined.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured for automatic and manual use.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an open switch includes a respective resistive element in said variable resistance.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said variable resistance is bidirectional.

9. A method comprising:

providing an apparatus comprising;

a plurality of resistive elements, each resistive element having a respective resistance; and

a plurality of switches, each of the switches coupled to a respective one of the plurality of resistive elements, each of the switches configured selectively include the respective one of the resistive elements in the variable resistance;

wherein the resistive elements and the switches are arranged in a binary-coded decimal scheme, wherein the plurality of resistors are arranged in a plurality of resistor groups, wherein each resistor group comprises four resistors having respective resistances of about 1×

10^X, about 2×

10^X, about 4×

10^X, and about 8×

10^X, where X is an integer; and

automatically actuating the switches to provide a predetermined sequence of resistances.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the automatically actuating step comprises actuating different ones of the plurality of switches to provide a sequence of ascending and/or descending resistances for said power supply.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein an open switch corresponds to the respective resistive element contributing to the variable resistance.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the automatically actuating step comprises opening at least one of the plurality of switches to decrement the variable resistance.

13. The method of claim 9, where in the automatically actuating step is performed according to instructions contained in computer software.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a maximum value of the variable resistance is provided when all of the switches are open.

15. An apparatus configured to provide a variable resistance, comprising:

a plurality of switched resistive elements, each resistive element having a respective resistance, the resistive elements grouped to provide a variable resistance according to a binary-coded decimal value, wherein the plurality of resistors are arranged in a plurality of resistor groups, wherein each resistor group comprises four resistors having respective resistances of about 1×

10^X, about 2×

10^X, about 4×

10^X, and about 8×

10^X, where X is an integer;

wherein the resistive elements are configured for automatic switching to selectively contribute to the variable resistance.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of switches is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of resistive elements.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a maximum value of the variable resistance corresponds to all of the switches being open.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a minimum value of the variable resistance corresponds to all of the switches being closed.