Variable digital to analog converter

US4240070A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Deutsche Texaco Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Klaus Helbig · Gerolzhofen, DE
• Eike Rietsch · Houston, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 19, 1979
• Grant date: Dec 16, 1980
• Expiry date: Jul 19, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03M1/74
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The apparatus and method provides for an improvement to a system which converts wide amplitude range digital data recorded in floating point digital word form to analog signals within a limited amplitude range. The apparatus and method provides for the situation wherein the digital data can represent an analog signal for which on a general decrease in amplitude increases may be superimposed. The apparatus includes a digital/analog converter whose reference voltage is individually determined for each sample. This reference voltage is taken from a saw tooth oscillator at an instant of time determined by a delay timer which responds to changes, with respect to a desired average amplitude, of the actual amplitude of the converted data.