Frequency-voltage and voltage-frequency converters

US4321548A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Edmund Jeenicke · Schwieberdingen, DE
• Winfried Klotzner · Maulbronn, DE
• Peter Dilger · Schwanau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 26, 1979
• Grant date: Mar 23, 1982
• Expiry date: Dec 26, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R23/06
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A nonlinear characteristic curve of a frequency-voltage converter is approximated by summing the outputs of energized ones of a plurality of either voltage or current sources. The current sources are energized and de-energized in accordance with information contained in storage elements which may, for example, be parts of a shift register, or of an addressable storage. The breaks in the characteristic curve are achieved by changing the number of energized current sources or the current supplied by at least some of the sources at time intervals Ti=1/fi, where fi are the break frequencies and where time is measured starting with the leading edge of each pulse of the pulse frequence having the frequency f.sub.x which is to be converted to a voltage. Voltage-frequency converters can be created by connecting the frequency-voltage converter into the feedback path of a converter circuit receiving a voltage U.sub.x and furnishing the frequency f.sub.x in response thereto.