Patent · US Expired

Logarithmic analog-to-digital converter

US4350974A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
8References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 15, 1980
Grant dateSep 21, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 15, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M1/46
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A logarithmic analog-to-digital converter which provides a digital representation of the logarithm of the ratio of an input voltage and a reference voltage. The converter determines the ouptut via a successive approximation technique. The input voltage is amplified by selected ones from among a plurality of exponentially related gains; and the reference voltage is attenuated by selected ones of a set of exponentially related attenuation factors. The amplified input signal and the attenuated reference signal are compared, and the results of this comparison for a series of attenuations and/or amplification factors produces the desired logarithmic representation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.