Patent · US Expired

Instrument zeroing circuit

US4374362A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
3References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 17, 1981
Grant dateFeb 15, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 17, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R17/02
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An electronic interface circuit for coupling a source of analog signals to a measuring and/or recording device whereby the time varying component of the analog signal can be separated from any steady-state component, such as a DC bias, which may be present, allowing further signal processing on the time varying component only. The interface circuit comprises a servo control device having both a digital feedback loop and an analog feedback loop. Upon closure of a manually operable switch, a timer is initiated which first actuates the digital feedback loop wherein a digital number is generated which is proportional to the deviation of the signal output from a summing amplifier from a zero volt level. This digital number is applied through a digital-to-analog converter to the summing amplifier along with a second feedback signal obtained by sampling the output from the summing amplifier at a time subsequent to the digital correction operation. As a result, the deviation of the steady-state signal from zero occasioned by the inherent granularity in the analog-to-digital conversion process is eliminated.

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