Patent · US Expired

Low level voltage pulse-converter

US4779074A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
7References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 14, 1987
Grant dateOct 18, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 14, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M1/54
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A convertor for converting an analog signal to a digital pulse comprises a switching capacitor which is charged by a differential analog signal supplied to the switching capacitor over an input circuit. The capacitor is discharged over an output circuit with the aid of a constant current supply. The charge level of the capacitor is proportional to the analog signal so that the time it takes the capacitor to discharge to a selected low charge level, is proportional to the analog signal. This time period is used by a microprocessor control to generate a digital pulse having a pulse equal to the discharge time for the capacitor. The microprocessor also selectively connects the input and output circuits to the capacitor for respectively charging and discharging the capacitor.

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