Systems, devices, and methods for measuring direct current/low frequency signal components
AssigneeTektronix, Inc.
InventorMichael J. Mende
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A test and measurement probe system (100,104), including an input (106) to receive an input signal, the input signal including a low frequency (LF) and/or direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component, an extractor circuit (110), such as an AC coupling circuit or a LF and/or DC rejection circuit, configured to receive the input signal and to separate the AC component and the LF and/or DC component from the input signal, a first output (118) to output the alternating current component to the test and measurement instrument, and a second output to output the direct current component to the test and measurement instrument. In some embodiments, the LF and/or DC component is digitized prior to being output by the second output.
Claims16
A test and measurement probe structured to couple to a test and measurement instrument, comprising:
- an input to the probe to receive a single input signal, the single input signal including a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component;
- an extractor circuit in the probe having an input configured to receive the single input signal and configured to separate the AC component and the DC component from the single input signal;
- a first output to output the AC component to the test and measurement instrument;
- a second output to output the DC component to the test and measurement instrument;
- a first feedback loop within the probe configured to connect an output of the extractor circuit to the input of the extractor circuit;
- and
- a second feedback loop within the probe coupled between the output of the extractor circuit and the input signal, the second feedback loop structured to add an inverse of the DC component extracted from the input signal back to the input signal.
A method, comprising:
- receiving a single input signal at a probe head, the single input signal including a low frequency (LF) component and an alternating current (AC) component;
- extracting the LF component from the input signal in the probe head in an extractor circuit;
- transmitting the AC component to a test and measurement instrument through a first output;
- feeding back an inverse of the LF component from an output of the extractor circuit to an input of the extractor circuit;
- additionally feeding back an inverse of the LF component from the output of the extractor to the single input signal;
- and
- transmitting the LF component to the test and measurement instrument through a second output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.