Apparatus for and a method of improved timing control for non-destructive testing and inspection
AssigneeOlympus NDT
InventorAndrew THOMAS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pulse generation circuit and method includes using digital signals to trigger a first and second varying analog signals and detecting when they reach one or more reference levels. In response to the first and second varying analog signals reaching one or more reference levels, a first and a second digital control signals are produced and provided as input to a pulser producing a voltage excitation pulse having a width and timing defined by the first and second digital control signals.
Claims20
A pulse generating circuit configured for ultrasonically testing or inspecting comprising:
- a digital signal generator producing a coarse start digital signal and a coarse end digital signal;
- a first delay circuit producing a first varying analog signal triggered by the coarse start digital signal;
- a second delay circuit producing a second varying analog signal triggered by the coarse end digital signal;
- a first control pulse generator circuit producing a first digital control pulse in response to the first varying analog signal and a first reference signal and in response to the second varying analog signal and a second reference signal;
- a second control pulse generator circuit producing a second digital control pulse in response to the first varying analog signal and a third reference signal and in response to the second varying analog signal and a fourth reference signal;
- and
- a pulser circuit configured to generate a pulse having a leading edge controlled by the second digital control pulse and a width controlled by the first and second digital control pulses.
A pulse generation method comprising:
- producing a coarse start digital signal;
- producing a coarse end digital signal;
- producing a first varying analog signal;
- producing a second varying analog signal;
- producing a first digital control pulse in response to the first varying analog signal and a first reference signal and in response to the second varying analog signal and a second reference signal;
- producing a second digital control signal pulse from the first varying analog signal and a third reference signal and from the second varying analog signal and a fourth reference signal;
- and
- generating a pulse having a leading edge controlled by a said digital control pulse and a width controlled by the first and second digital control pulses.
A pulse generator circuit comprising:
- a first digital signal generator producing a coarse start digital signal;
- a second digital signal generator producing a coarse end digital signal;
- a first delay circuit triggered by the coarse start digital signal producing a first varying analog signal;
- a second delay circuit triggered by the coarse end digital signal producing a second varying analog signal;
- a first digital control pulse generator circuit producing a first digital control pulse in response to at least one of the first and second varying analog signals and one or more reference signals;
- and
- a second digital control pulse generator circuit producing a second digital control pulse in response to at least one of the first and second varying analog signals and one or more reference signals;
- and
- a pulser circuit configured to generate a pulse having a leading edge controlled by a said digital control pulse and width controlled by a first and second digital control pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.