Transducing system

A transducer system comprising a plurality of transmitters, each of said transmitters including means for generating an asymmetric wave form, the asymmetry of said wave being proportional to a quantity being transduced, each of said transmitters including a capacitive coupling output electrode, a receiver, said receiver including a capacitive coupling input electrode adapted to be selectively positioned closely adjacent and electrostatically coupled to any one of said transmitter electrodes, said receiver including means for converting said asymmetric wave to a magnitude representation of said transduced quantity in proportion to said asymmetry, said transmitter including an asymmetric pulse generator comprising a first stage and a second stage, said first stage including first and second transistors, said second stage including first and second transistors, said first stage first and second transistors and said second stage first and second transistors each being coupled in series current relationship within each of said stages, means connecting the junction of said first stage first and second transistors to the respective inputs of said second stage first and second transistors, and means for coupling the junction of said second stage first and second transistors to the inputs of said first stage first and second transistors respectively, first means for determining the time constant of said first stage, and second means for determining the time constant of said second stage, said first and second time constants differing, and means for biasing said first and second stage such that said first stage first transistor and said second stage second transistor are on while the remaining transistors are off, and said first stage second transistor and said second stage first transistor are off while the other transistors are on, said first and second means establishing a transmission ratio indicative of said transduced quantity.

An asymmetric pulse generator comprising a first stage and a second stage, said first stage including first and second transistors, said second stage including first and second transistors, said first stage first and second transistors and said second stage first and second transistors each being coupled in series current relationship within each of said stages, means connecting the junction of said first stage first and second transistors to the respective inputs of said second stage first and second transistors, and means for coupling the junction of said second stage first and second transistors to the inputs of said first stage first and second transistors respectively, first means for determining the time constant of said first stage, second means for determining the time constant of said second stage, said first and second time constants differing, and means for biasing said first and second stage such that said first stage first transistor and said second stage second transistor are on while the remaining transistors are off, and said first stage second transistor and said second stage first transistor are off while the other transistors are on, said first and second means establishing an asymmetry indicative of a transduced quantity, and further comprising a receiver electrostatically selectively manually coupled to said generator, said receiver comprising first and second series coupled amplifiers, a capacitive coupling input electrode, said first amplifier comprising a high gain operational amplifier having said input electrode connected to one input thereof, and a signal fed back from the output thereof to the remaining input thereof, said amplifier following the rate of rise and fall of the signal transmitted by said transmitter, and a display means coupled to said second amplifier for displaying a magnitude proportional to said transduced quantity.

A transducer system comprising a plurality of transmitters, each of said transmitters including means for generating a variable periodic pulse train, the variable periodicity of said pulse train being proportional to a quantity being transduced, each of said transmitters including a capacitive coupling output electrode, a receiver, said receiver including a capacitive coupling input electrode adapted to be electrostatically coupled direction, to any one of said transmitter electrodes, said receiver including means for convering said variable periodic pulse train to a magnitude representation of said transduced quantity in proportion to said variable periodicity, said transmitter including a variable periodic pulse generator comprising a first switching stage and a second switching stage, means cross coupling said first and second stages in a free running multivibrator configuration, a third stage, first coupling means coupling said first stage to said third stage for producing a sharply rising signal at a point in said third stage when said first stage is switched in a first current direction, second coupling means coupling said second stage to said third stage for providing a sharply rising signal at said point in said third stage when said second stage is switched in said first current direction, and a capacitive coupling output electrode coupled to said point in said third stage, first means controlling the time constant of said first stage, second means controlling the time constant of said second stage, said first and second time constants differing, said first and second means thereby establishing a variable periodic transmission ratio indicative of said transduced quantity.

A variable periodic pulse generator comprising a first switching stage and a second switching stage, means cross coupling said first and second stages in a free running multivibrator configuration, a third stage, first coupling means coupling said first stage to said third stage for producing a sharply rising signal at a point in said third stage when said first stage is switched in a first current direction, second coupling means coupling said second stage to said third stage for providing a sharply rising signal at said point in said third stage when said second stage is switched in said first current direction, and a capacitive coupling output electrode coupled to said point in said third stage, first means controlling the time constant of said first stage, second means controlling the time constant of said second stage, said first and second time constants differing, said first and second means thereby establishing a variable periodic transmission ratio indicative of a transduced quantity, further including a receiver, said receiver including a first amplifier and a second amplifier, said first amplifier comprising a high gain operational amplifier with first and second inputs having a manually positionable capacitive coupling input electrode coupled to said output electrode and connected to said first input, and a signal fed back from the output thereof to the second input, said amplifier following the rate of rise and fall of the voltage transmitted by said transmitter, and a display means coupled to said first amplifier for displaying a magnitude proportional to said transduced quantity.