Transmission line analyzer for automatically identifying the severities and locations of multiple mismatches
AssigneeSystron Donner Corporation
InventorsZoltan Tarczy-Hornoch, Asad M. Madni, Joseph Fala
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A transmission line analyzer for automatically identifying the severities and locations of multiple mismatches generates a ripple waveform which is digitally analyzed by a fast fourier transform method. Foreign and harmonic signals are rejected, and return loss at each mismatch accurately determined.
Claims5
A transmission line analyzer for automatically sensing at least the location of discontinuities in said transmission line to be tested comprising:
- means for sweeping a radio frequency signal over a predetermined bandwidth for a predetermined one sweep time and connectable to said line to be tested;
- frequency domain reflectometer means for providing a complex, composite, time-varying signal which is a swept frequency interference pattern containing said location information;
- fast fourier transform means for automatically processing said complex signal to determine spectral peaks;
- means for converting said spectral peaks to said location of said discontinuities;
- means for changing said one sweep time to another sweep time;
- means for storing spectral peaks for each said sweep time;
- and means for rejecting all spectral peaks that do not have a matching peak for each sweep time.
A transmission line analyzer for automatically sensing at least the location of discontinuities in said transmisson line to be tested comprising:
- means for sweeping a radio frequency signal over at least two predetermined and different bandwidths;
- frequency domain reflectometer means for providing a complex, composite, time-varying signal which is a swept frequency interference pattern containing said location information;
- fast fourier transform means for automatically processing said complex signal to determine spectral peaks;
- means for converting said spectral peaks to said location of said discontinuities;
- means for storing spectral peaks for each said bandwidth;
- and means for retaining all spectral peaks that shift in a ratio equivalent to the ratio of said bandwidths and for rejecting all spectral peaks that have a matching peak for each bandwidth.
A transmission line analyzer for automatically sensing at least the location of discontinuities in said transmission line to be tested and eliminating harmonic signals comprising:
- frequency domain reflectometer means for providing a complex, composite, time-varying signal containing said location information;
- fast fourier transform means for automatically processing said complex signal to determine spectral peaks;
- a reference cable of predetermined length;
- p1 means for storing first spectral peaks with said cable physically added to said transmission line;
- means for storing second spectral peaks without said cable added;
- means for comparing said first spectral peaks with said second spectral peaks, with the equivalent length of said reference cable arithmetically added, and rejecting all peaks that do not have a corresponding peak;
- and means for converting said remaining spectral peaks to said locations of said discontinuities.
A transmission line analyzing method for automatically sensing at least the location of discontinuities in said transmission line to be tested and eliminating harmonic signals comprising:
- using a frequency domain reflectometer method for providing a complex, composite, time-varying signal containing said location information;
- by the fast fourier transform method automatically processing said complex signal to determine spectral peaks;
- providingg a reference cable of predetermined length;
- storing first spectral peaks with said cable physically added to said transmission line;
- storing second spectral peaks without said cable added;
- comparing said first spectral peaks with said second spectral peaks, with the equivalent length of said reference cable arithmetically added, and rejecting all peaks that do not have a corresponding peak;
- and converting said remaining spectral peaks to said locations of said discontinuities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.