Back to results
US 5,054,116 AGranted
Feed-forward automatic level control circuit for a high-frequency source
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorMark N. Davidson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorMark N. Davidson
Estimating the term…
In a feedback loop level control circuit for an RF source, the RF output is sensed and compared to a reference level which determines the desired output power level. The difference between the output sample and the reference level constitutes an error signal which is applied to an integrator. The reference level is summed with the output of the integrator and the resulting sum is used to control a modulator which variably attenuates the RF output. When the system is operating in a pulse amplitude modulation mode, the reference level signal is modulated and compared to a threshold signal that determines the lowest output level that can be accurately sensed. If the modulated reference level is above the threshold, the feedback loop is closed, otherwise when the modulation signal reduces the output power level to a level which is too low to detect accurately, the feedback loop is opened.
In an automatic level control circuit for controlling the output power amplitude of an RF source in accordance with a reference level signal, said control circuit having means for modulating the output of said RF source and a feedback loop circuit responsive to said reference level signal and to said output power amplitude for generating an amplitude control signal for controlling said modulating means so that said output power amplitude is related to said reference level signal, the improvement comprising:
In an automatic level control circuit for controlling the output power amplitude of an RF source in accordance with a reference level signal, said control circuit having means for modulating the output of said RF source, means responsive to said RF source output power amplitude for generating an amplitude signal, means responsive to said amplitude signal and to said reference level signal for generating an error signal representing the difference between said amplitude signal and said reference level signal, an integrator responsive to said error signal for generating an amplitude control signal for controlling said modulating means so that said output power amplitude is related to said reference level signal, the improvement comprising:
An automatic level control circuit for controlling the output power amplitude of an RF source in accordance with a reference level signal, said control circuit comprising:
A method for controlling the output power amplitude of an RF source in accordance with a reference level signal comprising the steps of:
A method for pulse modulating the output of an RF source in accordance with a reference level signal and a pulse control signal, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.