Programmable spike detector
AssigneeCeridian Corporation
InventorsDewey W. Smith, Thomas D. Stechmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A programmable spike detector is designed to detect spikes in a test signal in a device under test. The spike detector includes a differential amplifier which provides a difference signal representing the difference in voltage between the test signal and an offset signal, which is the drive voltage for the device under test. A first comparator determines if the difference signal exceeds a first reference signal, and if so, provides an indication of a spike condition. A second comparator provides a second spike indication if the difference signal is less than a second reference signal. In one form of the invention, the reference signals are established under control of a programmable processor.
Claims12
A spike detector to determine if a spike is present in an analog test signal in a circuit under test, the spike detector comprising:
- a first input receiving the analog test signal from the circuit under test;
- a second input receiving an analog offset signal from the circuit under test, the analog offset signal being independent of the test signal;
- differential amplifier means connected to the first input and the second input and responsive to the analog offset signal and to the test signal for providing a differential signal representative of the difference between the values of the analog offset signal and the test signal;
- reference means providing a reference signal having a preselected value;
- comparator means responsive to the differential signal and the reference signal for providing an output signal when the value of the differential signal is greater than the value of the reference signal;
- and
- output means responsive to said output signal for indicating the presence of a spike in said test signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.