Device for measuring various characteristics of a radio frequency signal
AssigneeBelar Electronics Laboratory, Inc.
InventorsArno M. Meyer, Mark Grant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monitoring system which converts a desired radio frequency signal to an absolute value, detects the peak value of the signal, converts the peak value to a corresponding digital signal and processes the converted signal by a micro-computer to determine percent modulation of the signal and displays the result to the user. A plurality of signals may be monitored at the same time by multiplexing each signal onto a common signal line. The system my be remotely operated over an RS-232 line connected to a personal computer. The system also may be programmed with various alarm conditions such that when a monitored parameter falls outside of the desired range, the user is alerted to such condition.
Claims30
A device for measuring a selected characteristic of a radio frequency signal, said device comprising:
- receiver means for receiving said selected characteristic;
- absolute value means coupled to said receiver means for converting said selected characteristic to a corresponding absolute value signal;
- peak detector means coupled to said absolute value means for receiving said absolute value signal and detecting when said absolute value signal is at a peak level, said peak detector means providing a corresponding output of said absolute value signal when said absolute value signal is at said peak level;
- and
- processing means for processing said absolute value signal output by said peak detector means to provide a continuous, timed measure of said selected characteristic over time, said processing means incorporating the ability to retain successive peak values of said selected characteristic.
A device for measuring selected charactertics of a radio frequency signal, said device comprising:
- receiver means for receiving said selected characteristics;
- an input channel for each of said selected characteristics, wherein each of said input channels includes
- interface means coupled to said receiver means for scaling the amplitude of the associated characteristic to within a predetermined range,
- absolute value means coupled to said interface means for converting the scaled associated characteristic to a corresponding absolute value signal;
- multiplexer means for multiplexing said absolute value signals from each of said channels to a common line;
- peak detector means coupled to said common line for receiving each of said absolute value signals and detecting when said absolute value signals are at a peak level, said peak detector means providing a corresponding output of said absolute value signals when said absolute value signals are at said peak level;
- and
- processing means for processing said absolute value signals output by said peak detector means to provide a continuous, timed measure of each of said selected characteristics over time, said processing means incorporating the ability to retain successive peak values of said selected characteristic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.