Electronic transponder tuning circuitry

An interrogator that transmits at least one RF interrogation pulse followed by at least one RF programming sequence containing tuning data to a responder, which is operable to transmit an RF response upon receipt of said at least one RF interrogation pulse, said interrogator comprising:

• a) an antenna operable to receive said RF response from said responder;
• b) a detection circuit for detecting the strength at said antenna of a carrier wave generated by said responder and for providing an analog signal to said control circuit, said analog signal indicating the signal strength of said RF response received at said antenna;
• and
• c) a control circuit for analyzing the detected strength of said carrier wave and for determining if a new set of tuning data for another RF programming sequence needs to be computed.

An interrogator that transmits at least one RF interrogation pulse followed by at least one RF programming sequence containing tuning data to a responder, which is operable to transmit an RF response upon receipt of said at least one RF interrogation pulse, said interrogator comprising:

• a) an antenna operable to receive said RF response from said responder;
• b) a detection circuit for detecting the strength at said antenna of a carrier wave generated by said responder and for providing an analog signal to said control circuit, said analog signal indicating the signal strength of said RF response received at said antenna;
• c) a demodulator for receiving said RF response from said antenna and demodulating data therefrom;
• d) a control circuit for analyzing the detected strength of said carrier wave and for determining if a new set of tuning data for another RF programming sequence needs to be computed;
• and
• e) an analog-to-digital converter electrically interposed between said detection circuit and said control circuit, said analog-to-digital converter being operable to create a digital signal representing the amplitude of said analog signal whereby said control circuit may directly determine whether a new set of tuning data for another RF programming sequence should be computed based upon said digital signal.