Ultra-wideband directional sampler
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorThomas E. McEwan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Directional Sampler is a four port device that combines the function of a directional coupler with a high speed sampler. Two of the four ports operate at a high sub-nanosecond speed, in "real time", and the other two ports operate at a slow millisecond-speed, in "equivalent time". A signal flowing inbound to either of the high speed ports is sampled and coupled, in equivalent time, to the adjacent equivalent time port while being isolated from the opposite equivalent time port. A primary application is for a time domain reflectometry (TDR) situation where the reflected pulse returns while the outbound pulse is still being transmitted, such as when the reflecting discontinuity is very close to the TDR apparatus.
Claims10
An ultra-wideband (UWB) directional sampler, comprising:
- an electronic coupler having a first port operating in real time, a second port operating in real time and coupled to the first port, a third port coupled to the first port and isolated from the second port and providing an equivalent time representation of a signal at the first port, and a fourth port coupled to the second port and providing an equivalent time representation of a signal at the second port;
- a sampling gate pulse generator for sampling signals at the first and second ports.
Apparatus for measuring the level of a material, comprising:
- a pulse generator for generating a real time transmit pulse;
- a directional sampler having a first port for receiving the real time transmit pulse, a second port coupled to the first port for transmitting the real time transmit pulse, a third port coupled to the first port and isolated from the second port, and a fourth port coupled to the second port;
- a dipstick assembly connected to the second port;
- first and second comparators connected to the third and fourth ports;
- a set-reset flip-flop connected to the first and second comparators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.