Dynamic range extension system
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorStanley V. Birleson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Receiver dynamic range is improved while maintaining system processing fidelity by placing a processor control attenuator in front of the synchronous detector or other circuitry and A/D converter circuits. This is followed by a digital circuit which reinserts the attenuation that was taken out previously to maintain signal processing fidelity. The control for the attenuator function is from the processor and is determined by looking at the prior pulse repetition intervals (PRIs) of the radar system data and determining from that data what attenuator value to use for the next PRI. This is done for each range bin to be processed.
Claims18
A receiver which comprises:
- (a) an analog to digital converter having an input terminal and an output terminal for converting an analog signal at the input terminal thereof to a corresponding digital signal at the output terminal thereof;
- (b) an analog attenuator for receiving and attenuating analog signals applied thereto, said analog attenuator coupled to the input terminal of said converter and applying attenuated analog signals to said input terminal of said converter;
- (c) a digital attenuator for receiving and attenuating digital signals applied thereto, said digital attenuator coupled to the output terminal of said converter and attenuating digital signals received from said output terminal of said converter;
- and
- (d) circuitry for concurrently maintaining the combined attenuation level of said analog attenuator and said digital attenuator to about one;
- (e) wherein said circuitry for maintaining includes circuitry responsive to the pulse repetition interval of signals at the input terminal of said converter to adjust the attenuation of said analog attenuator and said digital attenuator.
A receiver which comprises:
- (a) an analog to digital converter having an input terminal and an output terminal for converting an analog signal at the input terminal thereof to a corresponding digital signal at the output terminal thereof;
- (b) an analog attenuator for receiving and attenuating analog signals, said analog attenuator coupled to the input terminal of said converter and applying attenuated analog signals to said input terminal of said converter;
- (c) a digital attenuator for receiving and attenuating digital signals, said digital attenuator coupled to the output terminal of said converter and attenuating digital signals received from said output terminal of said converter;
- and
- (d) circuitry coupled to the output terminal of said converter for concurrently controlling the attenuation level of both said analog attenuator and said digital attenuator;
- (e) wherein said circuitry for maintaining includes circuitry responsive to the pulse repetition interval of signals at the input terminal of said converter to adjust the attenuation of said analog attenuator and said digital attenuator.
A receiver which comprises:
- (a) an analog to digital converter having an input terminal and an output terminal;
- (b) an analog attenuator for receiving and attenuating analog signals coupled to the input terminal of said converter;
- (c) a digital attenuator for receiving and attenuating digital signals coupled to the output terminal of said converter;
- and
- (d) data base circuitry responsive to the output of said converter and responsive to a determined output level of said converter to control said attenuators in conjunction with said data base to provide a combined gain from said attenuators of about 1 while providing optimum operating levels of said converter;
- (e) wherein said data base circuitry includes circuitry responsive to the pulse repetition interval of signals at the input terminal of said converter to adjust the attenuation of said analog attenuator and said digital attenuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.