Method and apparatus for digitally controlling an amplitude modulated pulse envelope on an RF signal

التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
العنوان: Method and apparatus for digitally controlling an amplitude modulated pulse envelope on an RF signal
Patent Number: 4,039,951
تاريخ النشر: August 02, 1977
Appl. No: 05/560,338
Application Filed: March 21, 1975
مستخلص: An amplitude modulator circuit that generates from digital values stored in a read only memory, envelope amplitude samples that are digitized in the ROM and are incremented out by an incrementing address counter that is clocked at a given clock rate to a digital to analog converter. The shape of the waveform envelope may be changed by selectively changing the clock rate. The modulator also has envelope correction means, wherein the amplified RF pulse envelope that may be distorted, is detected and fed back through an operational amplifier for changing the analog waveform shape modulated onto the RF signal.
Inventors: Bruce, Robert L. (San Diego, CA); Gaughan, Neil A. (San Diego, CA); Ripingill, Allan E. (San Diego, CA)
Assignees: Cubic Industrial Corporation (San Diego, CA)
Claim: Having described our invention, we now claim
Claim: 1. A circuit for digitally controlling the shape of an amplitude modulated pulse envelope on an RF signal comprising
Claim: read only memory means for storing digital values for increments of a given shaped amplitude waveform
Claim: clocking means including an incrementing address counter for accessing said read only memory in response to given clock pulses and clocking out the digital values at a given clock rate
Claim: means for converting said digital values incrementally into an analog waveform having the given shape
Claim: means for amplitude modulating an RF signal with the analog waveform
Claim: detector means responsive to a last sequence output of a series from the read only memory for providing a detector signal
Claim: clock rate means for decreasing the clock rate
Claim: and enable means responsive to the coincidence of an enable signal and the detector signal for enabling the clock rate means to decrease the clock rate of the clocking means in sequence with an output detector signal from the detector, thereby elongating the center shape of the pulse.
Claim: 2. In a circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which
Claim: the converting means comprising a D to A converter
Claim: operational amplifier means for interfacing the output of said D to A converter to said modulator means
Claim: Rf amplifier means for amplifying the output of said modulator means
Claim: and feedback means for feeding the pulse amplitude output of the RF amplifier back to the input of the operational amplifier for providing envelope shape correction to the pulse envelope.
Claim: 3. In the circuit as claimed in claim 2 in which
Claim: said feedback means comprising a rectifier circuit for rectifying the RF amplifier output that is fed back to the operational amplifier.
Claim: 4. In the circuit as claimed in claim 2 including
Claim: means responsive to said feedback means for selectively changing the analog waveform to provide an amplitude modulated signal envelope through the RF amplifier that has the given shape.
Claim: 5. The method of digitally controlling the shape of an amplitude modulated pulse envelope on an RF signal comprising the steps of
Claim: storing digital values for increments of a given shaped amplitude waveform
Claim: using an incrementing address counter for accessing a read only memory in response to given clock pulses and clocking out the digital values at a given clock rate
Claim: converting the digital values incrementally into an analog waveform having the given shape
Claim: modulating an RF signal with the analog waveform
Claim: in response to a last sequence output of a series from the read only memory, providing a detector signal
Claim: and in response to a coincidence of an enable signal and the detector signal, decreasing the clock rate in sequence with an output detector signal to thereby elongate the center shape of the pulse while maintaining the same end shapes of the pulse.
Claim: 6. The method as claimed in claim 5 including the steps of
Claim: using an operational amplifier to interface the output of a D to A converter to an amplitude modulator
Claim: amplifying the RF output of the modulator
Claim: and feeding the amplified pulse amplitude output back to the input of the operational amplifier providing envelope shape correction to the pulse envelope.
Current U.S. Class: 325/38R; 328/14; 332/37D; 235/197
Current International Class: H04B 100
Patent References Cited: 2764738 September 1956 Bush
3035234 May 1962 Hillman
3739374 June 1973 Kiowski
3740670 June 1973 Hoffman
3794995 February 1974 Thompson
3868601 February 1975 MacAfee
Primary Examiner: Miller, Charles D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brown & Martin
رقم الانضمام: edspgr.04039951
قاعدة البيانات: USPTO Patent Grants