Patent GB-649376-A (GB)
Title: Electric pulse code modulation systems of communication
IPC: H03M1/00
Filed: 1948-11-15
Abstract: 649,376. Pulse code modulation; non-linear valve circuits. STANDARD TELEPHONES & CABLES, Ltd. (International Standard Electric Corporation.). Nov. 15, 1948, No. 29597. [Classes 40 (v) and 40 (vi)] A pulse code modulation transmitter comprises a signal coder producing, from a signal wave, groups of pulses representing sample signal amplitudes according to a " cyclic permutation " code which is the same binary code as the " staggered step'" code of Specification 644,935, and means for converting the pulse groups to further groups in a simple addition binary code before transmission. The code conversion is made by a scale-of-two counter operated by each pulse of a code group of the cyclic permutation code. For example, the upper code group 11010, Fig. 1, representing amplitude 19, is thus converted into the lower code group 10011 representing the same amplitude in the simple addition code. The duration of the pulses transmitted during the coding periods shown may be shorter, the counter output being used to control a gating circuit supplied with short pulses. The coder may be a known type of cathode-ray tube and the scale-of-two counter may be a conventional two-condition multivibrator triggered from one condition to the other by each pulse produced by the coder. Another coder for producing five-unit pulse groups in the cyclic permutation code comprises five identical devices 3, Fig. 3, each having a single input and two output circuits. The output passed on to the next device 3 is dependent upon the input according to the characteristic A, Fig. 4, that is, when the input voltage Vi lies between O and Vm the output voltage Vo is given by Vo=2Vi and when Vi lies between Vm and 2Vm then Vo=2(2Vm-Vi). The second output from a device 3, which is passed to the utilization circuit 4, has the characteristic B such that when Vi lies between O and Vm then Vo=O, and when Vi > Vm then Vo=k(Vi - Vm). The first device 3 is supplied with amplitudemodulated pulses derived from the signal wave and whose amplitude varies between 0 and 2 Vm. Thus each device sends a code pulse to the utilization circuit 4 if its input pulse amplitude exceeds Vm, and passes on a pulse of amplitude 2 (2Vm - Vi) to the next device. If the input pulse of a device has an amplitude less than Vm no code pulse is produced and a pulse of amplitude 2 Vi is passed to the next device. As the devices 3 are identical, they may be replaced by a single device, the A output of which is applied to the input through a delay device so that it re-operates itself for each code element. Such an arrangement comprises a valve 18, Fig. 6, whose anode 17 is connected to the input terminal 19 through resistance R1. The control grid is connected through resistance R3 and rectifier 9 to terminal 19, resistance R3 forming part of a biassing network, 22, 21, R3, R4, 30. Anode 17 is also connected through a delay device 12 to a double triode amplifier 11, which is gated on over lead 14 only when pulses are due to pass, and off at the end of a code group. The amplifier output is fed back to terminal 19. The code pulse output is derived from the screen grid of valve 18 and passed to the scale-of-two circuit 13 for translation to the simple addition code. When an input pulse at terminal 19 is of amplitude less than Vm, rectifier 9 is non-conducting and no pulse appears at the screen grid and by suitably proportioning the anode resistance R2 and resistances R1, R3, R4, and making the gain of amplifier 11 equal to two, the pulse fed back from the amplifier to terminal 19 is equal to 2ViR2/(R1+R2). If a pulse at terminal 19 is Qf amplitude greater than Vm, rectifier 19 conducts, valve 18 passes a code pulse to the screen grid output circuit and the pulse fed back from amplifier 11 is equal to 2(2Vm- Vi)R2/(R +R2). Specification 535,860 also is referred to. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 663,872.