Patent GB-1312323-A (GB)
Title: Signal processing circuits
IPC: H03M1/00
Filed: 1970-09-22
Abstract: 1312323 Measuring fluid flow-rate and temperature ROSEMOUNT ENG CO Ltd 6 July 1971 [22 Sept 1970] 45143/70 Heading G1N [Also in Divisions H3 and H4] In a voltage-to-frequency converter, an input signal V i , Fig.1, is supplied to one input of a differential amplifier 3 and a signal derived from the output pulses via integrator 11 is supplied to the other input. The output of the amplifier is  supplied to one input of a JK bi-stable 5, the other input of the bi-stable receiving a continuous fixed voltage. The bi-stable is clocked by pulses from a source 7 and will change state at each clock pulse if the signal on line 4 is positive, providing corresponding output pulses on line 9. If the signal on line 4 becomes zero or negative, the output on line 9 will switch to the zero state at the next clock pulse and will remain in that state for succeeding clock pulses until the input goes positive again. The pulses at 9 are fed to an output 10 for transmission and when integrated provide a voltage across capacitor 13 which is equal to the input voltage V i . In a modification, Fig.2, (not shown) instead of feeding back the integrated output pulses, the output pulses control an electronic switch (15) connecting a reference voltage V r  to the integrator. Between pulses the integrator is earthed. The output frequency on line 9 will be proportional to the input V i  and inversely proportional to the reference voltage and the reference voltage may be changed to alter the relationship between the output frequency and the input signal. The clock pulse source (7a) may be made variable in which case the output frequency is proportional to the product of the input voltage and the frequency of the pulses from source 7. The output pulses may be frequency-divided (17) to provide a more uniform mark-to-space ratio. A portion of the reference voltage derived from a potential divider may be added to the input signal at terminal 1 if the output frequency is not required to vary down to zero. Heat meter, Fig.3. Hot water flows through inlet 20 and via thermal load 21 to an outlet 22, and a turbine 23 provides output pulses at a rate proportional to the rate of flow, which after shaping at 24 provide clock pulses for the bi-stable 5 as in Fig.2. The temperatures in the inlet 20 and outlet 22 are measured at 25, 26 respectively and supplied to a bridge circuit 27 to provide a voltage proportional to the temperature difference which is supplied to the input 1 of the amplifier 3. The remainder of the circuit operates as described previously to provide a pulse train on line 9 of repetition frequency proportional to the product of the temperature difference and the flow-rate which are fed via divider 17 to a counter 28. The turbine 23 may be in the form of a permanent magnet operating a reed switch at each rotation. Temperature measurement, Fig.4. One side of a thermocouple 30 is connected to a resistance bridge 31 and the other side to the input 1 of the differential amplifier 3. The bridge is energized by the feedback signal from integrator 11 and its sensitivity is arranged to provide cold junction compensation for the thermocouple. The arrangement operates as in Fig.1, to provide pulses whose repetition frequency varies sufficiently to maintain the voltages of inputs 1 and 14 equal. These pulses are coupled via a transformer 29 to circuit 34 including a Zener diode 35 which reshapes the pulses for averaging at 36 and amplification at 37. The resistance 33 may be made temperature sensitive and the thermocouple 30 dispensed with. In a modification, Fig. 5, (not shown) the amplifier 3 is converted into a chopper type to reduce drift. An FET is connected across its input and gated by the pulses from source 7 and a similarly gated FET is connected across the output of the amplifier and followed by a low pass filter or a delay circuit. Transmitting the converter output by line. Means are described, Fig.6, (not shown) for coupling the output of the converter to a pair of wires by a combination of Zener diodes and a transistor.