Patent GB-983277-A (GB)
Title: Frequency lock detector
IPC: G01S13/60
Filed: 1963-05-17
Abstract: 983,277. Doppler radar; transistor oscillator circuits. BENDIX CORPORATION. May 17, 1963 [May 24, 1962], No. 19764/63. Headings H3T and H4D. General description. The present application relates to an improvement of the Doppler navigation system described in Specification 949,681, wherein the signal of frequency fa, produced according to the equation #a -#FL -#FR + #BL -#BR, where #FL &c., are the centre frequencies of the Doppler spectra of the four antenna beams, and which is substantially equal to zero when correct data is being received on all four beams, is utilized to control the initiation and termination of the slewing of the local tracking oscillators during the search mode. The signal fa is produced by a combiner circuit 19, Fig. 1, and is fed to a flag actuator 24, wherein if one or more of the tracking oscillators loses contact such that the frequency #FL, for example, is no longer reliable and the frequency fa is caused to increase to 500 c/s. or more, the flag actuator causes the servos which read out the data to the indicators and navigation instruments to freeze, thus preserving the last good data, and also causes the search and track function generator 23 to initiate slewing of the tracking oscillators until all the oscillators lock on to a reliable signal. In addition the tracking oscillators are continuously subjected to a low amplitude slewing which is counteracted by the servo control of the tracking oscillators if fa is substantially zero due to correct data being received on all four antenna, but which, when fa is zero merely because no signals are being produced by any of the antenna, becomes cumulative until the alarm circuits are actuated. Track and flag alarm circuit, Figs. 5B, 5C.- The signal at frequency fa is produced at the collector of transistor 109 and is passed to a monostable circuit 111 which generates a square wave at the frequency fa. This square wave is differentiated and passed through pulse shapetransistor 112 and a pulse amplifier 113, to produce a pulse of predetermined amplitude and duration for each cycle of the frequency fa. These pulses are used to charge up an integration capacitor 114. Resistor 115 is adjusted until the time constant of the circuit formed by capacitor 114 and resistor 115 is such that a voltage accumulates across capacitor 114 just sufficient to cause transistor 116 to approach cut off when the frequency fa is 500 c/s. The D.C. supply to all the mechanical servos in the system is through the collector/emitter circuit of transistor 121. With fa substantially zero transistor 116 is highly conductive and its emitter is at a potential approaching - 12 volts. Six volt Zener diode 122 is therefore broken down and the base potential of transistor 121 is nearly - 12 volts such that the transistor is conductive. As #a increases however the emitter potential of transistor 116 rises until at fa equal to 500 c/s., the potential is only - 6 volts. The Zener diode 122 is no longer broken down and the base potential of transistor 121 rises to near + 12 volts, cutting off the transistor 121 and freezing all the servos. The rise of fa to 500 c/s. or more may however only be transistory and initiation of the slewing of the tracking oscillators may be unnecessary. A circuit to be described ensures that such slewing is only initiated if fa rises to 1500 c/s. or above and remains at this level for 10 or more seconds. A tap or resistor 125 supplies + 6 volts to the base of transistor 126 when fa is 1500 c/s. Prior to this transistor 126 conducts and charges capacitor 128 to + 6 volts from its positive emitter bias, keeping transistor 129 conductive. With the application of the + 6 volts to transistor 126 it cuts off and capacitor 128 starts to discharge through a long timeonstant circuit such that the base of transistor 129 falls to ground cut off potential after 10 seconds. When transistor 129 cuts off its + 12 volt collector potential breaks down Zener diode 131 and starts transistor 132 conducting. This in turn starts transistor 133 conducting and cuts off transistor 134. The collector/emitter path of transistor 134 provides the grounding circuit for the drift angle relay connected to terminal 135 and the ground speed relay connected to terminal 136. Interruption of the grounding circuit through transistor 134 thus interrupts the flow of data to the indicators and also produces alarm potentials to initiate the slewing of the tracking oscillators. If for some reason the fa signal disappears the output of circuit 111 drops to ground and cuts off diode 137 which has previously supplied a negative voltage to capacitor 139 to charge it up to - 6 volts and keep transistor 138 cut off. Capacitor 139 now discharges until transistor 138 is rendered conductive. This allows capacitor 128 to discharge and alarm conditions are produced. A manual actuate switch selectively grounds the drift angle and ground speed relay circuits for the application of test signals. A negative signal is automatically provided on line 153 to discharge capacitor 128 to produce alarm conditions. Search and track function generator, Figs. 4A, B4.-When the oscillators are tracking and fa is substantially zero a double base diode relaxation oscillator 81 produces pulses at a rate of one per second. These pulses are then processed by monostable circuit 82 and amplifier 79 to produce a square pulse of predetermined amplitude and duration for each pulse from oscillator 81. These pulses are then passed to the tracking oscillator circuits, Figs. 3A, 3B (not shown) to charge capacitors therein and slew the frequencies of the tracking oscillators. If fa is substantially zero due to correct data being received on all four antenna beams, then this slewing will be counteracted by the servo frequency control and no alarm condition will be initiated. If however #a is substantially zero when correct data is not being received by the antennae then no counteraction can occur and fa increases until alarm conditions are initiated. When the oscillators have lost track and fa increases to 500 c/s. and then 1500 c/s. for 10 seconds or more transistor 134 in the track and flag alarm circuit is cut off and actuates relay circuits such that a + 12 volt signal is applied to line 86 to maintain the potential of the emitter of transistor 85 at + 6 volts. If strong signals are present in the receiver circuit the signal on A.G.C. line 84 is + 6 or less, and causes transistor 85 to conduct. This shunts the resistive circuit including diode 80 across oscillator 81 and adjusts the time constant of the oscillator 81 such that the slew pulses are generated at a rate of three pulses per second. Negative pulses from circuit 82 on line 87 charge capacitor 88 which is at the input of a trigger circuit 91. When the voltage across capacitor 88 reaches - 6 volts the next slew pulse on line 92 triggers circuit 91 which in turn causes transistor 93 to conduct. This provides a path whereby the capacitors receiving the slew pulses and controlling the frequency of the tracking oscillators can be discharged, thus allowing the slewing of the tracking oscillators to recommence. Such a recycling operation is prevented when correct signals are regained by the antenna, by a potential on line 95 holding the charge on capacitor 88 to - 5 volts, such that circuit 91 cannot be triggered.