Patent GB-940433-A (GB)
Title: General purpose compensated diode function generator
IPC: H03K4/06
Filed: 1960-08-09
Abstract: 940,433. Electric analogue calculating. TECHNION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION Ltd. Aug. 9,1960 [Sept. 2, 1959], No. 27598/60. Heading G4G. A function f(x) is approximated by a further function F(x) given by where and x is an independent variable #x is a constant spacing of i sampling points K is a constant X i  is a value of x at an i-th discrete sampling point Min, Max are operators selecting the respectively smallest and largest of the quantities upon which they operate f i  = F(X i ) and the values of i are chosen so that F(x) # f(x) with f i  # f(x i ) The function #<SP>1</SP>[x - x i ] (Fig. 1) is triangular in form with the height representing #x and the abscissal displacement between the apex and the ends of the base being given by 2#x, while the fraction F(x) is represented by the additive combination of the products of constants and of a plurality of triangular functions whose bases extend along the abscissa from 0 to 2#x, #x to 3#x, 2#x to 4#x &c, and whose attitudes are determined by constants #<SP>1</SP> of suitable values (Fig. 2). Fig. 5 shows a function generator wherein an input voltage x is applied over terminal T in <SP>+</SP> to input unit A<SP>+</SP> and over unity gain phase changing amplifier 35 to terminal T in of input unit A<SP>-</SP>; yielding voltages representing x - x i  -#x at output terminals T<SP>+</SP> 1 , T<SP>+</SP> 2 ; . . T 1 <SP>+</SP>; . . . T n <SP>+</SP>, and voltages representing - (x - x i ) - #x at output terminals T 1 <SP>-</SP>, T 2 <SP>-</SP> . . T 1 <SP>-</SP> . . . T n <SP>-</SP>, where x i  = x 0  + i#x and i is an integer. Voltages T i <SP>+</SP>, T i <SP>-</SP> are applied to respective trangular function generators B i to produce output voltages given by at terminals t i , which are connectible over a range of switches S i  either to the input t i <SP>+</SP> or t i <SP>-</SP> of sign changing addition circuits 36 or 37 respectively. The output of 36 and a constant voltage over terminal 38 are applied to the input of 37 which develops at its output T a signal representing F(x) in equation 1/. Switches S i  permit the selection of positive and negative values of f i . Unit A<SP>x</SP> comprises (Fig. 6) a unit gain amplifier shifting the D.C. level of the input signal on T in <SP>+</SP> to a suitable positive value for application to a cathode follower triode V 1 <SP>+</SP> having a load comprising a chain of alternately spaced variable resistors and potentiometers Q<SP>+</SP>i and Pi<SP>+</SP> where i is an integer; terminated by a constant current device comprising series triodes V 2 , V 3  returned to a negative source 18 and biased from grid potentiometers 15, 16. The sliders of potentiometers P i <SP>+</SP> are connected through impedance conversion amplifiers CF i <SP>+</SP> to the respective output terminals T i <SP>+</SP>. The impedance converters produce at their output T i  voltages given by where # i <SP>+</SP> donates a small compensating voltage in each case, and potentiometers P i  and Q i  are adjusted so that the differences between D.C. levels at adjacent terminals C i  are constant and also so that every i-th triangle function of voltage is centred on abscissal value x - X i ; resistances Q i  enabling the D.C. level along potentiometers P i  to fall into the proper range. Unit A<SP>-</SP> operating similarly in response to input voltage T in <SP>-</SP> produces at its output terminals i voltages given by Triangle function generators B i  are identical (Fig. 7) and each comprise terminals T in <SP>+</SP> and T in <SP>-</SP> connected from the corresponding outputs of units A<SP>+</SP> and A<SP>-</SP> through resistors 21, 22 and the anodes of diodes D 1 , D 2  to a common point 25 returned through resistance 24 to a constant source of negative voltage exceeding the maximum possible input value. The cathode of diode D 3  is connected to point 25 while its anode is connected to point 30, returned to a constant voltage source 26 over diode D4 in series with resistor 27 and to a constant positive source 28 over resistor 29. A potentiometer 32 between point 30 and round terminal 33 produces at output terminal t i  a voltage representing ke 0  where 0 # k # 1. It is shown that clipping of the shoulders and apex of the triangular function (Fig. 1) results from simultaneous conduction of D 1  and D 2  of D 3  and D 4  due to the existence of effective resistances in series with the diodes arising from the internal resistance values thereof and the output resistances of amplifiers Cfi, together with any series resistances inserted in the diode circuits, and it is shown by mathematical analysis that for elimination of clipping and production of an accurate triangular function, by the equivalent circuit of Fig. 7, where r 1  is the total resistance in series with D 1  and D 2  including internal resistance, r 2  is the total resistance in series with D 3 , r 6  is the total resistance in series with D 4 , R 1  is the resistance 24, and R 2  that of 29, while V 1  and V 2  are the negative and positive voltages on terminals 23 and 28. Further error compensation to ensure that the shoulders of the triangle function correspond to zero is achieved by adding to the inputs at 52, 53 and the voltage at 26 voltage values representing (E 1  - E 3 ), (E 2  - E 3 ) and E 4  where E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , E 4  are the contact voltages of the respective diodes; the voltages being introduced by adjustment of the potentiometers P i  feeding 52, 53 and the constant voltage source feeding 26. Alternatively terminal 26 may be grounded and 33 returned to a constant voltage, with introduction of voltages (E 1  - E 3  + E 4 ), (E 2  - E 3  + E 4 ), E 4  at 52, 53, 33 respectively with combination of an offset voltage E 4  at the output. Representative component values are quoted.