Patent GB-1024356-A (GB)
Title: Time-amplitude converter
Inventor: ZURK RODERT VAN
IPC: H03K3/315
Filed: 1964-02-05
Abstract: 1,024,356. Measuring short time intervals. COMMISSARIAT A. L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE. Feb. 5, 1964 [Feb. 13, 1963], No. 4884/64. Heading G1U. [Also in Division H3] A time-amplitude converter for the measurement of time intervals defined by an initial pulse and a final pulse includes two tunnel diodes which are first established in their intermediate stable states corresponding to positive differential resistance and are subsequently respectively triggered by the initial and final pulse to generate signals which are applied to a control unit. At the output of this unit is developed a pulse having a duration equal to that of the time interval to be measured, which pulse is fed to an integrator to produce a pulse having an amplitude proportional to the time interval. In one embodiment of the apparatus, suitable for use in measuring transit times of fast neutrons, the pulses V i , V f  defining the time interval to be measured are applied at the inputs 2 and 3 respectively of the converter circuit and thence to the amplitude discriminators 5 and 7. Provided these discriminators receive pulses of sufficient amplitude they deliver pulse outputs, and the output of 5 is arranged to have a pulse duration at least as large as the maximum time interval to be measured so that it is bound to overlap a pulse from the discriminator 7. When the pulses do overlap, a coincidence circuit 12 is operated to. actuate a generator 13 which delivers pulses via the lines F, F<SP>1</SP> to set the tunnel diodes 10, 11 to their intermediate states. The tunnel diodes are arranged in bistable circuits which deliver high output voltages when the diodes are in their intermediate states. The input pulses V i  and V f  are fed to the tunnel diode circuits by delay lines 6 and 8, which introduce equal delays, and act to return the tunnel diodes to their normal condition. The outputs from the tunnel diode circuits are fed to a control circuit 15 which produces a control pulse for the time during which only one high voltage input from the tunnel diode circuits is applied, so that the duration of this pulse corresponds to the time interval to be measured. The pulse is applied to an integrator 16 which produces an output whose amplitude is proportional to the duration of the input pulse, and thus to the time interval to be measured. Detailed circuitry (Fig. 3). The coincidence circuit 12 includes a tunnel diode 17 which is biased from a potential -V 1  through a resistor chain to one of its stable states. When two coincident pulses from the discriminators 5 and 7 are applied to it the diode is triggered to its other stable state and a negative pulse is applied to the base of the transistor 26. This supplies a positive pulse via the transistors 35 and 36 to the polarisation resistor chains 27, 28 and 30, 31 of the tunnel diodes 32 and 33. The application of this pulse sets the diodes to their intermediate stable states. When the timing pulses are applied to the diodes, these are returned to their normal states. The output pulses derived from the diodes are fed differentially to the windings 40 and 41 of the control transformer 15. A pulse output is thus derived from the control transformer for a time equivalent to that being measured and this pulse is applied to the transistor 44, which is part of an integrator circuit including the capacitor 49. The integrated output is delivered on the line 52 to be measured by means not shown.