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Nov. 8, 1960 T. R. O "MEARA 2,959,674 GAIN CONTROL FOR PHASE AND GAIN MATCHED MULTI-CHANNEL RADIO RECEIVERS Filed July 2, 1957 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 PETARD CONVERTER TUBE Ë????Q. F SiGNAL OUTPUT OSC. S. G. INPUT INVENTOR. 77/OMAS A. O’MEAAA AT 7OAPWA 3 2,959,674 United States Patent Office Patented Nov. 8, 1960 1. 2 linear type. By a linear type frequency changer is meant a device with output current or voltage which is a linear 2.959,674 function of either the RF input signal or local oscillator GAIN CONTROL FOR PHASE AND GAN signal alone and with a conversion transconductance MATCHED MULT-CHANNELRADIO RE. 5 characteristic which varies linearly with the magnitude of CEIVERS the voltage at the local oscillator input to the device. Thomas R. O'Meara, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by This means that, if instead of being an alternating voltage, meSne assignments, to the United States of America as the RF signal input to the device were maintained at a represented by the Secretary of the Navy constant D.C. voltage and the oscillator signal were re 0. placed by a D.C. voltage excursion, then a plot of the Filed July 2, 1957, Ser. No. 669,691 output current or voltage of the device versus the local oscillator signal voltage would be a straight line. Simi 3 Claims. (Cl. 250-20) larly, if the local oscillator signal voltage input to the device were kept at a constant D.C. value, instead of This invention relates to a gain control for electronic 5 being an A.C. signal, and the RF input signal were re amplifiers and more particularly to a gain control for placed by a D.C. voltage excursion, then a plot of the phase and gain matched multi-channel radio receivers. output current or voltage versus the RF input (D.C. An object of the present invention is to provide an excursion) voltage would be a straight line. apparatus for controlling the gain in all of the channels of The invention accomplishes the desired result with the a multi-channel radio receiver simultaneously in such a 20 use of a multigrid vacuum tube such as the usual penta way that they remain phase and gain matched for all gain grid converter tube operated under certain special condi control settings. tions. The D.C. bias on both the signal grid 16 and the Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of oscillator grid 18 is such as to place the operating point this invention will be readily appreciated as the same of the tube into the center of the aforedescribed linear becomes better understood by reference to the following 25 region. The proper bias for each grid can be determined detailed description when considered in connection with by plotting a family of curves of plate, current versus the accompanying drawings wherein: . - signal grid voltage. Each of the curves is plotted for Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a multi-channel radio a different value of fixed D.C. voltage applied to the . receiver using the invention; and oscillator grid. These values of fixed D.C. voltages are Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of the frequency converter. 30 separated by equal increments. A D.C. bias voltage for stage of Fig. 1. each grid is then selected which will place the operating. Reference is now made to the drawing. In Fig. 1 there point in the region wherein the curves of this family are is shown a multi-channel radio receiver, each channel of straight lines and where three adjacent members of the which includes a RF amplifier 2 which feeds into a fre family of curves intercept equal distances on a line of quency converter 4 to which is also supplied a voltage 35 constant signal grid voltage. During operation, the oscil from a local oscillator 6 through a gated buffer amplifier lator grid voltage would normally be maintained suffi 8, the local oscillator 6 supplying a voltage common to ciently low so that no grid current flows and the tube all channels. The output of the frequency converter 4 remains in the linear region. Stabilized D.C. bias is main is fed to an intermediate frequency amplifier 10 and tained on both grids, preferably by external fixed bias thence to a detector 12. The output of the several 40 such as the battery shown since this gives better results detectors is shown as being alternatively available to than the usual cathode bias. By choosing the operating operate an automatic gain control in place of the manual points in this manner one is assured that, when the D.C. gain control 14 operating on the gated buffer amplifier 8. voltage excursions are replaced by an A.C. signal voltage In Fig.2 some circuitry details of the converter stage 4 (or an A.C. oscillator voltage), the amplitude of that are shown. Each such stage includes a pentagrid con 45 component of the output signal occurring at the sum (or verter tube or the like onto one control grid 16 of which difference) frequency will vary linearly with the ampli (designated the signal grid) is fed the RF signal from the tude of the signal (or oscillator) voltage up to the largest RF amplifier 2. On to another control grid 18 of the possible signal amplitude in either case. Thus a large converter tube is fed the oscillator signal voltage emanat dynamic range of signal amplitude may result, wherein ing from the amplifier 8. A battery 20 serves to maintain the gain control remains precise (i.e. matched). a stabilized D.C. bias on the grid 16 and a battery 22 With the arrangement described the potentiometer 14 serves to maintain a stabilized D.C. bias on the grid 18. or the alternative automatic gain control serves to match variations in gain on all channels simultaneously and Operation maintains the phases matched also. In order to match the The gains of all of the channels of the receiver are con 55 absolute gains of the channels, that is the actual gains, trolled by varying the amount of the common oscillator it suffices to make one initial adjustment, preferably near voltage generated by the local oscillator 6 injected at the the output, by, for example, attenuating the gain of one oscillator grid 18 of each of the frequency converter tubes channel relative to another to which it is to be matched. in the frequency converter stage of each channel. Any Once this initial adjustment is made and the two channels conventional system can be used to provide the control 60 start out with identical gains, then the variation in their of the injected oscillator voltage. One entirely satisfac gains will be identical and the phases will remain tory way of accomplishing this is in the illustrated em matched. bodiment wherein a buffer amplifier 8 is provided whose From the foregoing it is seen that a gain control sys gain is varied by changing the negative bias of the control tem has been provided which requires no special match grid of the buffer tube. This variable bias may come 65 ing of tubes or other components and requires no par from a potentiometer such as shown at 14 to give a ticular additional adjustment to balance the gain control manual gain control or may come from a rectifier at system operation. the outputs of the receiver intermediate frequency ampli In the special case where the signal applied to the fiers to give an automatic gain control system similar to oscillator grid 18 is a D.C. voltage (variable in value), the conventional variety. 70 which may be regarded as the instance where the fre In order to insure good channel to channel matching quency of the local oscillator is zero, then the output or balance, the frequency changer stage must be of the signal from the frequency converter is at the same fre 2,959,674 3 4. quency as the input RF signal. In a practical situation the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be this D.C. case can be put into practice by disconnecting practiced otherwise than as specifically described. the oscillator signal input in Fig. 2 and varying the What is claimed is: resistor 24 to obtain different D.C. voltages on grid 18. 1. A radio receiver comprising a plurality of channels, The device would then properly no longer be desig 5 each of said channels including a radio frequency an nated as a frequency converter but rather would become plifier stage and a frequency converter stage; each said a gain-controlled amplifier whereas, when operated with frequency converter stage comprising a multigrid vacu a controlled amplitude, A.C. voltage on the oscillator um tube; means biasing, with a stabilized direct current grid, the device could all-embracingly have been desig bias, the signal grid and the oscillator grid of each said nated as a combined frequency converter and gain con 10 tube into the region where the output voltage of Said trol. The special D.C. case has certain characteristics tube is a linear function of either the radio frequency which distinguish it from the frequency changer or dy input signal or the local oscillator signal alone; each said namic case where an A.C. voltage is applied to the oscil radio frequency amplifier stage supplying radio fre lator grid 18. Since the gain of the D.C. operated am quency signal to the signal grid of the tube of its respec plifier cannot be reduced to zero or even extremely low 5 tive frequency converter stage at such a voltage as to values, therefore the obtainable dynamic control ranges maintain said tube within said linear region; a local of the D.C.