Electricity: measuring and testing – Measuring – testing – or sensing electricity – per se – Analysis of complex waves
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-12-11
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Measuring, testing, or sensing electricity, per se
Analysis of complex waves
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329805
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to network analyzers wherein at least one transmit signal is transmitted to a system being analyzed, and at least one receive signal is received from the system being analyzed, the transmitted signal being mixed with the receive signal to obtain the phase and amplitude data of the receive signal and performing calculations to obtain time domain response data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Several commercial products exist in the market today which are used to obtain similar information from a measured system (such as those manufactured by Hagtronics, Venable Industries and DKD Instruments). Such analyzers, however, only provide scalar information (and hence, are incapable of providing phase information), have a limited maximum frequency, are limited to a low number of transmit and receive channels and are costly. What is required is a small, multi-channel, wide-band network analyzer which maintains phase information, allows for inverse fast Fourier transforms to product time responses and is able to generate system information not discernable from the system's magnitude response alone.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for real-time network analysis of a system to determine the health or operational state of individual components forming the system and which allows prompt action to be taken in the event of a detected problem.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for real-time analysis of a system which measures system responses using any arrangement of transmitters and receivers, measures system network phase and magnitude transfer functions, measures the transfer function of passive or active filters, measures closed-loop control system phase and magnitude, measures the system's DC gain, open loop bandwidth and phase margin of amplifiers, measures impedance versus frequency of selected system components, measures system resonances, characterizes phase lock loops, measures performance of nonlinear system components (such as signal mixers), determines the phase and noise characteristics of a system and measures other non-linear system characteristics.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple channel phase coherent, swept-frequency network analyzer which accurately maintains phase integrity of system data, provides enhanced measurement capabilities, is low cost, is small, requires low power for operation and is programmable in frequency, step size, bandwidth and gain.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a network analyzer having a plurality of pure sinusoidal transmit and measurement channels, the network analyzer maintaining phase integrity between the transmitted signal and the measured signal so that an operational analysis can be executed on the measured signal.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a network analyzer having a plurality of pure sinusoidal transmit and measurement channels, the network analyzer minimizing direct current drive while enhancing dynamic range of measurements.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a network analyzer having a plurality of pure sinusoidal transmit and measurement channels, the network analyzer measuring predefined signals by mixing the received signal with a reference, phase-shifted transmit signal and the in-phase transmitted signal.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a portable system analyzer which measures system responses using any arrangement of transmitters and receivers, measures system network phase and magnitude transfer functions, measures the transfer function of passive or active filters, measures closed-loop control system phase and magnitude, measures the system's DC gain, open loop bandwidth and phase margin of amplifiers, measures impedance versus frequency of selected system components, measures system resonances, characterizes phase lock loops, measures performance of nonlinear system components (such as signal mixers), determines the phase and noise characteristics of a system and measures non-linear system characteristics.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon examination of the following description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a small, portable, system or network analyzer and method having multiple channel transmit and receive capability for real-time monitoring of processes which maintains phase integrity, requires low power, is adapted to provide full vector analysis, provides output frequencies of up to 62.5 MHz and provides fine sensitivity frequency resolution. The present invention also provides a highly sensitive dynamic range response, allows for programmable phase and magnitude spectrum drive signal shaping, variable signal sweep speeds and low signal power for each of the transmit and receive channels employed. The present invention also maintains phase integrity between any signals transmitted to the system being analyzed and any response signals from the system so that time domain analysis can be executed on the recovered response signals.
The present invention includes a means for transmitting, software means for controlling and a means for receiving in electrical communication with the software means for controlling. The means for transmitting and the means for receiving include multi-channel multiplexer circuitry, thereby allowing analysis of multiple systems or networks. The means for controlling is programmed to provide a signal to a system under investigation which steps consecutively over a range of predetermined frequencies. The resulting received signal from the system provides a frequency response over the range of predetermined frequencies. Time response information is provided by taking a frequency transform of the magnitude and phase information acquired at each frequency step. The conversion back to the time domain would not be possible without using a device such as the present invention which maintains phase integrity.
The novel features of the present invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description of the invention or can be learned by practice of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description of the invention and the specific examples presented, while indicating certain embodiments of the present invention, are provided for illustration purposes only because various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art from the detailed description of the invention and claims that follow.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5028886 (1991-07-01), Seibel et al.
patent: 5119399 (1992-06-01), Santos et al.
patent: 5524281 (1996-06-01), Bradley et al.
patent: 6184692 (2001-02-01), Jindal
patent: 6211663 (2001-04-01), Moulthrop et al.
Bracht Roger B.
Pasquale Regina V.
Leroux E P
Metjahic Safet
Morgan DeWitt M.
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