Peak catcher circuit

Details Peak catcher circuit Peak catcher circuit

1987-05-15

1988-01-19

Zazworsky, John

Electrical transmission or interconnection systems

Personnel safety or limit control features

Interlock

307359, H03K 5153, G11C 2700, G01R 1904

Patent

active

047206438

ABSTRACT:
A peak catcher circuit comprises an input differential amplifying circuit consisting of a pair of transistors. An input signal in the form of an electrical wave or pulse is applied between the base of the first transistor of the pair and a point of fixed potential, while a capacitor is connected between the base of the second transistor of the pair and the fixed potential. A first fixed current source is connected between the coupled emitters of the differential pair and the fixed potential, and a second smaller fixed current source is connected between the collector of the second transistor and a second fixed potential. A second pair of oppositely poled emitter-coupled, common base connected transistors is connected between the base of the second transistor of the differential pair and the second fixed potential, and there is a connection from the coupled emitters of the second pair to the collector of the second transistor of the differential pair. One transistor of the second pair having its collector connected to one side of the capacitor acts as a switch to provide charging current to the capacitor when the input voltage at the base of the first transistor of the differential pair is higher than the voltage across the capacitor, which is the same as the voltage at the base of the second transistor of the differential pair. The other transistor of the second pair acts as a voltage limiter for the collector voltage of the second transistor of the differential pair. It prevents saturation of that transistor and also reduces the voltage swing at the collector of the same transistor. This greatly improves circuit speed and prevents large errors which would occur for input voltage peaks of short duration.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3413491 (1968-11-01), Reeves et al.
patent: 3596109 (1971-07-01), Marshall
patent: 3643110 (1972-02-01), Thompson
patent: 3702942 (1972-11-01), Aguirre
patent: 4163909 (1979-08-01), Harr
patent: 4321488 (1982-03-01), Srivastava

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