Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – For fault location
Patent
1990-09-27
1992-09-01
Wieder, Kenneth A.
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
For fault location
324642, G01R 3111, G01R 2704
Patent
active
051442507
ABSTRACT:
A system component in an RF power amplifier output circuit which has suffered an impedance failure, including antenna, antenna interface system component and interconnecting cables, is identified by the present invention. The RF signal from the power amplifier is outputted to the system components system components in question. A bidirectional coupler detects the voltage wavefront of the outgoing power amplifier output signal and the voltage wavefront of the reflected RF signal caused by an impedance fault. The beginning of a forward voltage wavefront is used to trigger a timing device which continues timing until the beginning of the reflected voltage wavefront is detected. The RF signal is used as the time base for the timing device. The time between the beginning of the forward and reflected voltage wavefronts is therefore a measure of the distance between the voltage detection point and the impedance failure. If the distance and signal velocity characteristics of the system components being tested are known, then the time indicated by the timing device is indicative of the failed system component. The failed system component can be identified by storing an array of times and associated system component identification parameters in a memory device and comparing the measured delay to the stored times.
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T. Szeredi IBM Technical Disclosure vol. 21, No. 9 Feb., 1979 Testing Telecommunications Codes for Damage.
Regan Maura K.
Rockwell International Corporation
Wieder Kenneth A.
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