Electricity: measuring and testing – Impedance – admittance or other quantities representative of... – Distributive type parameters
Patent
1998-03-06
2000-08-15
Ballato, Josie
Electricity: measuring and testing
Impedance, admittance or other quantities representative of...
Distributive type parameters
324533, 324534, 324601, 324647, G01R 2704
Patent
active
061042005
ABSTRACT:
Time Domain Reflectometry ("TDR") methods and apparatus for measuring propagation velocities of RF pulses to determine material liquid contents, moisture profiles, material levels and dielectric constants including: i) TDR probes and/or probe adaptors, including series averaging probes and multi-segment probes, all employing remotely operable, normally open, variable impedance devices such as diodes; ii) bias insertion and switching networks for rendering selected normally open variable impedance devices conductive one at a time to establish precise unambiguous timing markers T.sub.1 . . . T.sub.n ; iii) an RF cable coupling the probe to a TDR instrument; and, iv) a TDR instrument having: a) a variable impedance device Control Section including a Divide-By-2 circuit and a Diode Drive circuit; b) an RF section containing a Pulse Generator, a Sample-And-Hold circuit, and a Variable Delay circuit; c) a Synchronous Detection Section including a Repetition Rate Generator; filter, AC amplifiers, Analog Multiplier and Low Pass Filter connected in series and receiving sampled signals; d) a Delay circuit and AC amplifier for transmitting a Synchronous Detector Reference signal to the Multiplier; and e), capability for conditioning the TDR instrument to operate in a remotely shortable diode ON/OFF modulation mode or a Time Delay modulation mode. Repetitively sampled reflections are processed through a Synchronous Detection System to convert square wave signals generated by the Sample-And-Hold circuit into DC output signals V(T) representative of the difference function between reflections under shorted and open conditions and/or of the slope of the diode open reflection.
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Ballato Josie
Precision Moisture Instruments, Inc.
Sohs Jose M.
LandOfFree
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