DE1172307B - Electrical counting and storage device - Google Patents

Description

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

GERMAN

PATENT OFFICE

EDITORIAL

Boarding school Class: H 03 k

German KL: 21 al - 36/22

Number: 1 172 307

File number: G 30540 VIII a / 21 al

Filing date: September 22, 1960

Opening day: June 18, 1964

The invention relates to an electrical counting and storage device, which consists of a counting and a Memory part consists, each of which is composed of a plurality of mutually similar circuits, of those assigned to the counting part only have a counting function and those assigned to the memory part exclusively exercise a memory function and do not depend on each other, whereby couplings are provided between the circuits of the counting part and those of the memory part, connect the corresponding stages of the counting part and the memory part to each other, so that the state the latter is controlled depending on the counting state of the counting part.

With the usual electronic arithmetic and display devices, an electrical pulse counter registers for example an electrical decade counter, a number of successive ones over a certain period of time Counts, whereupon he holds the number for a subsequent equal period of time for display saves. Since the display only happens at periodic intervals and not continuously, this brings thus a time-saving use of the counting circuit first as a collection and then as a storage device for display purposes with itself. There are continuous displays, for example by means of electron beam counters and relay memory arrays and the like, but the techniques they require are relatively complex and expensive.

There are already known counting and storage devices, each consisting of a plurality of circuits are constructed, of which the counting part assigned exclusively a counting function and those assigned to the memory part exclusively exercise a memory function and not mutually depend on each other. There are couplings between the circuits of the counting part and those of the memory part provided that connect the corresponding stages of the counting part and the storage part with one another, so that the state of the latter is controlled depending on the counting state of the counting part will.

However, these known memory circuits leave the permissible operating speed and operational safety, especially at high working speeds, to be desired left over. They are also relatively expensive.

The invention provides a counting and storage device which is characterized by the achievability continuous displays and the possibility of reliably coping with even high work-electric Counting and storage device

Applicant:

General Radio Company, West Concord, Mass.

(V. St. A.)

Representative:

Dipl.-Ing. R. Müller-Börner,

Berlin 33, Podbielskiallee 68,

and Dipl.-Ing. H.-H. Wey, Munich,

Patent attorneys

Named as inventor:

Robert William Stuart Jr., Concord, Mass.

(V. St. A.)

Claimed priority:

V. St. v. America 19 February 1960 (9989)

speeds with relatively little construction effort.

According to the invention, this goal is achieved in that the counting circuits from one behind the other Flip-flop circles exist, each of which has normally ineffective couplings with the associated memory circuits that can be switched off by switching pulses after a predetermined counting period are connected, with effective pulse generators by transmission command pulses during the switch-off pulse trigger the transfer of the counting result of the counting circuits to the storage circuits, and that a further pulse generator is provided for the delivery of reset pulses, the the shutdown of the counting circuits after the counting results have been transferred from the counting circuits cancels the storage circuit again.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawings showing some embodiments. It shows

Fig. 1 is a built according to the invention Counting device illustrative block diagram,

F i g. 2 shows a partial circuit diagram of a circuit suitable for use in the counting device according to FIG. 1,

409 600/333

F i g. 3 shows the time course of the various voltages applied to the circuit of FIG illustrative pulse shape image and

F i g. 4 a partial circuit diagram of a variant.

In Fig. 1 is a conventional eight-digit decade counter shown with switching decades that correspond to their respective working frequency with, for example 10 and 1 MHz and 100, 30 and 20 kHz, respectively. If, as through the decades

the four digits transmitted from the Group I continuously counting circuits continuously indicates. By changing the counting interval, any four digits can be displayed or otherwise 5 ways to be specified.

In Fig. 2 expedient circuit details are shown for achieving this result, the for the sake of simplicity than to a typical multivibrator or flip-flop circuit of a circuit of FIG

interconnecting successive hori- io group I and shown schematically on a corresponding typical zontal lines 1 and 1 ', multivibrator circuit of group II applied in series operation, registered every decade are illustrated. It is of course clear that the other circuits, which are electrical over a predetermined time interval, are stored in the same way with four pulses and then fail to record the result of the connections 3 per circuit connected to one another during a display interval. The left multivibrator circle of group I must be checked and displayed. Since this mode of operation is well known to a pair of conventional electron tube relays, for example, it will not be further discussed here in order to avoid the novelty features of the triodes 2, 2 ', although of course, as is well known, the invention . For the further details of these work disturbances and other relay or switching devices, for example, »Electronic Measure-20 can be used. The switching tubes 2, 2 'mems "2nd edition, Term an and Pettit, MacGraw are with the respective anodes 4, 4', cathodes 6, 6 'Hill, 1952, pp. 220 to 222, and" Hewlett-Packard and control electrodes 8, 8 'provided. The Anoden-Journal "Volume 2, No. 5, January 1951, referenced. or the output circuit of the tube 2 is via the Kopp-As discussed, with this type of counter it is desirable to have a circuit 10 with a resistor and capacitor instead of the partial time display which is periodically given to the control electrode or the input circuit after each switching decade a pre-tube 2 'connected. The control electrode 8 has counted the specific time interval, the lifter to be. Tube 2 is connected via an identical element 10 ' with a constant display of the changing anode 4' of the tube 2 'at the specific times. As usual, number will be given. According to the invention, this goal is achieved for the anodes 4 and 4 'via a common one by converting the series operation of the counting pedal 12 and circles with it at a common point into a kind of parallel operation in which the respective load resistors 14 and 14' are connected The decade chain is divided into two groups, such as the positive terminal B + of the anode voltage mode, group I and II according to FIG. 1, source B +, B- supplied with anode voltage. That will. The circuits of group I are then negative terminal B- as shown, grounded without stopping for storage and display off- 35 and operated via a common, through a condenser, ultimately as counting devices, with capacitor 16 'bridged cathode resistance 16 with the circuits of the others Group II connected by control cathodes 6 and 6 'of the tubes 2, 2' by means of the circuits of the first group. The grid resistors 18 and 18 'are equally located for storage and display functions, concomitantly operated continuously between the respective control electrodes 8. So if the switches 40 and 8 'and the mentioned - ß-connection. The Span S ₁ and S., in FIG. 1 are brought into their upper positions for the execution of the counting operation, the connections 1 and 1 '
interrupted for the series circuit counting operation.
The counting function of the Group I circuits
is, as explained below, suitable when donning 45
neter voltage pulses temporarily interrupted,
while the counts of the relevant
Transfer counting circuits of group I to the corresponding counting circuits of group II for display
will. The counting circles of group II then work 50 needs. The two electron tubes on the right are exclusively used as storage and display circuits, while multivibrators are designated, for example, with 102 and the circuits of group I only counting radio 102 ' .

exercise. In normal operation, i. H. with closed

Four of the in the explanatory example according to Fig. 1 the counter switch S ₁ according to FIG. 1, both the multiples of the 10 MHz, 1 MHz, 100 kHz and 30 kHz 55 vibrator circuit 2, 2 'and the multivibrator circuit 102, circuits of the group I corresponding digits 102 ' as well as all other counting circles in usual or places are thus by the corresponding way as cascade counting devices. Accordingly, 20 kHz circuits of group II continuously actuated a pulse at connection Γ (FIG. 2) which stores and displays or in some other way to circuit 2, 2 'and a pulse is given at connection ΙΓ the circuit. An arrangement with this mode of operation 60, 102, 102 '.

could for example read the frequency If the multivibrator circuit 2, ΐ exclusively

electrical oscillations of an unknown number and the multivibrator circuit 102, 102 ' sequence can be used. When the operator finally to save the, the operator opens changes, for example, the last four para- to the chain 1 breaking switch S ₁ to _the remote sites or wishes continuously to follow, the 65 F i g. 1 and the switch S., according to FIG. 1 and 2. Switches S ₁ and S ₂ are actuated, and as post-A in Fig. 3 above "shown voltage explained above, the working voltage pulses arrival pulse G 'will be placed from the terminal A of to the gate G, so that the right circuit group II applied to the counting operation of T, 2 'and the on

the tubes 2 and 2 'are originally applied from a conventional circuit G to the connection Γ and then to the common point P.

The right multivibrator circuit is the same as the left one, so besides stating that its parts have the same reference numbers increased by the number 100 as the corresponding parts of the circle 2, 2 'do not need to be described in more detail

end their counting circles of group I for the short interval of the duration of the pulse. After a predetermined time delay interval of about 250 microseconds, which is provided for the release of the transmission links 3, etc., a negative reset pulse V of about 30 microseconds in duration is applied to terminal 7 and via switch S ₂ to the lower terminal with the aid of conductor 1 " of the resistor 118 ' and the right connection of the rectifier R "is applied. Normally the rectifier R "has a low impedance to earth, but when the pulse V is applied, the potential at the lower terminal of the resistor 118 ' drops below the earth potential B- . The control grid electrode 108' of the tube 102 ' is thus influenced and set the state of the stage 102,102 ', that then only as memory and indicators of the counter 2, 2' to operate periodically registered count restore. After the rising edge of the re-set pulse V is supplied to the terminal a biasing pulse V, which normally to the The positive bias voltage + ve applied to the right electrode of the gas discharge tube N to be described below is changed. The pulse V can be referred to as a transmission command pulse because, as explained below, it serves to transfer the state of the counting circuit 2, 2 'to the storage and display circuit 102, 102 ' At the end of the rising right edge of the pulse V (at which the pulse V has a total im pulse width of, for example, about 500 microseconds), another, shown in FIG. 3, the negative pulse shown below is applied to the connection D and further with the help of the conductor 1 'to the lower connection of the resistor 18' and to the right connection of the rectifier R ' which corresponds to the described rectifier R " . Since the resistor 18' is on the grid 8 'of the tube 2', the counter stage 2, 2 'is set again, so that at the end, that is, with the rising edge of the pulse at terminal A (see the top pulse shape according to Fig. 3) the stage II A periodic application of the pulse sequences shown in Fig. 3 is expressed in a periodic counting by 2, 2 'and a memory display of the counting by actuating 102,102'.

The final display operated by stage 102, 102 ' may take the form of conventional gas tube displays or other optical devices designated "display" in the drawing. In addition, as used in the description, the term "display" is intended to generally encompass any type of display, recording or generation of an effect indicating the memory operating state of the circle.

The time-fixed voltage pulses according to FIG. 3 can be generated in any known manner which, in order not to confuse the illustrated invention with previously known circuits, is not illustrated. The impulse in the uppermost impulse shape G ' according to FIG. 3 can be generated with the aid of a pulse generator, such as a monostable multivibrator of conventional design. As an example, reference is made to "Pulse Techniques" by Maskowitz and Racker, Prentice Hall, 1951, pp. 191-206. The delayed pulse V can be obtained from the multivibrator pulse with the help of any other time delay multivibrator as it is explained in the "Pulse Techniques" reference, or as a further example by a pulse delay circuit as described on pp. 2 to 98 of the "Principles of Radar" Rod of the radar school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McGraw-Hill, 1946, described type. The pulse V can be generated from the delayed pulse V by, for example, triggering a further multivibrator as discussed above, while the pulse at terminal D can be generated from yet another same time delay multivibrator as explained in the references cited above. Of course, equivalent conventional circuits known to the person skilled in the art can also be used.

There remains, however, to explain how the transmission command pulse V the step 102, 102 brings' in the state of the counter stage 2, 2 ', has been if the counting circuit 2, 2 negated' by means of the pulse at terminal A and the re-set pulse V has acted on the stage 102, 102 '.

The coupling circuit 3 contains an insulating impedance, for example a high resistance / ?, a non-linear device N , preferably operated with threshold voltage, such as the already mentioned cold electrode neon gas discharge tube N (Fig. 2) with two electrodes, one through the connection. 5, denoted by + ve , and a coupling capacitance C ₁ . Other types of non-linear devices can also be used, although the neon tube is preferred because of its reliability, durability, low cost, and other desirable properties explained below. The resistor R and the tube N are in series at the output, between the anode 4 of the switching electron tube 2 and the bias terminal 5. The connection 20. between the resistor R and the left electrode of the tube TV is via the coupling capacitor C ₁ to the input , ie to the control electrode 108 of the tube 102 .

It is assumed, for example, that in one of the switching or counting states of the multivibrator 2, 2 ', the tube 2 is blocked and the tube 2' is conductive. The voltage at the anode 4 can be, for example, 140 V and the voltage at the anode 4 'about 60 V. Since the anode 4 is connected to the left electrode of the device N via the insulating resistor R , the connection 20 is also at a potential of 140 V held. As a result of setting the bias voltage at terminal 5 to about 100 V, the potential difference across device N is only 40 V, a value which is far below the ionization threshold voltage necessary for ionizing or making the neon gas conductive. The coupling circuit 3 is therefore ineffective. However, when changing the bias voltage at terminal 5, down law, for example, by the direct voltage pulse V to 20 V, the ionizing threshold potential difference is applied, and the Neonvorrichtung N becomes conductive, a voltage drop is maintained from about 60 V thereto. The Kopplungskre.is 3 can then be coupled to the control electrode 108 of the multivibrator tube 102, a sufficiently high voltage, so that the tube is blocked 102nd the

Tube 102 is now in the same state as tube 2 and stage 102, 102 ' can operate to display the count of 2, 2'.

However, the above is a single case based on an assumed state. In general, the voltages at the time of the application of the reset pulse V to the terminal 7 according to the above example can be of four different types:

Anode 4 of tube 2
in volts Anode 104 of tube 102
in volts 140
140
60
60 140
60
140
60

When the pulse V is applied, the tube 102 ' blocks and the voltage of its anode 104' drops to 60 V, for example. Two states of 2, 2 'are then possible:

circuit to enable the circuit 2, 2 'to control the circuit 102, 102' . So it is possible in the most convenient manner at any time to make permanent switch connections 3 between the circuits 2, 2 'and 102, 102' , so that any need for complicated switching of connections is eliminated.

Another arrangement which eliminates the need to use the reset pulse V is shown in FIG. Two identical coupling circuits 3 and 3 'are provided here, each having an insulating impedance R ₂ or R. _r , neon tubes or similar devices N or N' and coupling capacitors C ₁ and C ₁ , respectively. In this case, the coupling circuit 3 'between the output (viz. The anode 4' of the tube 2 ') and the input (viz. The control electrode 108' of the tube 102 ') eliminates the need for the reset voltage V of Fig. 2. The effect of all possible Operating states can be summarized as follows:

Anode 4 of tube 2
in volts Anode 104 of tube 102
in volts 140
60 60
60

25th

The transmission command pulse V now causes the voltage at the right electrode of the tube N to drop by 100 V to as low as 20 V. When the tube 2 is non-conductive, its anode 4 has the illustrated voltage of 140 V, and due to the connection of the anode 4 via the resistor R to the left electrode of the tube N occurs at N to ionize it and to lower the control electrode 108 to sufficiently large voltage drop to the blocking state. The stage 102, 102 ' thus assumes the same state as the counting stage 2, 2' or is given this state.

Similarly, if the anode 4 of tube 2 was conductive, it would have the 60 V voltage level illustrated above and would not ionize tube N. The anode 104 of the tube 102 would have remained at 60 V (conductive), so that the stage 102, 102 'is again in the same state as the counting circuit 2, 2'.

The upward slope of the right edge of the pulse V is useful in preventing excessive voltage build-up at 20 before the tube N has time to fully deionize.

By connecting the output "display" conductor 22 to the anodes 104 and 104 ', there is always memory information, such as for the electrical pulse counting data transmitted via the coupling circuit 3 for operating any display system. In this way, a continuous display or other indication of the counting carried out periodically by the corresponding counting stage is made possible.

During the time that stage 2, 2 'is counting and the voltage at its anodes rises and falls, a voltage sufficient to affect the steady storage and display operation of stage 102, 102' is never developed at N. Only at the time when the pulse G 'is applied to terminal, 4 is the coupling containing the neon tube N

Anode 4 Anode 104 Neon gs- Oe- Anode 104 the of tube 102 State blocked
fritter of tube 102 Tube 2 (at first) VJlLLCI (thereafter) in volts in volts N ignites 108 in volts 140 140 N ignites 108 140 140 60 N ' ignites 108 ' 140 60 140 N ' ignites 108 ' 60 60 60 60

The first and last columns show that the circuit 102, 102 'is placed in the same state as the counting circuit 2, 2'.

In the devices according to FIGS. 2 and 4, it is also useful to open the circuit or otherwise switch off successive coupling circuits, for example on the conductor 24 , in order to secure them against incorrect operation of the device as a result of the variable ionization delays in the tube N.

The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments described and illustrated. Man there can be numerous, which are obvious to the person skilled in the art according to the intended application in each case Make changes without departing from the scope of the invention. So you could for example, instead of the preferred and expedient multivibrator switching devices, others for use appropriate switching devices for the purpose at hand.

Claims (5)

Patent claims: 1. Electrical counting and storage device, which consists of a counting and a storage part, each composed of a plurality of similar circuits, of which those assigned to the counting part only have one counting function and those assigned to the memory part exclusively exercise a storage function and do not depend on one another, wherein between the circuits of the counting part and those of the memory part couplings are provided, the corresponding stages of the counting part and the memory part with each other bind so that the state of the latter depending on the counting state of the counting part is controlled, characterized in that that the counting circuits consist of sequentially connected flip-flop circuits (I), which via normally ineffective couplings (N) each with the associated switching pulses (G ') that can be switched off after a predetermined counting period Storage circuits (II) are connected, with effective during the switch-off pulse (G ') Pulse generator by transmission command pulses (F) the transmission of the counter result trigger the counting circuits on the storage circuits, and that another pulse generator for delivery of reset pulses (F ') is provided, which switches off the counting circuits after The transfer of the counting result from the counting circuits to the storage circuits is canceled again. 2. Counting and storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage circuits (II) also consist of flip-flop circles. 3. Counting and storage device according to claim 2, characterized by a switch (S ₁ , S ₂ ), which controls the transition from separate counting and storage functions of the two circuit groups (I, II) to a double row of counting flip-flop Circles enabled. 4. counting and storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the couplings (N) are formed essentially by neon tubes which are made conductive by the transmission command pulses (F). 5. Counting and storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that in addition to the couplings (N) further, consisting of neon tubes (JV ') couplings are provided, which during counting by the flip-flop circuits (I) ineffective, however, prior to the application of the transfer command pulse to reset the memory circuits (II) to a predetermined state, they can be made effective. Considered publications:
German patent specification No. 918 452. 1 sheet of drawings 409 600/333 6.64 © Bundesdruckerei Berlin