Abstract: In a railway vehicle safety system, a frequency modulated signal is transmitted to a vehicle informing, inter alia, of a safe maximum speed, the said speed being represented by the carrier modulation frequency. In addition, the frequency of the carrier may possess one of a number of alternative frequencies. Apparatus for analysing received signals to identify the carrier frequency and the modulation frequency employs a fast Fourier transform processor. In order to save computation time by eliminating useless calculations, a received signal is heterodyned by a local signal selected according to the carrier frequency identified and the base-band components are analysed to identify the modulation frequency.

Abstract: To ensure the safe operation of an electronic circuit, for example an amplitude modulated carrier signal generator, an output of the circuit is analyzed to prove the presence of predetermined signal characteristics, for example the carrier signal, or a modulation frequency. The predetermined signal alternatively may be superimposed on an input to the electronic signal and proved subsequently to be present in the output. The output of the circuit is passed inhibited, according to whether or not the signal characteristics are proved present, by means of an output enable gate which is self-latching providing the output continues to be proved correct. A start-up circuit delays a possible inhibit for a limited period following initial power connection to the circuit in order that the output can become established.

Abstract: A bridge network 1 of current switching devices 2, 3, 4, 5 is operated in full wave manner by controlling signals A, B, C, D respectively produced by two similar, parallel and pulse width modulated power control circuits 12, 13 connected to receive a common input signal, one pair of opposing switch devices (2, 5) being controlled by one circuit 12 and the other pair 3, 4 being controlled by the other circuit 13. The pulse width control inputs 14 of the circuits 12, 13 are connected to voltage sensing means in the bridge supply circuit so that the pulse width of the control signals A, B, C, D is determined in accordance with the bridge supply level. The arrangement is such that the control circuits 12, 13 although not be designed to fail-to-safety standards operate in a fail-safe manner to provide a constant level output of the input signal.

Abstract: An F.M. demodulator of the phase quadrature type is adapted for fail-safe operation and in particular for use in a railway signalling system. A Bessel band-pass filter is chosen for the design basis of the phase delay arm, its characteristics, failure modes and resulting effects are considered and the design adaptations required to avoid the potentially unsafe effects of failures are determined. Due to loss of failure in the unmodified filter design the slope of the phase characteristic can increase effectively broadening the filter bandwidth and reducing attenuation of out-of-band signals which could, as a result, provide a false output. The demodulator may be combined with a fiber-optic link to form part of a complete signaling transmission system.