Abstract: A phase lock loop for use in carrier acquisition employing a predetection filter and a loop filter switchable between a constant phase margin and second order characteristic. In the acquisition mode, the constant phase margin characteristic is employed to acquire the carrier and the second order characteristic is thereafter employed to track the carrier. The second order characteristic retains only the pole at the origin and the lowest frequency zero of the constant phase margin characteristic. The filter parameters are selected to minimize the mean square deviation of a phase margin expression which includes contributions from the predetection filter pole and from positive poles generated by the loop's voltage controlled oscillator. The loop filter is further provided with gain coefficients selected to maximize the probability of carrier acquistion at a plurality of frequencies and carrier to noise density ratios.

Abstract: A limiter amplifier having a pair of transistors connected in a common emitter, balanced push-pull amplifier type of circuit arrangement is disclosed. The transistors are interconnected by a series tuning capacitor at their emitters. A separate constant current source is connected to each of the emitters of the transistor pair. By selecting the value of the tuning capacitor to resonate with the inherent inductive component of the emitter source impedances in a particular frequency band, the limiter amplifier acts as a differential amplifier in the particular frequency band. The ac coupling of the emitters gives the limiter amplifier a bandpass filter type feature as well as high gain and low phase variation over large dynamic ranges of input signal amplitude. Impedance matching/buffer circuitry and isolation circuitry are also disclosed which permit the cascading of limiter amplifier gain stages.