Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for reducing distortion at the beginning of a line drawn on the face of a CRT. The line is started while the CRT intensity remains blanked. As the line reaches the position on the CRT where it is to be visible, the CRT intensity is enabled.

Abstract: A reflection coefficient phase angle measurement apparatus includes a voltage controlled phase shifter coupled to phase shift a sample of one of the signals incident to and reflected from a waveguide termination. The phase shifted signal sample and a sample of the non-phase shifted signal are phase compared in a phase detector and the sign of the signal resulting from the phase comparison is noted. This sign is compared with the sign of the previous phase comparison to determine a zero crossing. When a zero crossing has not occurred an incrementing signal is added to the phase control signal applied to the voltage controlled phase shifter to alter the phase of the the phase shifted signal sample, and the procedure is repeated until a zero crossing is obtained. The control voltage applied at the zero crossing is established by interpolation and utilized to determine the reflection coefficient phase angle.

Abstract: An automatic flight control system having two digital processors receives sensor data over a bit serial data bus through a serial-to-parallel converter. The converter formats the data into bytes corresponding to the data parameters from the sensors. One of the processors controls the bus timing and receives the data bytes which are simultaneously applied to an independent data storage element. An independent address sequencer provides sequential addresses to the independent data storage element at which to store sequential data bytes from the converter. After an entire data frame is stored in the independent data storage element, the second processor performs a bulk move of the data into its local data storage element. The sensors are configured in data subsystems which provide respective messages, each message containing an address identifying the subsystem. These addresses are utilized for directing the data messages to respective areas in the independent data storage element.

Abstract: A ripple reducing circuit wherein ripple voltages across the output terminals of a voltage source are coupled through a ripple sensing circuit to an amplifier. The sensed ripple is amplified and phase reversed to provide signals in phase opposition to the ripple signals. These phase opposition signals are coupled via an anti-ripple element to the output terminals of the voltage source for effecting ripple level reduction.

Abstract: A system for transmitting and receiving very wide instantaneous bandwidth signals. Synchronized short pulse generators are positioned at the feed location of each element of a linear array of short capped monopole antennas to sequentially excite the antenna elements which are spaced in accordance with the sequential interval to provide a beam in the desired direction and space. Reflections of the radiated short pulses are received by a feed monopole backed by a reflecting monopole and coupled to a short pulse receiver through a duplexing switch.

Abstract: A baseband receiver with a range gate interval in the order of nanoseconds. A tunnel diode, set to the low level state, is coupled across the output terminals of a bridge that is balanced in the absence of a received signal, during the range gate interval. Signals received by an antenna are coupled to a tunnel diode in an arm of the bridge causing it to change from its low level state to its high level state thereby unbalancing the bridge and establishing a voltage at the output terminals of the bridge that fires the tunnel diode coupled thereacross.

Abstract: Signals to control the signal processor in the linearizer of a frequency modulated continuous wave radar transmitter are generated by sampling the signal being transmitted, modulating and delaying this signal, mixing the modulated delayed signal with a second sample of the signal being transmitted to obtain an intermediate frequency signal, filtering the intermediate frequency signal to isolate the upper and lower sidebands of this signal and mixing the two sidebands to obtain a control signal having a frequency that varies directly with the beat frequency between the sampled and delayed signals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a short pulse signal in the presence of an interfering jamming signal wherein the jamming signal is utilized as the local oscillator in a diode mixer when it is received at a sufficiently high level for efficiently mixing with a short pulse signal. When the received jamming level is insufficient to act as a local oscillator, an internal local oscillator signal is coupled to the diode to maintain an efficient mixing operation.

Abstract: A short pulse radar receiver having a detector with a threshold automatically adjustable with the level of noise and interfering signals. Interfering signals at signal levels which exceed the maximum for which a threshold may be achieved to prevent a false alarm are attenuated prior to coupling to the variable threshold detector by an attenuator variable automatically in accordance with the received signal level.

Abstract: An improved electronic component or integrated circuit (IC) package characterized by an extraordinary small size for the number of input-output (I/O) leads which are available and capable of use on surface mounted, Flat Pack, hybrid, or through hole (DIP) printed circuit boards. The package has one or more cylindrical or shaped forms at the base, with a flange to provide a stop in order to limit the insertion travel in those circuit boards having through holes, and a top body which is used to house the electronic device. The forms, which protrude down from the upper body (housing), have one or more conductive lead segments, either pins or printed circuit types, running longitudinally and continuing through the housing to the upper body.Each lead segment is connected directly to the electronic device or attached via an additonal lead to a pad on the electronic device, mounted on the upper body. A cover to seal the device is provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting jet engine failures during aircraft flight. Low and high speed rotor rotation velocities of one engine are compared with low and high rotor rotation velocities of other engines and the difference between them utilized to determine engine failure. Equivalent low speed rotor velocity of an engine is computed from the high speed rotor velocity of that signal. This computed value is compared with measured low speed rotor velocity of the same and of different engines. Differences between the computed values and the actual values are compared to a computed threshold, which allows for normal differences between engines, to determine the operational state of the engine. Additional engine testing is performed by comparing low speed rotor rotational velocity to a computer windmilling value for each engine.

Abstract: A controller for maintaining a motor operation at a desired rotational speed utilizes a phase locked loop that receives input signals from a tachometer coupled to the motor shaft. Reference frequencies for the phase locked loop are generated by a voltage control oscillator in response to voltages selected in accordance with the desired motor speed. These selected voltages are coupled to the motor speed control to establish a motor speed within the lock-in range of the phase locked loop. Tachometric feedback is applied in parallel for the phase locked loop. The open loop drive provided by the selected voltage guarantees degraded open loop control of the motor should the control circuit fall.

Abstract: An inclinometer includes two coplanar electrodes positioned within a chamber of a metallic housing containing a high relative dielectric constant fluid and a gas. With the inclinometer positioned on a level surface equal areas of the two electrodes are immersed in the dielectric fluid creating two equal capacitors formed by the electrodes and the metallic housing. When the inclinometer is rotated through an inclination angle, unequal areas of the electrodes are immersed in the fluid causing a capacitance differential that is a measure of the inclination angle.

Abstract: A digital signal detector utilizing a detected input digital signal derived from a reference square wave and a received pulse train to establish phase and frequency variations between the reference signal and the received signal. The detected signal and the reference signal are coupled to up-down counters wherein overflow counts from preset values are obtained which are representative of the frequency and phase difference between the reference and received signals. These overflow counts are utilized to establish phase and frequency error correction signals which may be coupled to control the reference oscillator to provide frequency and phase lock between the reference and received signals.

Abstract: A communication bus user design that significantly reduces the likelihood of bus disablement. Request to transmit received by a user are validated in the communications processor and by an interlock circuit. Logic signals generated in response to the two validations are coupled to an AND gate, wherefrom an enabling signal is coupled to an amplifier when the two logic signals coincide. Communications signals from the communications processor are thereafter coupled via the amplifier to the bus.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing correlated clutter introduced in radar video by standard video enhancers. A differencing network provides the difference between an enhanced radar video signal and the previous enhanced radar video signal appropriately weighted. This difference is a video signal with decorrelated clutter.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining an angle of incidence of a received signal utilizes two widely spaced interferometers with equal length crossing baselines. The time differential of a signal arrival between the two elements of each interferometer is established and the difference between the two time differentials is determined. Multiplying this difference by a predetermined constant provides the desired angle.

Abstract: A stroke writing character generator pauses between the generation of vectors, which may meet at sharp corners, so as to reduce deflection bandwidth. A stroke state machine having a plurality of states controls the generation of the vectors. The plurality of states includes a time pause state. A vector length counter provides an end of vector signal that causes the stroke state machine to enter the time pause state for inserting a time pause between the generation of the vectors. The video of the CRT on which the vectors are written is blanked in coincidence with the time pause.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for entering data in a random access memory with a fixed orientation independent of the heading vector of the carrier vehicle. The data remains positionally fixed in the memory and is addressed for readout in a manner to present a heading-up display for all vehicle heading vectors.

Abstract: A buffer comparator receives input pulses and produces buffer output signals that drive first and second output comparators arranged to operate as an amplitude-sensitive logic circuit that produces a high level output signal when and only when the internal driving signals have an amplitude between first and second threshold levels. In one embodiment, the output of the buffer comparator is applied directly to the non-inverting input terminal of the first logic circuit comparator and through a low resistance resistor to an R-C network and the inverting terminal of the second logic circuit comparator. The remaining input terminals on the logic comparators are connected to a multiple voltage divider that provides lower and upper threshold voltages to the respective comparators. An input pulse applied to the buffer comparator initiates an internal driving signal that charges the capacitor in the R-C network exponentially.