Abstract: A microprocessor is programmed to perform the DFT on data points read out from and written back into a RAM. In each of a plurality of levels of the transform the points are read out in small groups, subjected to a discrete Fourier transform and written back into different addresses in order to avoid jumbling the order of the points in the ultimate output. The read-out and write-in addresses are read out of a PROM in sequence for each group and added to a base address in a latch. A -N latch, adder and multiplexer ensure that the addition is modulo N. After each group, the base address is changed to a new value by adding another value read out of the PROM and all addresses are worked through in this way in each level. At the start of each level the microprocessor puts the correct PROM start address in a latch and the number of groups (m) in a counter which is decremented to count off the groups and signal the end of a level.

Abstract: The invention enables a logarithmic plot to be generated for values pertaining to uniformly spaced sampling points of a frequency axis, for example, such as the values provided by a discrete Fourier transform processor, while utilizing a conventional display device with a linear time base. To this end the array of input values provided by the processor is converted in a further processor to values corresponding to points uniformly spaced along a logarithmic frequency axis. If points on the logarithmic and linear axis are indexed by values x and y respectively, the y values (in general non integral) corresponding to x-1/2 and x+1/2 are calculated, the corresponding integral values of y are ascertained and the output value corresponding to x is formed as a weighted sum of the input values for these two integral y values and any intervening integral y values.

Abstract: A fluid density transducer with a vibrating tube 16 coupled to excitation pick-up transducers 32 utilizes an elliptical tube 16, having a small degree of ellipticity, to compensate for the variation in the natural frequency of vibration, resulting from a variation in the fluid pressure, i.e. a rise in fluid pressure tending to lower the frequency produces a more circular and hence stiffer tube cross-section tending to increase the frequency. A sealed evacuated chamber 36, formed by connecting together cylindrical nodal masses 24 and 26 using a flexible coupling 28, is used to enclose the vibrating tube 16, thus avoiding the risk of contaminating, and thereby also affecting the calibration of, the tube 16. The tube is supported at each end by a spring plate 12 fixed around its outer periphery to a collar 10 and around its inner periphery to an end-plate 25 of the nodal mass 24 or 26.

Abstract: A digital circuit tester for performing signature analysis is provided with a memory (32) for storing successive samples at 256-bit intervals of the progressively evolving CRC signature of a signal in the circuit under test. Comparison with the same sequence from a known good unit facilitates identification of faults, even in feedback loops. To identify the first failing bit, the test is repeated, but with the CRC feedback connections disabled, and successive blocks of the actual data stream are stored, beginning at the point corresponding to the first faulty signature sample, for subsequent inspection and comparison with the data stream from the known good unit.

Abstract: Digital simulation apparatus, e.g. a digital coastline generator, for simulating a terrain-representative display of the kind produced by a movable scanning-type display device, e.g. a radar display device, comprises a main store for storing digital data representative, in Cartesian co-ordinate form, of terrain features such as contours and buildings in an area, known as the playing area, typically 256 nautical miles by 256 nautical miles. The data is divided into groups relating to contiguous zones each typically 2 nautical miles by 2 nautical miles. The apparatus further comprises means for producing a signal representative of the current position of the display device in the playing area, means for producing successive signals representative of successive segments of scan of the display device, and means responsive to these signals to select from the main store those groups of data corresponding to zones intersected by the current scan segment.

Abstract: In a weapon effect simulator a low peak power laser projector emits one millisecond bursts of radiation, each burst having either pulse or continuous wave modulation at 170 kHz. A detector for sensing the radiation has several photocells connected in parallel to a single amplifier, and includes a band pass filter tuned to 170 kHz (chosen in harmonic relationship to the modulation frequency) and having a pass band of 2 kHz (inversely related to the duration of each radiation burst).

Abstract: A fluid density transducer with a vibrating tube 16 coupled to excitation pick-up transducers 32 utilizes an elliptical tube 16, having a small degree of ellipticity, to compensate for the variation in the natural frequency of vibration, resulting from a variation in the fluid pressure, i.e. a rise in fluid pressure tending to lower the frequency produces a more circular and hence stiffer tube cross-section tending to increase the frequency. A sealed evacuated chamber 36, formed by connecting together cylindrical nodal masses 24 and 26 using a flexible coupling 28, is used to enclose the vibrating tube 16, thus avoiding the risk of contaminating, and thereby also affecting the calibration of, the tube 16. The tube is supported at each end by a spring plate 12 fixed around its outer periphery to a collar 10 and around its inner periphery to an end-plate 25 of the nodal mass 24 or 26.

Abstract: In a bipolar mark-space analogue-to-digital converter, two opposed-polarity reference voltages are applied to an integrator during a first conversion interval to balance a square-wave forcing-function signal and an input signal whose magnitude is to be measured, and a counter receives clock pulses at up and down inputs during application of the positive and negative reference voltages respectively. Subsequently, zero input signal is applied during a second conversion interval, and the inputs to the counter are interchanged, so that up- and down-counted pulses correspond to the negative and positive reference voltages respectively. At the end of the second conversion interval, the counter contains a digital representation of the input signal, corrected for zero drift.

Abstract: In order to provide a laser beam having a relatively constant width (i.e. transverse spacing between points receiving a theshold irradiance), a converging lens 15 having substantial negative spherical aberration is used. In the far field, the beam comprises paraxial rays 18 which have diverged to provide the desired beam-width. In the near-field, the smaller, higher-irradiance beam formed by these rays is augmented by a `sheath` of marginal rays 19 which are not refracted towards the optical axis as strongly as the paraxial rays. The shape of the beam in the far field is determined primarily by the shape of the (laser) light source 10, while that of the near-field beam is controlled by a mask 14. In another arrangement, a lens 102 having substantial positive spherical aberration is used to create a `light source` having an accurately-controlled brightness distribution and very small size.

Abstract: A pyrotechnic system comprises a plurality of pyrotechnic charges or devices 20 arranged in a matrix of recesses 14 formed in a block 12 of a synthetic resin material.In one embodiment, each device 20 contains a fast-burning pyrotechnic composition 42 arranged to be fired by an electrical primer 50, for producing a flash and/or a bang, and a slow-burning pyrotechnic composition 40 separated from the composition 42 and arranged to be ignited by the firing of the composition 42. Embedded in the composition 40 is a fine wire loop 48 which is ruptured by the burning of the composition 40. The primers 50 of the devices 20 are connected in parallel between two input terminals 52, 54, and each loop 48 is connected to short-circuit the primer 50 of the next device 20 in the firing sequence. The pyrotechnic system is thus self-sequencing.

Abstract: In order to incorporate minor perturbations in the simulated operation of a weapon (to simulate dispersion between batches of ammunition or individual rounds, and/or the effects of changing environmental phenomena), a variable is generated at a rate related to the type of ammunition to be simulated. For ammunition exhibiting a high degree of dispersion between rounds, the variable changes rapidly and an accurately-aimed shot is deemed a hit only if the value of the variable at that instant is less than the predetermined probability of a hit with that ammunition. In the case of ammunition exhibiting some consistency between rounds but not between batches, the variable changes slowly, and its value controls the extent of a displacement applied to a laser projector before the projector is energised and scanned for a hit/miss determination.

Abstract: A waveform to be analyzed is repetitively sampled at corresponding instants in each of several cycles, and the samples from each cycle for a respective instant summed to derive an average value for that instant in one cycle of the waveform. The average values are then used for Fourier transform analysis, either by mathematical manipulation or by sequential correlation. The timing of the samples is determined by counting pulses from a high-frequency clock for one cycle of the waveform, truncating the count to remove the n least significant digits, and taking a sample every time a number of pulses equal to the truncated count has occurred (resulting in 2.sup.n samples per cycle for a modulo 2 counter).

Abstract: The variable attenuator and variable current shunt of a battery-powered auto-ranging digital multimeter uses latching relays, each of which, since it is stable in each of its two switching states, requires only a current pulse to change its state. The circuit which operates the relays provides a drive pulse only when the desired relay state differs from the actual state, thus minimizing the power required, and includes a tank circuit for minimizing disturbance to the multimeter power supply. To ensure that the tank circuit can recharge, each relay is driven by a tri-state output.

Abstract: A vibrating fluid density transducer 10 provides a gas density measurement D, used in conjunction with a flowmeter signal f.sub.B to meter the mass of gas fed through a pipeline. D is subject to errors dependent upon the velocity of sound C in the gas. The errors are corrected to yield Da by application of a correcting formula (block 18) in which C is introduced by calculation (block 17) from a measurement of gas pressure P by a transducer P. The value of C may alternatively be measured directly, computed from a measurement of specific gravity or in the case of a liquid, be inferred from D or be preset.

Abstract: The effects of any errors in the preliminary tracking of a target, and of any subsequent changes in the velocity of the target, are included in simulated firing of a gun 3, by slewing a laser projector 2 in the simulator for the predicted shell time-of-flight at the rate assessed during the preliminary tracking and then scanning with the laser for hit/miss determination. The slewing is achieved either by having the gun control system slew at the required rate, or by having the gunner continue tracking the target, corrections for deviations from the required rate being automatically applied to the projector.

Abstract: A single patch on an integrated circuit is arranged to patch any one of four different logical states into the circuit, according to whether the pin is grounded, floating, coupled to a supply rail via a resistor, or coupled to the supply rail directly. In one embodiment, the voltage thresholds of three transistors are arranged so that they switch on successively in response to successively higher voltages on the patch pin, thereby controlling the binary logic signals at each of two output points in the circuit; in the other embodiment, multi-emitter transistors are arranged with differing current thresholds to achieve the same result.

Abstract: For initial alignment of a simulator laser-projector with a weapon, the weapon is boresighted on a target, the projector is fitted and the laser beam is scanned stepwise across the target successively along orthogonal axes. The range of steps on each axis for which a return from the target occurs is sensed, and the step corresponding to the median of all the returns taken as the position for which the laser beam is centered on the target. These calculated positions are stored and used as the reference positions during simulated firing of the weapon. The detection of the position of a target for hit/miss determination is achieved with the same scanning and median selection procedure.