Abstract: Improved autoranging, calibration, and complex signal detection circuits for an intermediate frequency (IF) stage in a radio frequency (RF) measurement receiver. An improved autoranging circuit sets a gain stage of a selectively variable gain amplifier prior to each data acquisition cycle, to provide for wide dynamic range and rapid time domain response. An improved complex signal detection circuit for generating an inphase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) signal from an input IF signal in a signal channel and a reference channel is constructed with a novel commutating demodulator circuit. Calibration is effected with an improved digital phase reference method and apparatus wherein effectivr 90.degree.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for tracking a positioning system for antennas and other devices. Hardware of the invention contains circuitry which when given velocity information, changes its output position information at a specified rate. The hardware may also be triggered to capture a sample of such output position information to provide feedback to the firmware of the invention, which implements a position tracking algorithm. The algorithm utilizes two consecutive input position samples, the time between those samples and the feedback information corresponding to the last position input sample to calculate the velocity to be applied to the position tracking hardware until a new position input sample is available. When the new sample is available, a new velocity is calculated and applied to the hardware and the process is repeated. Between position input samples, the hardware updates the output position to correspond to the motion of the positioning system.