摘要 |
<p>Logarithmic amplifiers which have a logarithmic transfer characteristic may be used in microwave instrumentation. Such an amplifier includes a series of MESFET distributed amplifiers (DA1-DA8) connected in cascade, with each of the MESFET distributed amplifiers (DA1-DA8) having a gate transmission line (G1-G8) and a drain transmission line (D1-D8) which share a common ground or source line (5), and a number of MESFETs (1-4) connected in parallel with their gate electrodes (g) connected at spaced intervals along the gate transmission line (G1-G8), their drain electrodes (d) connected at spaced intervals along the drain transmission line (D1-D8) and their source electrodes (s) connected to the source line (5). A low pass filter (LPF1-LPF8) is connected to the downstream end of the gate transmission line (G1-G8) of each distributed amplifier (DAl-DA8) with each low pass filter (LPF1-LPF8) passing only the rectified component of the travelling wave passing along each gate transmission line (G1-G8). A summer (OP1) is connected to the outputs of each of the low pass filters (LPF4-LPF8) to sum them and provide an output (O/P) which provides the output of the logarithmic amplifier.</p> |