TELEFUNKEN PALCOLOR 2228 YEAR 1983.

The TELEFUNKEN PALCOLOR 2228 is A Portable color television set with 15 inches color screen from TELEFUNKEN.

- The set features 29 Programs with PLL synthesized tuning 99 channels color television with  frequency synthesized tuning system, this television tuning system employs a frequency synthesizer system for establishing the tuning of the receiver, featured with a Microcomputer driven synthesis system.
The system employed in the tv permits utilization of a frequency synthesizer tuning system which correctly tunes to a desired television station or channel even if the transmitted signals from that station are not precisely maintained at the proper frequencies even in combination of a fine tuning adjustable by the user.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved tuning system for a television receiver.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved frequency synthesizer tuning system for a television receiver.

 - Remote control and incorporated antenna.

The remote control FB1170 allows to drive a future TeleText feature which was at the time an optional unit.

The remote control FB1170 has a switch on it which combines the functions for teletext pages and text control in a separate way from the normal receiver functions of the tellye.

Was first TELEFUNKEN SET featuring a Microcomputer control system (M3870)  and first portable set with a monocarrier horizontally placed chassis type.

When Telefunken came to design the 415/615 chassis they wanted to use the simplest possible LOPT. This led to the adoption of an interesting new e.h.t. rectifier arrangement.
The current Telefunken 415/615 CTV chassis series like the here above shown tv is conventional in most respects, with its self oscillating chopper power supply which also provides mains isolation, TDA 3560 OR TDA3562A single -chip decoder, class AB RGB output stages, TDA1670 field timebase i.c. and BU208 line output transistor. The line output transformer is something quite new however.
Line output transformers are nowadays reliable components though a percentage of failures do occur. Tripler breakdown after some years' service is far more common, except in Japanese sets. The transformer is certainly one of the most expensive items in a TV receiver: the pulse windings and secondaries used to provide various supply lines add greatly to the manufacturing cost and increase the insulation problems. Telefunken decided to do something about this in designing the 415/615 chassis. The aims were to reduce the cost of the transformer, make it as small as possible, mountable without securing screws, and producible by automatic production methods whilst having a power handling capability, reliability and internal resistance equal to or better than conventional designs. To achieve these aims it was decided to use a half -wave e.h.t. rectifier arrangement. This in itself is not unique of course, but for CTV use the problem of a half -wave rectifier circuit is the high leakage inductance and internal capacitance in the transformer. The result is an e.h.t. system with a high internal resistance. It was decided therefore to use a transformer with just two windings, the primary and e.h.t. overwinding. The other supplies are derived from the chopper transformer, while a transistor to which the line flyback pulses are fed produces the feedback pulse for the flywheel sync system.

And first portable  TELEFUNKEN TV featuring a SCART connector in a portable TV.

A SCART Connector (which stands for Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs) is a standard for connecting audio-visual equipment together. The official standard for SCART is CENELEC document number EN 50049-1. SCART is also known as Péritel (especially in France) and Euroconnector but the name SCART will be used exclusively herein. The standard defines a 21-pin connector (herein after a SCART connector) for carrying analog television signals. Various pieces of equipment may be connected by cables having a plug fitting the SCART connectors. Television apparatuses commonly include one or more SCART connectors.

Although a SCART connector is bidirectional, the present invention is concerned with the use of a SCART connector as an input connector for receiving signals into a television apparatus. A SCART connector can receive input television signals either in an RGB format in which the red, green and blue signals are received on Pins 15, 11 and 7, respectively, or alternatively in an S-Video format in which the luminance (Y) and chroma (C) signals are received on Pins 20 and 15. As a result of the common usage of Pin 15 in accordance with the SCART standard, a SCART connector cannot receive input television signals in an RGB format and in an S-Video format at the same time.

Consequently many commercially available television apparatuses include a separate SCART connectors each dedicated to receive input television signals in one of an RGB format and an S-Video format. This limits the functionality of the SCART connectors. In practical terms, the number of SCART connectors which can be provided on a television apparatus is limited by cost and space considerations. However, different users wish the input a wide range of different combinations of formats of television signals, depending on the equipment they personally own and use. However, the provision of SCART connectors dedicated to input television signals in one of an RGB format and an S-Video format limits the overall connectivity of the television apparatus. Furthermore, for many users the different RGB format and S-Video format are confusing. Some users may not understand or may mistake the format of a television signal being supplied on a given cable from a given piece of equipment. This can result in the supply of input television signals of an inappropriate format for the SCART connector concerned.

This kind of connector is todays obsoleted !

The pictures of these sets are the most dazzling I've seen around, when the contrast button is set only up to 3/4.


Featuring a Switch mode Power supply combined with isolated ground chassis from mains.
Television receivers, which obtain operating power from an alternating current source producing any one of a plurality of RMS potentials within a predetermined range, have, traditionally, been provided with various regulation circuits in order to maintain relatively uniform performance of the television receiver within the predetermined range of RMS potentials. This type of circuit provides good regulation of all operating direct current potentials within the range of RMS potentials as well as isolation between the source of alternating current and the television receiver chassis.

This is the last models series fabricated by TELEFUNKEN which was acting a spin-off from the television market in that era of time, combining with THOMSON CSF.

After models were fabricated by a strange holding with Philco Italian conglomerate before aquired by strange Arabs managers, which in after years aquired Imperial brand...........fabricating good products but then all disappeared and extint in the end of the 80's.

" It is ironic that in the years since the introduction of PAL, Telefunken – the company that invented PAL – disappeared from the market after they were bought in the 1980s by the French company Thomson – a former SECAM protagonist.

There is further irony in the fact that even as the majority of European and Asian TV viewers benefit on a daily basis from their PAL standard TV pictures, the worldwide transition from analog to digital TV spells the end of this color standard as well as many other TV transmission standards.

What we have known as PAL, SECAM, or NTSC is now increasingly known as simply digital RGB or Y, Cr, and Cb color component signals encoded in a DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) signal or one of its many variants such as DVB-T, DVT-S, DVB-C, DVB-H, or similar ones like your ATSC.

In the future, all this may in turn disappear into an abstract IP (Internet Protocol) packet, which would make traditional distribution channels obsolete. For example, major areas in Germany, and all of Austria may terminate their analog transmissions, replacing them with DVB-T or DVB-S only.

We will find out whether the 55th anniversary of PAL in 2018 will generate much of a resonance, if all analog TV transmissions – whether terrestrial, satellite, or cable – have been brought to an end. "

A LOOK TO THE FUTURE:
Dr. Walter Bruch of Telefunken inventor of the PAL colour system, speaking to the Royal Television Society in London in 1972 has predicted the end of monochrome television after 1980. Dr. Bruch believes that in ten years' time colour will have taken over completely. Like many others Dr. Bruch does not see an early end to the shadowmask tube and believes it will be 20-30 years before a flat solid-state display device will be a practical alternative. Dr. Bruch predicts that most TV set circuitry will be packed into a couple of i.c.s well before then.

Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in 1903, in Berlin, as a joint venture of two large companies, Siemens & Halske (S & H) and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (General Electricity Company).

The name "Telefunken" appears in:

* the product brand name "Telefunken";
* AEG subsidiary as Telefunken GmbH in 1955;
* AEG subsidiary as Telefunken AG in 1963;
* company merged as AEG-Telefunken (1967–1985);
* the company "Telefunken USA" (2001). Now Telefunken Elektroakustik (2009)
* the company "Telefunken semiconductor GmbH & Co KG" Heilbronn Germany (2009).
* the company "Telefunken Lighting technologies S,L" (2009)

The company Telefunken USA[1] was incorporated in early 2001 to provide restoration services and build reproductions of vintage Telefunken microphones.

Around the turn of the 20th century, two groups of German researchers worked on the development of techniques for wireless communication. The one group at AEG, led by Adolf Slaby and Georg Graf von Arco, developed systems for the German navy; the other one, under Karl Ferdinand Braun, at Siemens, for the German army.

When a dispute concerning patents arose between the two companies, Kaiser Wilhelm II decided that the two companies were to be joined, creating on 27 May 1903 the company Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie System Telefunken ("The Company for Wireless Telegraphy Ltd."), and the disputed patents and techniques were invested in it. This was then renamed on 17 April 1923 as Telefunken, The Company for Wireless Telegraphy. Telefunken was the company's telegraph address. The first technical director of Telefunken was George Graf von Arco.

Starting in 1923, Telefunken built broadcast transmitters and radio sets.

In 1928, Telefunken made history by designing the V-41 amplifier for the German Radio Network. This was the very first two stage, "Hi-Fi" amplifier which began a chapter in recording history. Over time, Telefunken perfected their designs and in 1950 the V-72 amplifier was born. The TAB (a manufacturing subcontractor to Telefunken) V-72 soon became popular with other radio stations and recording facilities and would eventually come to help define the sound of most European recordings. The V-72S was the only type of amplifier found in the legendary REDD-37 console used by the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios on every recording prior to Rubber Soul. Today the V-72 is still the most sought after example of Telefunken's design and over 50 years later continues to be the benchmark by which all other tube based microphone preamplifiers are measured. In 1932, record players were added to the product line.

In 1941 Siemens transferred its Telefunken shares to AEG as part of the agreements known as the "Telefunken settlement", and AEG thus became the sole owner and continued to lead Telefunken as a subsidiary (starting in 1955 as "Telefunken GmbH" and from 1963 as "Telefunken AG").

During the Second World War Telefunken was a supplier of vacuum tubes, transmitters and radio relay systems, and developed radar facilities and directional finders, aiding extensively to the German air defense against British-American Aerial Bombing. During the war, manufacturing plants were shifted to and developed in West Germany or relocated. Thus, Telefunken, under AEG, turned into the smaller subsidiary, with the three divisions realigning and data processing technology, elements as well as broadcast, television and phono. Telefunken had substantial successes in these markets during the time of self-sufficiency and also later in the AEG company. Telefunken was also the originator of the FM radio broadcast system. Telefunken, through the subsidiary company Teldec (a joint venture with Decca Records), was for many decades one of the largest German record companies, until Teldec was sold to WEA in 1988.

In 1959, Telefunken established a modern semiconductor works in Heilbronn, where in April 1960 production began. The works was expanded several times, and in 1970 a new 6-storey building was built at the northern edge of the area. At the beginning of the 1970s it housed approximately 2,500 employees.

In 1967, Telefunken was merged with AEG, which was then renamed to AEG-Telefunken. During this era, Walter Bruch developed the PAL color television for the company, in use by most countries outside the Americas today (i.e. United Kingdom - PAL-I), and by Brazil (PAL-M) and Argentina (PAL-N) in South America.

The mainframe computer TR 4 was developed at Telefunken in Backnang, and the TR 440 model was developed at Telefunken in Konstanz. They were in use at many German university computing centres from the 1970s to around 1985. The development and manufacture of large computers was separated in 1974 to the Konstanz Computer Company (CGK). The production of mini- and process computers was integrated into the automatic control engineering division of AEG. When AEG was bought by Daimler in 1985, "Telefunken" was dropped from the company name.

In 2005, Telefunken Sender Systeme Berlin changed its name to Transradio SenderSysteme Berlin AG. The name "Transradio" dates back to 1918, when Transradio was founded as a subsidiary of Telefunken. A year later, in 1919, Transradio made history by introducing duplex transmission. Transradio has specialized in research, development and design of modern AM, VHF/FM and DRM broadcasting systems.

In August 2006, it acquired the Turkish company Profilo Telra, one of the largest European manufacturers of TV-devices, with Telefunken GmbH granting a license for the Telefunken trademark rights and producing televisions under that name. In 2000, Toni Roger Fishman acquired The Diamond Shaped Logo & The Telefunken Brand Name for use in North America. The company "Telefunken USA" [2] was incorporated in early 2001 to provide restoration services and build reproductions of vintage Telefunken microphones. In 2003, Telefunken USA won a TEC Award for Studio Microphone Technology for their exact reproduction of the original Ela M 250 / 251 Microphone system. Telefunken USA has since received several TEC Awards nominations for the following microphone systems: the Telefunken USA M12 or C12 (originally developed by AKG), the R-F-T M16 MkII, and the AK47. The Historic Telefunken Ela M251 microphone system entered the MIX foundation's Hall of fame in 2006. In 2008, Telefunken USA won a second TEC Award for its new Ela M 260 microphone.

As a result of a conference held in Frankfurt in May 2009, Telefunken USA has been renamed Telefunken Elektroakustik ("Electrical Acoustics") Division of Telefunken and awarded the exclusive rights to manufacture a wide variety of professional audio products and vacuum tubes bearing the Telefunken Trade Mark, in over 27 countries worldwide. Telefunken Elektroakustik now uses the Telefunken trademark for Professional Audio Equipment & Component Based Electronics, such as Capacitors, Transformers, Vacuum Tubes in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

TELEFUNKEN HISTORY:

1903 – 1922
TWO ARCH RIVALS. ONE INNOVATIVE COMPANY

At the beginning of the last century, two rival research groups were working in the field of
wireless telegraphy. The Slaby-Arco group was represented by the radio-telegraphy department
of AEG, founded in 1899. The other as the Braun-Siemens group, represented by a company
called Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie, System Prof. Braun und Siemens & Halske
GmbH. Under the advice of Emporer Wilhelm II, the two groups merged to form the
Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie mbH company on May 27, 1903. And the rest is history.




A TELEFUNKEN FIRST
The very first Telefunken customers were the German Army and the Imperial Navy.
Telefunken was proud to deliver the first two transmitters for the new coastal radio station, Norddeich
Radio, in November 1905. In October 1906, the expansion of a much larger Nauen station was
completed with a range of 300 km and HF output of 10 kW. Welcome to the power of
Telefunken.




MEET DR. TELEFUNKEN

Dr. Georg Graf Von Arco was the first Technical Director and Managing Director of the
Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie mbH in 1903. He was also the holder of more than one
hundred patents. Among other inventions, he initiated the high-frequency mechanical
transmitter and the wavemeter. Necessity is the mother of invention. Or in this case, German
inventions.


1923 – 1936
TELEFUNKEN GOES COMMERCIAL

On April 17, 1904, the company changed its name to "Telefunken, Gesellschaft für drahtlose
Telegraphie", and on July 26, 1932 Telefunkenplatte GmbH officially began its commercial
activity with registered capital of 100,000 Reichsmarks.
The station in the Telefunken building, Tempelhofer Ufer 9 in Berlin, began broadcasting
concerts regularly two and a half months before the official start of the "Deutsche
Rundfunkverkehr". The world tour of the Graf Zeppelin airship in 1929 got off the ground by
using Telefunken transmitters, receivers and directional equipment exclusively.
Also, on October 31, 1928, during the 5th Grand German Radio Exhibition in Berlin, Telefunken
presented a television set with the Karolus-Telefunken system, a scanning process of film
images through a Mechau projector with a Nipkow disk, in public for the first time.


MEET TELEFUNKEN’S MAD SCIENTISTS

Dr. Hans Bredow is considered to be the "Father of Broadcasting". He was employed at
Telefunken from 1904 to 1919 as a Project Manager, and later as Managing Director.
Prof. Dr. Walter Bruch developed the very first electronic television camera, with which he
participated in the live broadcast of the Olympic Summer Games in Berlin in 1936. He also
earned international fame by inventing the PAL color television system. He joined Telefunken's
Television and Physical Research Department in 1935.
These two innovators thought out of the “TV box” and helped shape and make Telefunken what
it is today.


WELCOME TO RADIO TELEFUNKEN

The German radio station in Zeesen near Königswusterhausen (8 kW shortwave transmitter) was built by Telefunken and was officially placed in service on August 28, 1929. The Mühlacker radio station (60 kW output) was handed over on December 20, 1930. Telefunken is now in, and on, the air.


TELEFUNKEN GOES FOR THE GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE

In 1935, Telefunken equipped the Olympic Stadium, the Maifeld and the Dietrich-Eckhardt
Stage with electrical-acoustic equipment for the Olympics. On August 1, 1936 at the XI Olympic
Summer Games in Berlin, an electronic television camera, known as the Ikonoskop, was used
for the first time for a direct transmission. Again, another Telefunken first. And second. And third
1936- 1954


NOW PLAYING ON CHANNEL TELEFUNKEN

The first fully electronic television studio equipped by Telefunken for the Deutsche Reichspost
was opened with a live broadcast in August 1938. The 500 kW long wave transmitter in
Herzberg, also known as the most powerful German broadcast transmitter, was supplied by
Telefunken and began to operate on May 19, 1939.


IT’S NOT A MERGER. IT’S A POWERHOUSE

On September 24, 1941, AEG took over the 50% of Telefunken shares owned by Siemens &
Halske AG valued at 20 million Reichsmarks. Thus, Telefunken became a 100% subsidiary of
AEG. In exchange, Siemens & Halske AG received the shares of Eisenbahn-Signalwerken,
Klangfilmgesellschaft mbH and Deutsche Betriebsgesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie
(DEBEG) owned by AEG. Strength in numbers, indeed.


POST WWII

The reconstruction after the World War II posed a particularly difficult challenge to Telefunken.
All production facilities and equipment were destroyed, disassembled or confiscated and many
valuable experts were scattered around the world. Rebuilding began in West Germany and
Berlin in 1945, and the production of tubes and transmitters was resumed the same year. But
growth was on the way.



THE TELEFUNKEN COME BACK

In 1953 Telefunken already comprised six plants and five sales offices in Berlin, Ulm,
Frankfurt/Main and Hanover again.The range of products consisted of long-range
communications systems, radio and television transmitters, marine radios, commercial
receivers, directional and navigation systems, radar devices, deci and UHF directional radio
connections, mobile radio systems, portable radio systems, HF heat generators, measuring
equipment, electro-acoustical systems, music centers, record players, transmitter tubes, radio
tubes, special tubes and quartz crystals. As you can see, Telefunken was relentless and has
come a long way.


PROF. DR. DR. WILHELM T. RUNGE THE FIRST

Prof. Dr. Dr. Wilhelm T. Runge (1895-1987) performed trailblazing work in radio and radar
technology and played a significant role in the development of microwave in Germany. He was
especially renowned internationally in the field of high-frequency technology. As well as for
having a few, very important titles before his name.


1955 – 1962
AS TELEFUNKEN GROWS, SO DOES ITS NET WORTH

The name of the company was changed to Telefunken GmbH on January 4, 1955. Due to the
expanded business activities of Telefunken, AEG increased the capital of the company to DM
100 million in 1958.


THE FIRST GERMAN STEREO STUDIO. BROUGHT TO YOU BY TELEFUNKEN

The Sender Freies Berlin (SFB) station ordered the first German stereo studio in 1961. The
harbor radar system, supplied by Telefunken, was officially placed for service in Hamburg
Harbor in August 1962, while the first German transistor receiver (six transistors) was produced
in a test series in 1956. Prof. Dr. Walter Bruch filed the fundamental PAL "time decoder" patent
on December 31, 1962. It was the first German stereo studio of its kind, and Telefunken sought
to it that there was nothing else quite like it.


1963-1978
WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Telefunken GmbH became Telefunken AG on July 5, 1963. On June 23, 1966, the General
Shareholder Meeting of AEG passed a resolution to integrate Telefunken AG into Allgemeine
Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft. Based on an operating lease agreement, the business activities of
Telefunken were transferred to AEG effective January 1, 1967, and were continued under the
combined name AEG-Telefunken. In March 1968, AEG-Telefunken developed a new mediumrange
radar system (Type SER-LL), which was able to detect targets at an altitude of 24,000
meters at a distance of 280 kilometers. Telefunken expands on land, as well as in the air.


TAPE RECORDERS WORTH MILLIONS

AEG-Telefunken delivered the two-millionth tape recorder, a Magnetophon 204 TS, on August
5, 1969. The ten-millionth black-and-white television picture tube was produced in Ulm on
January 27, 1970. The numbers are astounding. As is Telefunken.AEG-Telefunken delivered the
two-millionth tape recorder, a Magnetophon 204 TS, on August 5, 1969. The ten-millionth
black-and-white television picture tube was produced in Ulm on January 27, 1970. The
numbers are astounding. As is Telefunken.


ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN

There was a worldwide economic slowdown in the wake of the oil crisis in 1974. The
competition in consumer electronics sector also became more difficult due to Japanese
suppliers. The only profitable divisions of the company at this time were telecommunications
and traffic technology. But Telefunken, as usual, was known for their resilience.


1979- 1983
THE NAME GAME CONTINUES

The name of the overall company was changed to AEG-Telefunken Aktiengesellschaft on June
21, 1979. The "Aktiengesellschaft" [stock corporation] suffix was necessary due to a new law in
the European Community. In 1979, AEG-Telefunken supplied the complete telecommunications
and high-voltage equipment for the International Congress Center (ICC) Berlin, valued at DM 50
million. In January 1983 the company received an order for simulation systems for electronic
battle simulation for training Tornado crews of the German Luftwaffe and Navy. The total value
was at DM 37 million. The net worth: priceless.


TOUGH TIMES FOR TELEFUNKEN

Court composition proceedings were opened against the assets of AEG-Telefunken AG by the
District Court in Frankfurt / Main on October 31, 1982.
The District Court Frankfurt / Main confirmed the composition of AEG-Telefunken AG in
accordance with the petition filed and closed the proceedings on September 19, 1984.
Even during this difficult financial situation, AEG-Telefunken continued its business and founded
AEG-Telefunken Nachrichtentechnik GmbH (ATN), in Backnang, Germany, together with
Bosch, Mannesmann and Allianz Versicherungs-AG in 1981, as well as Telefunken electronic
GmbH (TEG) in the field of electronic components (semiconductors) together with United
Technologies Corporation (UTC), USA in 1982.
On July 1, 1992, AEG-Telefunken and Deutsche Aerospace (Dasa) founded Telefunken
Microelektronic GmbH (TEMIC), into which Telefunken Elektronic GmbH was integrated among
others. But Telefunken was determined to prevail.


A FINAL, BUT NOT LAST, TURN

Effective March 31, 1983, the French group Thomson-Brandt S.A. took over 75 percent of the
AEG-Telefunken shares in Telefunken Fernseh und Rundfunk GmbH, Hanover, Germany,
including its German and foreign subsidiaries. The remaining 25 percent were supposed to
follow on January 31, 1984. Daimler-Benz AG entered the company in autumn of 1985 and
decided in Autumn 1995 to dissolve the legal entity and transferred the remaining assets to
EHG Electroholding GmbH. Thus, the history of the company was over. But not that of its
brands.
A historical overview is offered by the company archive of AEG-Telefunken in the "Deutsches
Technikmusem Berlin", Trebbiner Str. 9, 10963 Berlin.


1984 – 2004
INNOVATION YESTERDAY. TODAY. AND TOMORROW

Currently, the Telefunken brand and name rights lie with Telefunken Licenses GmbH,
Frankfurt/Main, Germany. This company is one hundred percent subsidiary of EHG
Elektroholding GmbH, Frankfurt/Main.
EHG, on the other hand, is the legal successor of AEG Aktiengesellschaft. The licensor is
Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs GmbH, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. A differentiation is made
between brand licensing agreements, name use agreements and combined agreements. And
third-party use always requires the written approval of the licensor.
In 2003, Telefunken can look back at one-hundred years of brand history. In the past,
Telefunken was associated with significant technical developments and enjoyed the reputation
of a successful German company.
The Telefunken brand is registered in the official trademark registries of 118 countries. It
continues to be used under a variety of licensing agreements.
These are the topics that can be found in the commemorative volume "Telefunken After 100
Years - The Legacy of a Global German Brand."
Whether discovered on this website or in book, these topics should not only focus attention on
the past, but also simultaneously highlight the beginning of a strong Telefunken brand. Simply
put, it’s not just about where we’ve been. But also where we’re going.


2004 – 2009
TELEFUNKEN TODAY

Since December 2007, the trademark-right TELEFUNKEN rests with TEELEFUNKEN Holding
AG, Frankfurt. Currently, TELEFUNKEN is the owner of more than 20,000 patents and active in over 130 countries around the globe.
Today, TELEFUNKEN stands for innovation and progress in the ever-changing world of
information and communications technology and is strictly focused on consumer quality – from
design concept to execution. And because of its strong heritage and long-standing tradition,
Telefunken has a high brand-awareness and a clear positioning in the field of premium
products.

Some References:

• M. Friedewald: Telefunken und der deutsche Schiffsfunk 1903–1914. In: Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte 46. Nr. 1, 2001, S. 27–57
• M. Fuchs: Georg von Arco (1869–1940) – Ingenieur, Pazifist, Technischer Direktor von Telefunken. Eine Erfinderbiographie. Verlag für Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften und der Technik, Berlin & München: Diepholz 2003
• L. U. Scholl: Marconi versus Telefunken: Drahtlose Telegraphie und ihre Bedeutung für die Schiffahrt. In: G. Bayerl, W. Weber (ed.): Sozialgeschichte der Technik. Ulrich Troitzsche zum 60. Geburtstag. Waxmann, Münster 1997 (Cottbuser Studien zur Geschichte von Technik, Arbeit und Umwelt, 7)
• Telefunken Sendertechnik GmbH: 90 Jahre Telefunken. Berlin 1993
• Erdmann Thiele (ed.): Telefunken nach 100 Jahren – Das Erbe einer deutschen Weltmarke. Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-87584-961-2
•  

Einzelnachweise:

Schreibweise mit c siehe: - AEG-Teilschuldverschreibung von 1962

Marke „Telefunken“ in der Registerauskunft des Deutschen Patent- und Markenamtes (DPMA)

E. Thiele (Hrsg.): Telefunken nach 100 Jahren: Das Erbe einer deutschen Weltmarke. Nicolai, Berlin 2003, S. 19

Kurt Kracheel: Flugführungssysteme (Die Deutsche Luftfahrt, Band 20). Bernard&Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1993, ISBN 3-7637-6105-5, S. 119.

Operette 50W UKW. In: radiomuseum.org. Abgerufen am 28. Januar 2016.

Autosuper IA 50. In: radiomuseum.org. Abgerufen am 28. Januar 2016.

Farbfernseh-Tischempfänger PALcolor 708T. In: radiomuseum.org. Abgerufen am 28. Januar 2016.

Mini Partner 101. In: radiomuseum.org. Abgerufen am 28. Januar 2016.

Olympia-Partner. In: radiomuseum.org. Abgerufen am 28. Januar 2016.

Magnetophon 3000 hifi. In: radiomuseum.org. Abgerufen am 28. Januar 2016.

Fernseh-Tischempfänger FE8T. In: radiomuseum.org. Abgerufen am 28. Januar 2016.

Israelischer Konzern Elbit Systems eröffnet Büro in Berlin. In: bundeswehr-journal. 13. April 2018, abgerufen am 18. Januar 2019.

Telefunken Semiconductors Heilbronn: Die Lichter sind für immer aus, swr.de, 27. Februar 2015

LDL Berlin: Geschäftshaus Mehringdamm 32 & 34

LDL Berlin: AEG-Glühlampenfabrik

LDL Berlin: AEG-Telefunken-Gerätewerk

Telefunkenwerk Celle. vergessene-orte.blogspot.com

Ludwig Leisentritt: Die historische Entwicklung von Zeil am Main, hbrech.tripod.com
 
R.I.P.  TELEFUNKEN 

TELEFUNKEN PALCOLOR 2228 CHASSIS 415A INTERNAL VIEW

The TELEFUNKEN CHASSIS 415A1 is a semi modular chassis type.

The basis of the TELEFUNKEN CHASSIS 615A1 is coming from TELEFUNKEN CHASSIS 714A From 1980 .

Obviously the TELEFUNKEN CHASSIS 714A is higly different !

This type of chassis was fitted from 15 to 21 Inches screen formats !

When dismounted from the wooden cabinet it's a FLEXY monocarrier Chassis (Not a Flexy Girl Which is another thing !) ; since it has no metal bars soldered along his perimeter it's very wobbling.

This chassis was very reliable and durable but was suffering from a high rate of dry joint.
It runs very cold.

TDA1940 - SYNCHRONIZATION
Line Circuits for TV Receivers (18-Pin Plastic Package)
These integrated circuits are advanced versions of the well-known types TDA1940, TDA1940F, TDA1950 and TDA1950F are identical
TBA940/950, TDA9400/9500 etc. integrated line oscillator circuits. except the following: at pin 2 the types having the suffix "F" supply ,
They comprise all stages for sync separation and line synchronisation horizontal output pulses of longer duration compared with the basic I
in TV receivers in one single silicon chip. Due to their high degree of types Integration, the number of external components is very small.
This integrated circuit contains the horizontal sweep generator (HO), the amplitude filter (AS), the sync-signal separating circuit (SA) and the frequency/phase comparator (FP). For the purpose of suppressing noise pulses which are caused via the operating voltage during the upper and the lower inversion point of the horizontal sweep generator (HO) which contains a single capacitor (C) and a first threshold stage circuit (SS1) with two fixed thresholds, there are provided a second and a third threshold stage circuit (SS2, SS3), to the inputs of which the sawtooth signal is applied, and with the thresholds thereof, approximately 2 μs prior to reaching the upper or the lower peak value of the sawtooth signal, are being passed through thereby. The output signal of the second threshold circuit (SS2) and the output signal of the third threshold stage circuit (SS3) which is applied via the pulse shaper circuit (IF), are superimposed linearly and, via the stopper circuit (blocking stage) (SP) serve to control the application of the composite video signal (BAS) to the amplitude filter (AS), or else they are applied to a clamping circuit which serves to apply the operating points of the amplitude filter (AS) and/or of the sync-signal separating circuit (SA) to such a potential that these two stages, for the time duration of these output pulses, are prevented from operating.
1. An integrated circuit for color television receivers, comprising a voltage- or current-controlled horizontal sweep generator (HO), an amplitude filter (AS), a synchronizing-signal separating circuit (SA) and a frequency/phase comparator (FP) which serves to synchronize the horizontal sweep generator (HO), with said generator being a sawtooth generator containing a single capacitor (C) and a first threshold stage circuit (SS1) having two fixed thresholds, said integrated circuit further comprising:
a second and a third threshold stage circuit (SS2, SS3) each being supplied with the sawtooth signal on the input side, comprising each time one threshold which, approximately 2μs prior to the reaching of the upper or the lower peak value of the sawtooth signal, is being passed thereby;
a pulse shaper circuit (IF) coupled to the output of said third threshold stage circuit (SS3) which pulse shaper circuit reduces the duration of the output pulse thereof to about the duration of the output pulse of said second threshold stage circuit (SS2), and
a stopper circuit (blocking stage) (SP) coupled to the outputs of both said pulse shaper circuit (IF) and said second threshold stage circuit (SS2), said stopper circuit having a signal input to which there is applied a composite video signal (BAS) and a signal output which is coupled to the input of said amplitude filter (AS).


2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the outputs of both said pulse shaper circuit (IF) and said second threshold stage circuit (SS2) are coupled to a clamping circuit which applies the operating points of said amplitude filter (AS) and said sync-separating signal (SA) to such a potential that they are prevented from operating.

3. An integrated horizontal sweep circuit comprising:
a generator for generating a sawtooth signal;
an amplitude filter having an input for receiving a composite video signal and having an output;
a sync-signal separating circuit having an input coupled to said amplitude filter output and having an output;
a frequency/phase comparator having a first input coupled to said separating circuit output,
a second input receiving said sawtooth signal and an output for controlling said generator; and
a control circuit responsive to said sawtooth signal for inhibiting said composite video signal when said sawtooth signal is within predetermined signal level ranges about the upper and lower inversion points of said sawtooth signal.


4. An integrated circuit in accordance with claim 3 wherein:
said generator comprises a capacitor, circuit means for charging and discharging said capacitor, and a first threshold circuit controlling said circuit means in response to said sawtooth signal reaching a first level corresponding to said first inversion point and a second level corresponding to said second inversion point.


5. An integrated horizontal sweep circuit comprising:
a sawtooth signal generator;
an amplitude filter having an input receiving a composite video signal and having an output;
a sync-signal separating circuit having an input coupled to said amplitude filter output and having an output;
a frequency/phase comparator having a first input coupled to said separating circuit output, a second input receiving said sawtooth signal and an output for controlling said generator; and
a control circuit responsive to said sawtooth signal for inhibiting operation of said amplitude filter and/or said sync-signal separating circuit when said sawtooth signal is within predetermined signal level ranges about the upper and lower inversion point of said sawtooth signal.


6. An integrated circuit in accordance with claim 5 wherein:
said generator comprises a capacitor, circuit means for charging and discharging said capacitor and a first threshold circuit controlling said circuit means in response to said sawtooth signal reaching a first level corresponding to said first inversion point and a second level corresponding to said second inversion point.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an integrated circuit for (color) television receivers, comprising a voltage- or current-controlled horizontal-sweep generator, an amplitude filter, a synchronizing signal separating circuit (sync-separator) and a frequency/phase comparator which serves to synchronize the horizontal sweep generator which is a sawtooth generator consisting of a single capacitor and of a first threshold stage having two fixed switching thresholds, cf. preamble of the patent claim. Such types of integrated circuits, for example, are known from the technical journal "Elektronik aktuell", 1976, No. 2, pp. 7 to 14 where they are referred to as TDA 9400 and TDA 9500.
Especially on account of the fact that the amplitude filter as well as the horizontal sweep generator in the form of the aforementioned sawtooth generator, are integrated on a single semiconductor body, it is likely that noise interference pulses coming from the individual stages, and via the supply voltage line, may have a disturbing influence upon the horizontal sweep generator, i.e. upon the threshold stage thereof, in such a way that either the lower or the upper or successively both switching thresholds are exceeded before the time by the voltage at the capacitor, owing to the noise superposition, so that the generator will show to have a "wrong" frequency or phase position. This frequency/phase variation, of course, is compensated for by the circuit, with the aid of the synchronzing pulses, but only in such a way that the noise effect remains visible in the television picture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is characterized in the claim is aimed at overcoming this drawback by solving the problem of designing an integrated circuit of the type described in greater detail hereinbefore, in such a way that noise pulses acting upon the capacitor voltage or the internal reference voltages for the switching thresholds (see below) in the proximity of the two switching thresholds, are prevented from having the described disadvantageous effect. Accordingly, an advantage of the invention results directly from solving the given problem.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. This drawing, in the form of a schematical circuit diagram, shows the construction of an integrated circuit according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The horizontal sweep generator HO comprises the capacitor C as connected to the zero point of the circuit, and which is charged and discharged via the two shown constant current sources CS1 and CS2, thus causing the intended sawtooth voltage to appear thereat. Moreover, the horizontal sweep generator HO comprises the first threshold stage circuit SS1, having an upper and a lower threshold. As soon as the capacitor voltage exceeds one of the thresholds, the first threshold stage circuit SS1 switches over to the other threshold. The two thresholds are defined by the voltage divider P as connected to the operating voltage U, and in which the corresponding threshold inputs are connected to corresponding tapping points. The output of the threshold stage circuit SS1 controls the electronic switch S, so that the constant current source CS2 as connected thereto, is either disconnected from or connected to the zero point of the circuit. Accordingly, in the disconnected state, the capacitor C is charged via the constant current source CS1 arranged in series therewith while in the connected state the capacitor C is discharged across the aforementioned constant current source CS2 arranged in parallel therewith, if, as a matter of fact, the current of the constant current source CS1 arranged in series with the capacitor C, is smaller than that of the parallel-arranged constant current source CS2.
Now, for the purpose of avoiding the aforementioned drawbacks, there is provided a second and a third threshold stage circuit SS2 and SS3, respectively, as well as the pulse shaper circuit IF. To the respective input of the two threshold stage circuits SS2, SS3, there is applied the capacitor voltage, in the form of the sawtooth signal, and these stages have a threshold voltage which, approximately 2 μs prior to the reaching of the upper or the lower peak value of the sawtooth voltage, is being passed thereby. This means to imply that the threshold voltage of the second threshold stage circuit SS2 is somewhat lower than the voltage of the upper threshold of the first threshold stage circuit SS1, and that the threshold voltage of the third threshold stage circuit SS3 is somewhat higher than the voltage of the lower threshold of the first threshold stage circuit SS1. The two thresholds of the threshold stage circuits SS2, SS3 can thus be realized in a simple way by providing further tapping points at the voltage divider P, as is shown in the accompanying drawing. Thus, the second threshold stage circuit SS2 is provided for at a voltage divider tapping point below the tapping point chosen for the upper threshold, and the tapping point for the third threshold stage circuit SS3 is provided for above the tapping point which has been chosen for the lower threshold of the first threshold stage circuit SS1.
Since, within the area of the lower inversion point of the sawtooth signal there results an excessively wide output pulse of the third threshold stage circuit SS3, the pulse shaper circuit IF is arranged subsequently thereto, for reducing the duration of the output pulse as applied to its input, to about the duration of the output pulse of the second threshold stage circuit SS2. This pulse shaper circuit IF, for example, may be realized by a monoflop, in particular by a digital monoflop (=monostable circuit).
The output pulses of the second threshold stage circuit SS2 and of the pulse shaper circuit IF are then super-positioned linearly, with this being denoted in the drawing by a simple interconnection of the two respective lines. The combined signal is applied to the input of the stopper circuit (blocking stage) SP, to the signal input of which there is fed the composite video signal BAS, and the output thereof controls both the amplitude filter AS and the synchronizing signal separating circuit SA.
The combined signal may also be used to control a clamping circuit applying the operating points of the amplitude filter AS and/or of the sync-signal-separating circuit SA to such a potential which prevents it from operating.
If now the sawtooth signal reaches the range of its upper or its lower inversion point, the composite video signal BAS is not applied to either the amplitude filter AS or the sync-signal separating circuit SA, so that shortly before and shortly after the inversion points, signals are prevented from being processed in the two stages AS, SA. This, in turn, has the consequence that during these times noise pulses are prevented from superimposing upon the operating voltage U, so that there is also prevented an unintended triggering of the first threshold stage circuit SS1.
Moreover, it is still shown in the drawing that the amplitude filter AS, the sync-signal separating circuit SA and the frequency/phase comparator FP are arranged in series in terms of signal flow, with the latter, in addition, receiving the sawtooth signal, and with the output signal thereof acting upon the two current sources in a regulating sense. In the drawing, this is indicated by the setting arrows at the two current sources.
While the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that there may be other embodiments which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

TDA1870 - FRAME DEFLECTION
Form/Case/Outline: Multiwatt-15 (TDA1870A);
Type/Application: TV Vertical Deflection Unit.
Daten/electr.data: Vs max: 35 V; I15: 100 mA; Ptot: 30 W; Tmax j: 150 °C.
Varianten: TDA1670[A], TDA1675[A], TDA1872[A] -


TELEFUNKEN CHASSIS 415A (AT349354097) Switching power supply, especially for a T.V. receiving apparatus:
 1. Switch mode power supply means, especially for a television receiver, having a working winding (5), a switching transistor (6), a back-coupling winding (7) and a control switch (11) on the primary side of a divided transformer (1), and also having rectifiers (15, 16, 20) for the production of the drive voltages (U1, U2, U3) on the secondary side of the transformer (1), characterized by the following features : (a) Connected to a winding (19) there is a thyristor (24) which is poled in the permitted direction for the voltage at the winding (19) arising during the current conducting phase of the switching transistor (6). (b) One of the drive voltages (U2) is applied to the control electrode of the thyristor (24) with such magnitude that the thyristor (24) remains blocked in the normal working state and fires on the occurrence of an inadmissible rise of the drive voltage (U3).


TELEFUNKEN  PALCOLOR  CHASSIS  415A Schaltnetzteil
 (AT 349354097), IN GERMAN:

1. Schaltnetzteil, insbesondere f·ur einen Fernsehempf·anger, mit einer Arbeitswicklung (5), einem Schalttransistor (6), einer R·uckkopplungswicklung (7) und einer Regelschaltung (ii) auf der Prim·arseite sowie mit Gleichrichtern (15,16, 20) zur Erzeugung von Betriebsspannungen (U11U2#U3) auf der Sekund·arseite eines Trenntransformators (1) gekenn zeichnet durch folgende Merkmale: a) An eine Wicklung (19) ist ein Thyristor (24) angeschlos sen, der f·ur die w·ahrend der siromf·uhrenden Phase der Schalttransistoren (6) an der Wicklung (19) auftreten de Spannung in Durchlassrichtung gepolt ist. b) An die Steuerelektrode des Thyristors (24) ist eine der Betriebsspannungen (U2) in solcher H·ohe angelegt, dass der Thyristor (24) im Normalbetrieb gesperrt bleibt und bei einem unzul·assigen Anstieg der Betriebs spannung (U3) z·undet.

2. Netzteil nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Betriebsspannung (U3) ·uber einen Spannungsteiler (25,26) an die Steuerelektrode des Thyristors (24) angelegt ist.

3. Netzteil nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Wicklung (19) eine Sekund·arwicklung des Trenntransforma tors (1) ist.

Description:

Schaltnetzteil, insbesondere f·ur einen Fernsehempf·anger

Bei Ger·aten der Nachrichtentechnik wie z.B. einem Fernsehempf·anger ist es bekannt, die f·ur die einzelnen Stufen notwendigen Betriebsspannungen mit einem Schaltnetzteil aus der Netzspannung zu erzeugen (Funkschau 1975, Heft 5, Seite 40-43). Ein Schaltnetzteil erm·oglicht die f·ur den Anschluss ·ausserer Ger·ate und f·ur die Massnahmen zur Schutzisolierung vorteilhafte galvanische Trennung der Empf·angerschaltung vom Netz. Da ein Schaltnetzteil mit einer gegen·uber der Netzfrequenz hohen Frequenz von ca. 30 kHz arbeitet, kann der zur galvanischen Trennung dienende Trenntransformator gegen·uber einem Netztrafo f·ur 50 Hz wesentlich kleiner und leichter ausgebildet sein. Durch mehrere Wicklungen oder Wicklungsabgriffe und angeschlossene Gleichrichter k·onnen auf der Sekund·arseite des Trenntransformators Betriebs~ spannungen unterschiedlicher Gr·osse und Polarit·at erzeugt werden.

Ein solches Schaltnetzteil enth·alt eine Regelschaltung zur Stabilisierung der Amplitude der auf der Sekund·arseite erzeugten Betriebsspannungen. In dieser Regelschaltung wird eine durch Gleichrichtung der Impulsspannung am Trafo gewonnene Stellgr·osse erzeugt und mit einer Bezugsspannung verglichen. In Abh·angigkeit von der Abweichung wird der Schaltzeitpunkt des auf der Prim·arseite vorgesehenen elektronischen Schalters so gesteuert, dass die Amplitude der erzeugten Betriebsspannungen konstant bleibt.
Bei einem solchen Schaltnetzteil kann die genannte Regelschaltung z.B. durch ein fehlerhaftes Bauteil ausfallen. Die Regelung der Amplitude der erzeugten Betriebsspannungen ist dann unkontrolliert. Die Betriebsspannungen k·onnen dann auf den doppelten oder dreifachen Wert ansteigen. Dadurch besteht die Gefahr, dass das Schaltnetzteil oder die an die Betriebsspannungen angeschlossenen Verbraucher wie z.B. der Heizfaden der Bildr·ohre oder der Zeilenendstufentransistor zerst·ort werden. Der Anstieg der Betriebsspannungen kann dar·uberhinaus einen Anstieg der im Fernsehempf·anger erzeugten Hochspannung und dadurch eine R·ontgenstrahlung ausl·osen.
Es ist auch ein Schaltnetzteil bekannt (DE-OS 27 27 332), bei dem zum Schutz gegen einen zu starken Anstieg der erzeugten Betriebsspannungen aus der Impulsspannung an der Prim·arseite des Trafos eine Stellgr·osse gewonnen wird, die beim ·Uberschreiten eines Schwellwertes den R·uckkopplungsweg unwirksam steuert. Durch die Unterbrechung des R·uckkopplungsweges kann das Schaltnetzteil nicht mehr schwingen, so dass in erw·unschter Weise auch keine Betriebsspannungen mehr erzeugt werden. Diese Schaltung erfordert jedoch eine Vielzahl von Bauteilen und ist daher relativ teuer.
Der Erfindung liegt die Aufgabe zugrunde, eine sicher wirkende Schutzschaltung mit verringertem Schaltungsaufwand gegen die oben beschriebenen Gefahren zu schaffen.
Diese Aufgabe wird durch die im Anspruch 1 beschriebene Erfindung gel·ost. Vorteilhafte Weiterbildungen der Erfindung sind in den Unteranspr·uchen beschrieben.
Die Erfindung beruht auf folgender ·Uberlegung: Der Schalttransistor auf der Prim·arseite wird von der prim·arseitigen R·uckkopplungswicklung w·ahrend seiner stromleitenden Phase mit einem Basisstrom angesteuert. Wenn jetzt eine Sekund·arwicklung w·ahrend dieser stromleitenden Phase stark belastet, z.B. ·uber den Thyristor kurzgeschlossen wird, bricht auch die Spannung an der prim·arseitigen R·uckkopplungswicklung zusammen. Diese Wicklung kann dann f·ur den Schalttransistor nicht mehr einen f·ur den leitenden Betrieb ausreichenden Basis strom liefern. Das Schaltnetzteil schwingt dann nicht mehr, so dass die sekund·arseitigen Betriebsspannungen in erw·unschter Weise zusammenbrechen. Der schaltungstechni- sche Aufwand ist gering. Er besteht vorzugsweise aus einem Thyristor und zwei Widerst·anden.
Ein Ausf·uhrungsbeispiel der Erfindung wird anhand der Zeichnung erl·autert. Darin zeigen Figur 1 ein erfindungsgem·ass ausgebildetes Schaltnetzteil und Figur 2 Kurven zur Erl·auterung der Wirkungsweise. Dabei zeigen die kleinen Buchstaben, an welchen Punkten in Figur 1 die Spannungen gem·ass Figur 2 stehen.

Das Schaltnetzteil gem·ass Figur 1 enth·alt auf der Prim·arseite des Trenntransformators 1 den Netzgleichrichter 2, den Ladekondensator 3, den Strom-Messwiderstand 4, die Prim·arwicklung 5 den Schalttransistor 6, die zur Schwingungserzeugung dienende R·uckkopplungswicklung 7, den zur Steuerung des Schalttransistors 6 dienenden Thyristor 8, die Regelwicklung 9, den zur Erzeugung der Regelspannung dienenden Gleichrichter 10 sowie die zur Stabilisierung der Betriebsspannungen dienende Regelschaltung 11 mit dem Transistor 12 und der eine Referenzspannung lieferndenZenerdiode 13. Die Sekund·arwicklung 14 liefert ·uber den Gleichrichter 15 eine erste Betriebsspannung U1 von 150 V. Ein Abgriff der Wicklung 14 liefert ·uber den Gleichrichter 16 eine zweite Betriebsspannung U2 von 12 V f·ur einen Fernbedienungsempf·anger.
Eine weitere Sekund·arwicklung 19 liefert ·uber den Gleichrichter 20 eine dritte Betriebsspannung U3 von 12 V. Die Polung der Wicklungen 14,19 und der Gleichrichter 15,16,20 ist derart, dass die Gleichrichter 15,16,20 w·ahrend der Sperrphase des Schalttransistors 6 durch die sekund·arseitig auftretenden Impulsspannungen leitend gesteuert sind und die angeschlossenen Ladekondensatoren aufladen.
An das untere Ende der Wicklung 19 ist zus·atzlich der Thyristor 24 angeschlossen. An die Steuerelektrode b des Thyristors 24 ist die Betriebs spannung U2 ·uber den Spannungsteiler 25,26 angelegt.
Die Wirkungsweise der Schaltung wird anhand der Figur 2 erl·autert. Es sei angenommen, dass das Schaltnetzteil im Zeitpunkt tl in Betrieb genommen wird. Mit der Diode 21 wird aus der Netzspannung am Punkt d ein positiver Impuls erzeugt. Dieser gelangt ·uber den Kondensator 23 auf die Basis des Schalttransistors 6 und steuert diesen leitend. Dadurch beginnt das Schaltnetzteil zu schwingen, wobei die Schwingung durch die R·uckkopplungswicklung 7 aufrechterhalten wird. Am Punkt a entsteht dann eine m·aanderf·ormige Wechselspannung mit einer Frequenz von etwa 25-30 kHz.
Die daraufhin in den Sekund·arwicklungen 14,19 erzeugten Impulse erzeugen in der beschriebenen Weise die Betriebsspannungen U1,U2,U3. Der Spannungsteiler 25,26 ist so bemessen, dass der Thyristor 24 gesperrt bleibt, d.h. die Spannung am Punkt 6 jst kleiner als 0,7 V. Der Thyristor 24 hat dann keine Wirkung. Dir Amplitude der Spannungen Ui,U2,U3 wird ·uber die Regelschaltung 11 stabilisiert.
Es sei jetzt angenommen, dass durch einen Fehler in der Regelschaltung 11, z.B. durch Ausfall eines Bauteiles, die Regelung zur Stabilisierung der Betriebsspannungen U1,U2,U3 nicht mehr wirkt und diese Betriebsspannungen stark ansteigen. Dadurch steigt auch die Spannung am Punkt b an.
Im Zeitpunkt t2 erreicht diese Spannung den Wert von 0,7 V, so dass der Thyristor 24 z·undet. Der untere Teil der Wicklung 19 ist jetzt praktisch kurzgeschlossen. Das Netzteil ist dadurch sekund·arseitig so stark belastet, dass die R·uck kopplungswicklung 7 keinen ausreichenden Basisstrom zur Steuerung des Schalttransistors 6 in seine stromleitende Phase mehr liefert. Im Zeitpunkt t2 bricht die Schwingung des Schaltnetzteiles ab, so dass auch die Wechselspannung am Punkt a auf null abf·allt. Den Ladekondensatoren der Gleichrichter 15,16,20 wird kein Strom mehr zugef·uhrt, so dass die Betriebspannungen U1,U2,U3 nicht weiter ansteigen k·onnen, sondern entsprechend den wirksamen Entladezeitkonstanten abfallen. Das Schaltnetzteil w·urde auf diese Weise an sich beliebig lange ausgeschaltet bleiben.
Im Zeitpunkt t3 erscheint am Punkt b der n·achste aus der Netzspannung gewonnene Startimpuls, der den Schalttransistor 6 wieder leitend steuert, so dass die Wechselspannung am Punkt a wieder auftritt. Das Schaltnetzteil geht also in einen getakteten Betrieb ·uber, bei dem die ·ubertragene Leistung entsprechend dem Zeitverh·altnis zwischen Einschaltphase und Ausschaltphase der Spannung am Punkt a betr·achtlich verringert ist. Die Betriebsspannungen U11U2,U3 k·onnen nicht mehr unzul·assig hohe Werte annehmen.

TELEFUNKEN PALCOLOR 2228  CHASSIS 415A UNITS VIEW:

TUNER 737694 AT349357054
With prescaler U665B


ELKO UNIT - BS1451 ET309378047

ST-BY SUPPLY - BS613 ET309309977

PLL SYNTHESIZER TUNING CONTROL BS656 AT349354169
with U3870 -Bit Microcontroller-Microcomputer - Plus 70 instruction set & binary timer
Vishay Telefunken
8-Bit Microcontrollers,Timers
Clock Frequency - Max. (Hz)=4.0M
Clock Frequency - Min. (Hz)=2.0M
Min Instruction Length (bits)=8
Max Instruction Length (bits)=24
Memory Addressing Range=64k
Number of Addressing Modes=5
On-Chip RAM (Bytes)=0
On-Chip ROM (bytes)=1.0k
Number of Interrupt Lines=1
No. of Non-Maskable Interrupts=0
Number of Maskable Interrupts=1
Number of I/O Lines=32
No. of I/O Ports=4
Vsup Nom.(V) Supply Voltage=5.0
Package=DIP
Pins=40
Military=N
Technology=NMOS



+ U3060 + ER1450 EAROM

VIDEO AT349354181

With TDA3562A














The TDA3562A is a monolithic IC designed as
decode PAL and/or NTSC colour television standards
and it combines all functions required for the
identification and demodulation of PAL and NTSC
signals.
.CHROMINANCE SIGNALPROCESSOR

.LUMINANCE SIGNAL PROCESSING WITH
CLAMPING

.HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL BLANKING
.LINEAR TRANSMISSION OF INSERTED
RGB SIGNALS
.LINEAR CONTRAST AND BRIGHTNESS
CONTROL ACTING ON INSERTED AND MATRIXED
SIGNALS
.AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF CONTROL
.NTSC HUE CONTROL.


THE PHILIPS TDA3562A Circuit arrangement for the control of a picture tube :

 1. Circuit arrangement for the control of at least one beam current in a picture tube by a picture comprising
a control loop which in one sampling interval obtains a measuring signal from the value of the beam current on the occurrence of a given reference level in the picture signal, stores a control signal derived therefrom until the next sampling interval and thereby adjusts the beam current to a value preset by a reference signal.
and a trigger circuit which suppresses auxiliary pulses used to generate the beam current after the picture tube has been started up and issues a switching signal for the purpose of closing the control loop during the sampling intervals and for releasing the control of the beam current by the picture signal after the measuring signal has exceeded the threshold value,
a change detection arrangement which delivers a change signal when the stored signal has assumed a largely constant value, and
a logic network which does not release the control of the beam current by the picture signal outside the sampling intervals until the change signal has also been issued after the switching signal.


2. Circuit arrangement as set forth in claim 1, in which the picture signal comprises several color signals for the control of a corresponding number of beam currents for the display of a color picture in the picture tube and the control loop stores a part measuring signal or a part control signal derived therefrom for each color signal, characterized in that the change detection arrangement includes a change detector for each color signal which delivers a part change signal when the relevant stored signal has assumed a largely constant value, and the logic network does not release the control of the beam currents by the color signals outside the sampling intervals until the part change signals have been delivered by all change detectors.

3. Circuit arrangement as set forth in claim 1, including a comparator arrangement which compares the measuring signal with the reference signal and derives the control signal from this comparison, characterized in that the change detection arrangement detects a change in the control signal with respect to time and issues the change signal when the control signal has assumed a largely constant value.

4. Circuit arrangement as set forth in claims 1, 2, 3 including a control signal memory which contains at least one capacitor, characterized in that the change detection arrangement delivers the change signal when a charge-reversing current of the capacitor occuring during the starting up of the picture tube falls below a limit value.

5. Circuit arrangement as set forth in claim 2, including a comparator arrangement which compares the measuring signal with the reference signal and derives the control signal from this comparison, characterized in that the change detection arrangement detects a change in the control signal with respect to time and issues the change signal when the control signal has assumed a largely constant value.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for the control of at least one beam current in a picture tube by a picture signal with a control loop which in one sampling interval obtains a measuring signal from the value of the beam current on the occurrence of a given reference level in the picture signal, stores a control signal derived therefrom until the next sampling interval and by this means adjusts the beam current to a value preset by a reference signal, and with a trigger circuit which suppresses auxiliary pulses used to generate the beam current after the picture tube is turned on and issues a switching signal for the purpose of closing the control loop during the sampling intervals and releasing the control of the beam current by the picture signal after the measuring signal has exceeded a threshold value.
Such a circuit arrangement has been described in Valvo Technische Information 820705 with regard to the integrated color decoder circuit PHILIPS TDA3562A and is used in this as a so-called cut-off point control. In the known circuit arrangement, such a cut-off point control provides automatic compensation of the so-called cut-off point of the picture tube, i.e. it regulates the beam current in the picture tube in such a way that for a given reference level in the picture signal the beam current has a constant value despite tolerances and changes with time (aging, thermal modifications) in the picture tube and the circuit arrangement, thereby ensuring correct picture reproduction.
Such a blocking point control is particularly advantageous for the operation of a picture tube for the display of color pictures because in this case there are several beam currents for different color components of the color picture which have to be in a fixed ratio with one another. If this ratio changes, for example, as the result of manufacturing tolerances or ageing processes, distortions of the colors occur in the reproduction of the color picture. The beam currents, therefore, have to be very accurately balanced. The said cut-off point control prevents expensive adjustment and maintenance time which is otherwise necessary.
Conventional picutre tubes are constructed as cathode-ray tubes with hot cathodes which require a certain time after being turned on for the hot cathodes to heat up. Not until a final operating temperature has been reached do these hot cathodes emit the desired beam currents to the full extent, while gradually rising beam currents occur in the time interval when the hot cathodes are heating up. The instantaneous values of these beam currents depend on the instantaneous temperatures of the hot cathodes and on the accelerating voltages for the picture tube which build up simultaneously with the heating process and are undefined until the end of the heating time. After the picture tube is turned on, these values initially produce a highly distorted picture until the beam currents have attained their final value. These picture distortions after the picture tube is turned on are even further intensified by the fact that the cut-off point control is not yet adjusted to the beam currents which flow after the heating time is over.
For the purpose of suppressing distorted pictures during the heating time of the hot cathodes, the known circuit arrangement has a turn-on delay element operating as a trigger circuit which, in essence, contains a bistable flip-flop. When the picture tube and the circuit arrangement controlling the beam currents flowing in it are turned on, the flip-flop is switched into a first state in which it interrupts the supply of the picture signal to the picture tube. Thus, during the heating time the beam currents are suppressed, and the picture tube does not yet display any picture. In sampling intervals which are provided subsequent to flybacks of the cathode beam into an initial position on the changeover from the display of one picture to the display of a subsequent picture and even within the changeover, that is outside the display of pictures, the picture tube is controlled for a short time in such a way that beam currents occur when the hot cathodes are sufficiently heated up and an accelerating voltage is resent. If these currents exceed a certain threshold value, the flip-flop circuit switches into a second state and releases the picture signal for the control of the beam currents and the cut-off point control.
It is found, however, that the picture displayed in the picture tube immediately after the switching over of the flip-flop is still not fault-free. Because, in fact, the beam currents are supported during the heating time of the hot cathodes, the cut-off point control cannot respond yet. This response of the cut-off point control takes place only after the beam currents are switched on, i.e. after the flip-flop is switched into the second state and therefore at a time in which the picture signal already controls the beam currents. In this way the response of the blocking point control makes its presence felt in the picture displayed.
With the known circuit arrangement the brightness of the picture gradually increases, during the response of the cut-off point control, from black to the final value.
This slow increase in the picture brightness after the tube is turned on is disturbing to the eyes of the viewer not only in the case of the black-and-white picture tubes with one hot cathode, but especially so in the case of colour picture tubes which usually have three hot cathodes. With a color picture tube, color purity errors can also occur in addition to the change in the picture brightness if, as a result of different speeds of response of the cut-off point control for the three beam currents, there are found to be intermittent variations from the interrelation between the beam currents required for a correct picture reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the invention is to create a circuit arrangement which suppresses the above-described disturbances of brightness and color of the displayed picture when the picture tube is being started.
The invention achieves this aim in that a circuit arrangement of the type mentioned in the preamble contains a change detection arrangement which emits a change signal when the stored signal has assumed an essentially constant value, and a logic network which does not release the control of the beam current by the picture signal until the change signal has also been emitted after the switching signal.
In the circuit arrangement according to the invention, therefore, the display of the picture is suppressed after the picture tube is turned on until the cut-off point control has responded. If the picture signal then starts to control the beam current, a perfect picture is displayed immediately. In this way, all the disturbances of the picture which affect the viewer's pleasure are suppressed. The circuit arrangement of the invention is of simple design and can be combined on one semiconductor wafer with the existing picture signal processing circuits and also, for example, with the known circuit arrangement for cut-off point control. Such an integrated circuit arrangement not only requires very little space on the semiconductor wafer, but also needs no additional external leads. Thus the circuit arrangement of the invention can be arranged, for example, in an integrated circuit which has precisely the same external connections as known integrated circuits. This means that an integrated circuit containing the circuit arrangement of the invention can be directly incorporated in existing equipment without the need for additional measures.
In one embodiment of the said circuit arrangement, in which the picture signal contains several color signals for the control of a corresponding number of beam currents for representing a color picture in the picture tube and, for each color signal, the control loop stores a part measuring signal or a part control signal derived from it, the change detection arrangement contains a change detector for each color signal which emits a part change signal when the relevant stored signal has assumed an essentially constant value, and the logic network does not release the control of the beam currents by the color signals outside the sampling intervals until the part change signals have been emitted from all change detectors.
In principle, therefore, such a circuit arrangement has three cut-off point controls for the three beam currents controlled by the individual color signals. To reduce the cost of the circuitry, the measuring stage is common to all the cut-off point controls, as in the known circuit arrangement. All three beam currents are then measured successively by this measuring stage. In this way, a part measuring signal or a part control signal derived from it is obtained for each beam current and is stored sesparately according to which of the beam currents it belongs. Changes in the part measuring signal or part control signal are detected for each beam current by one of the change detectors each time. Each of these change detectors issues a part change signal to the logic network. The latter does not release the control of the beam currents by the picture signal outside the sampling intervals until all the part change signals indicate that the part measuring signal or the part control signal, as the case may be, remains constant. This ensures that the cut-off point controls for the beam currents of all color signals have responded when the picture appears in the picture tube.
In a further embodiment of the circuit arrangement according to the invention with a comparator arrangement which compares the measuring signal with the reference signal and derives the control signal from this comparison, the change detection arrangement detects a change in the control signal with respect to time and issues the change signal when the control signal has assumed an essentially constant value. In the case of the representation of a color signal the comparator arrangement derives several part control signals, whose changes with time are detected by the change detectors, from a corresponding comparison of the part measuring signals with the reference signal. In this embodiment of the circuit arrangement of the invention, preference is given to storage of only the control signal or the part control signals for the purpose of controlling the beam currents.
In another embodiment of the circuit arrangement of the invention which includes a control signal memory which contains at least one capacitor in which a charge or voltage corresponding to the control signal is stored, the change detection arrangement issues the change signal when a charge-reversing current of the capacitor occurring during the turning on of the picture tube has fallen below a limit value and has thus at least largely decayed. Such a detection of the steady state of the cut-off point control is independent of the actual magnitude of the control signal and therefore independent of, for example, the level of the picture tube cut-off voltage, circuit tolerances or ageing processes in the circuit arrangement or the picture tube.

Detection of whether or not the charge-reversing current exceeds the limit value is performed preferentially by a current detector which is designed with a current mirror system which is arranged in a supply line to a capacitor acting as a control signal store. A current mirror arrangement of this kind supplies a current which coincides very precisely with the charging current of the capacitor. This current is then compared, preferably in a further device contained in the change detection arrangement, with a current representing a limit value or, after conversion into a voltage, with a voltage representing the limit value. The change signal is obtained from the result of this comparison.
On the other hand, digital memories may also be used as control signal memories, especially when the picture signal is supplied as a digital signal and the blocking point control is constructed as a digital control loop. In such a case, the comparator arrangement, the change detection arrangement and the trigger circuit are also designed as digital circuits. Then, the change detection arrangement advantageously forms the difference of the signals stored in the control signal memory in two successive sampling intervals and compares this with the limit value formed by a digital value. If the difference falls short of the limit value, the change signal is issued.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is described in greater detail below with the aid of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a block circuit diagram of the embodiment,
FIG. 2 shows a somewhat more detailed block circuit diagram of the embodiment,
FIG. 3 shows time-dependency diagrams of some signals occurring in the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 2, and
FIG. 4 shows a somewhat moredetailed block circuit diagram of a part of the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a block circuit diagram of a circuit arrangement to which a picture signal is fed via a first input 1 of a combinatorial stage 2. From the output 3 of the combinatorial stage 2 the picture signal is fed to the picture signal input of a controllable amplifier 5 which at an output 6 issues a current controlled by the picture signal. This current is fed via a measuring stage 7 to a hot cathode 8 in a picture tube 9 and forms therein a beam current of a cathode ray by means of which a picture defined by the picture signal is displayed on a fluorescent screen of the picture tube 9.
The measuring stage 7 measures the current fed to the hot cathode 8, i.e. the the beam current in the picture tube 9, and at a measuring signal output 10, issues a measuring signal corresponding to the magnitude of this current. This is fed to a measuring signal input 11 of a comparator arrangement 12 to which a reference signal is supplied at a reference signal input 13. In a preferably periodically recurring sampling interval during the occurrence of a given reference level in the picture signal, the comparator arrangement 12 forms a control signal from the value of the measuring signal fed to the measuring signal input 11 at this time, on the one hand, and the reference signal, on the other, by means of substraction and delivers this at a control signal output 14. From there the control signal is fed to an input 15 of a control signal memory 16 and is stored in the latter. The control signal is fed via an output 17 of the control signal memory 16 to a second input 18 of combinatorial stage 2 in which it is combined with the picture signal, e.g. added to it.
The combinatorial stage 2, the controllable amplifier 5, the measuring stage 7, the comparator arrangement 12 and the control signal memory 16 form a control loop with which the beam current is guided towards the reference signal in the sampling interval during the occurrence of the reference level in the picture signal. For the reference level, use is made in particular of a black level or a level with small, fixed distance from the black level, i.e. a value in the picture signal which produces a black or almost back picture area in the displayed picture in the picture tube. In this case the control loop, as described, forms a cut-off point control for the picture tube. If the reference level is away from the black level, the control loop is also designated as quasi-cut-off-point control.
The circuit arrangement as shown in FIG. 1 also has a trigger circuit 19 to which the measuring signal from the measuring signal output 10 of measuring stage 7 is fed at a measuring signal input 20. When the circuit arrangement and therefore the picture tube are turned on, the trigger circuit 19 is set in a first state in which by means of a first connection 21 it blocks the comparator arrangement 12 in such a way that the latter delivers no control signal or a control signal with the value zero at its control signal output 14. This prevents the control signal memory 16 from storing undefined values for the control signal at the moment of turning on or immediately thereafter.

The circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 1 also has a logic network 22 which is connected via a second connection 23, by means of which a switching signal is supplied, with the trigger circuit 10 and via a third connection 24 with the controllable amplifier 5. Like the trigger circuit 19, the logic network 22 also finds itself controlled, when the circuit arrangement is being turned on, by the switching signal in a first stage in which by way of the third connection 24 it blocks the controllable amplifier 5 with a blocking signal in such a way that no beam currents controlled by the picture signal can yet flow in the picture tube 9. Thus the picture tube 9 is blanked; no picture is displayed yet.
When picture tube 9 is turned on, the hot cathode 8 is still cold so that no beam current can flow anyhow. The hot cathode 8 is then heated up and, after a certain time, begins gradually to emit electrons as the result of which a cathode ray and therefore a beam current can form. However, during the heating up of the hot cathode 8, and because the cut-off point control has not yet responded, this would be undefined and is therefore suppressed by the controllable amplifier 5. Only in time intervals which are provided immediately subsequent to flybacks of the cathode rays into an initial position at the changeover from the display of one image to that of a subsequent image, but even before the start of the display of the subsequent image, the controllable amplifier 5 delivers a voltage in the form of an auxiliary pulse for a short time at its output 6, and when the hot cathode 8 in the picture tube 9 is heated up sufficiently, this voltage produces a beam current. The time interval for the delivery of this voltage is selected in such a way that a cathode ray produced by its does not produce a visible image in the picture tube 9, and coincides for example with the sampling interval.

The measuring stage 7 measures the short-time cathode current produced in the manner described and, at its measuring signal output 10, delivers a corresponding measuring signal which is passed via measuring signal output 20 to the trigger circuit 19. If the measuring signal exceeds a definite preset threshold value, the trigger circuit 19 is switched into a second state in which it releases the comparator arrangement 12 via the first connection 12 and, by means of the second connection 23, uses the switching signal to also bring the logic network 22 into a second state. The comparator arrangement 12 now evaluates the measuring signal supplied to it via the measuring signal input 11, i.e. it forms the control signal as the difference between the measuring signal and the reference signal supplied via the reference signal input 13. The control signal is transferred via the control signal output 14 and the input 15 into the control signal memory 16. It is subsequently fed via the output 17 of the control signal memory 16 to the second input 18 of the combinatorial stage 2 and is there combined with the picture signal at the first input 1, e.g. is superimposed on it by addition. This superimposed picture signal is fed to the picture signal input 4 of the controllable amplifier 5 via the output 3 of the combinatorial stage 2.
In the second state of the logic network 22 the controllable amplifier 5 is switched via the third connection 24 by the blocking signal in such a way that the picture signal controls the beam currents only during the sampling intervals and that, for the rest, no image appears yet in the picture tube. The cut-off point control now gebins to respond, i.e. the value of the control signal is changed by the control loop comprising the combinatorial stage 2, the controllable amplifier 5, the measuring stage 7, the comparator arrangement 12 and the control signal memory 16 until such time as the beam current in the picture tube 9 at the blocking point or at a fixed level with respect to it is adjusted to a value preset by the reference signal. For this purpose the sampling interval, in which the picture signal controls the beam current via the controllable amplifier 5 is selected in such a way that within it the picture signal just assumes a value corresponding to the cut-off point or to a fixed level with respect to it.

During the response of the cut-off point control the control signal fed to the control signal memory 16 changes continuously. Between the control signal output 14 of the comparator arrangement 12 and the input 15 of the control signal memory 16 is inserted a changed detection arrangement 25 which detects the variations of the control signal. When the cut-off point control has responded, i.e. the control signal has assumed a constant value, the change detection arrangement 25 delivers a change signal at an output 26 which indicates that the steady stage of the cut-off point control is achieved and the said signal is fed to a change signal input 27 of the logic network 22. The logic network then switches into a third state in which via the third connection 24 it enables the controllable amplifier 5 in such a way that the beam currents are now controlled without restriction by the picture signal. Thus a correctly represented picture appears in the picture tube 9.
A shadow-like representation of individual constituents of the circuit arrangement in FIG. 1 is used to indicate a modification by which this circuit arrangement is equipped for the representation of color pictures in the picture tube 9. For example, three color signals are fed in this case as the picture signal via the input 1 to the combinatorial stage 2. Accordingly, the input 1 is shown in triplicate, and the combinatorial stage 2 has a logic element, e.g. an adder, for example of these color signals. The controllable amplifier 5 now has three amplifier stages, one for each of the color signals, and the picture tube now contains three hot cathodes 8 instead of one so that three independent cathode rays are available for the three color signals.
However, to simplify the circuit arrangement and to save on components, only one measuring stage 7 is provided which measures all three beam currents successively. Also, the comparator arrangement 12 forms part control signals from the successively arriving part measuring signals for the individual beam currents with the reference signal, and these part control signals are allocated to the individual color signals and passed on to three storage units which are contained in the control signal memory 16. From there, the part control signals are sent via the second input 18 of the combinatorial stage 2 to the assigned logic elements.
The circuit arrangement thus forms three independently acting control loops for the cut-off point control of the individual color signals, in which case only the measuring stage 7 and to some extent at least the comparator arrangement 12 are common to these control loops.
The change detection arrangement 25 now has three change detectors each of which detects the changes with time of the part control signals relating to a color signal. Then via the output 26 each of these change detectors delivers a part change signal to the change signal input 27 of the logic network 22. These part change signals occur independently of one another when the relevent control loop has responded. The logic network 22 evaluates all three part change signals and does not switch into its third stage until all part change signals indicate a steady state of the control loops. Only then, in fact, is it ensured that all the color signals from the beam currents controlled by them are correctly reproduced in the picture tube, and thus no distortions of the displayed image, especially no color purity errors, occur. The color picture displayed then immediately has the correct brightness and color on its appearance when the picture tube is turned on.

FIG. 2 shows a somewhat more detailed block circuit diagram of an embodiment of a circuit arrangement equipped for the processing of a picture signal containing three colour signals. Three color signals for the representation of the colors red, green and blue are fed to this circuit arrangement via three input terminals 101, 102, 103. A red color signal is fed via the first input terminal 101 to a first adder 201, a green colour signal is fed via the second input terminal to a second adder 202, and a blue colour signal is fed via the third input terminal 103 to a third adder 203. From outputs 301, 302 and 303 of the adders 201, 202, 203 the color signals are fed to amplifier stages 501, 502 and 503 respectively. Each of the amplifier stages contains a switchable amplifier 511, 512 and 513, an output amplifier 521, 522 and 523 as well as a measuring transistor 531, 532 and 533 respectively. The emitters of these measuring transistors 531, 532, 533 are each connected to a hot cathode 801, 802, 803 of the picture tube 9 and deliver the cathode currents, whereas the collectors of measuring transistors 521, 532, 533 are connected to one another and to a first terminal 701 of a measuring resistor 702 the second terminal of which 703 is connected to earth. The current gain of the measuring transistors 531, 532 and 533 is so great that their collector currents coincide almost with the cathode currents. By measuring the voltage drop produced by the cathode currents at the measuring resistor 802 it is then possible to measure the cathode currents and therefore the beam currents in the picture tube 9 with great accuracy.
The falling voltage at the measuring resistor 702 is fed as a measuring signal to an input 121 of a buffer amplifier 120 with a gain factor of one, at the output 122 of which the unchanged measuring signal is therefore available at low impedance. From there it is fed to a first terminal 131 of a reference voltage source 130 which is connected with its second terminal 132 to inverting inputs 111, 112 and 113 of three differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 respectively. The differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 also each have a non-inverting input 114, 115, and 116 respectively. These are connected to each other at a junction 117, to earth via a leakage current storage capacitor 126 and to the output 122 of the buffer amplifier 120 via decoupling resistor 118 and a leakage current sampling switch 119. In addition, the input 121 of the buffer amplifier 120 can be connected to earth via a short-circuiting switch 127.

From outputs 141, 142, and 143 respectively of the differential amplifiers 123, 124 and 125, part control signals relating to the individual color signals are fed in the form of electrical voltages (or, in some cases, charge-reversing currents) via control signal sampling switches 154, 155 and 156, in the one instance, to first terminals 151, 152 and 153 respectively of control signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 163 which form the storage units of the control signal memory 16 and store inside them charges corresponding to these voltages (or formed by the charge-reversing currents). In the other instance, the part control signals are fed to second inputs 181, 182 and 183 of the first, second or third adders 201, 202, 203 respectively and are added therein to the color signals from the first, second or third input terminals 101, 102 or 103 respectively.

The operation of the comparator arrangement 12 which consists mainly of the buffer amplifier 120, the reference voltage source 130 and differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 will be explained below with the aid of the pulse diagrams in FIG. 3. FIG. 3a shows a horizontal blanking signal for a television signal which, as the picture signal, controls the beam currents in the picture tube 9. In this diagram, H represents horizontal blanking pulses which follow one another in the picture signal at the time interval of one line duration and by means of which the beam currents are switched off during line flyback between the display of the individual picture lines in the picture tube. FIG. 3b shows a vertical blanking pulse V by means of which the beam currents are switched off during the change ober from the display of one picture to the display of the next picture. FIG. 3c shows a measuring signal control pulse VH which is formed from a vertical blanking pulse lengthened by three line duration.
The short-circuiting switch 127 is now controlled in such a way that it is non-conducting only throughout the duration of the measuring signal control pulse VH and during the remaining time short-circuits the input 121 of the buffer amplifier 120 to earth. This means that a measuring signal only reaches the comparator arrangement 12 during frame change so that the parts of the picture signal which control the beam currents producing the picture in the picture tube exert no influence on comparator arrangement 12 and therefore on the blocking point control.

Throughout the duration of the measuring signal control pulse VH, the measuring signal from output 122, reduced by a reference voltage issued by the reference voltage source 130 between its first 131 and its second terminal 132, is present at the inverting inputs 111, 112, 113 of differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125. If the differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 were not present, this difference would be fed directly as part control signals to the control signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 162. The differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 amplify the difference and thus form the control amplifiers of the control loops.
The comparator arrangement 12 further contains a device for compensation of the influence of any leakage currents occurring in the picture tube 9. For this purpose, a voltage to which the leakage current storage capacitor 126 is charged is fed to the non-inverting inputs 114, 115, 116 of the three differential amplifiers 123, 124 and 125. The charging is performed by the measuring signal from output 122 of the buffer amplifier 120 via the decoupling resistor 118 and the leakage current sampling switch 119 which is closed only within the period of the vertical blanking pulse V, and in certain cases only during part of the latter. Within this time the beam currents are, in fact, totally switched off by the picture signal so that in certain cases only a leakage current flows through the measuring resistor 702. Consequently, throughout the duration of the vertical blanking pulse V the measuring signal corresponds to this leakage current. Because the leakage current also flows during the remaining time, even outside the duration of the vertical blanking pulse the measuring signal contains a component originating from the leakage current which therefore is also contained in the voltage fed to the inverting inputs 111, 112, 113 of differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 and is subtracted out in the differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125.
The part control signal is fed from output 141 of differential amplifier 123 by the first control signal sampling switch 154 to the first terminal 151 of the first control signal storage capacitor 161 during the period of a storage pulse L1 and is stored in the said capacitor. Similarly, the part control signal from output 143 of differential amplifier 125 is fed to the third control signal storage capacitor 163 during the period of a storage pulse L2 and the part control signal from output 142 of differential amplifier 124 is fed to the second control signal storage capacitor 162 during a storage pulse L3. The storage pulses L1, L2 and L3 are illustrated in FIGS. 3d, e and f. They lie in sequence in one of the three line periods by which the measuring signal control pulse VH is longer than the vertical blanking pulse V. These three line periods form the sampling interval for the measuring signal or the part measuring signals, as the case may be. During the remaining periods the outputs, 141, 152, 143 of the differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 are isolated from the control signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 163 so that no interference can be transmitted from there and any distortion of the stored part control signals caused thereby is eliminated. For the duration of storage pulses L1, L2 and L3 the color signals at the input terminals 101, 102, 103 are at their reference level i.e. in the present embodiment at a level, corresponding to the blocking point or at a fixed level with respect to it so that the control loops can adjust to this level.

The switchable amplifiers 511, 512, and 513 each receive at each input 241, 242, 243 a blanking signal BL1, BL2, BL3 respectively, the curves of which are shown in FIGS. 3g, h, i. These blanking signals interrupt the supply of the color signals during line flybacks and frame change, i.e. during the period of the measuring signal control pulse VH, and thus the beam currents in these time intervals are switched off. Naturally, the red color signal is let through during the first line period after the end of the vertical blanking pulse V, the blue color signal during the second line period after the end of the vertical blanking pulse V and the green color signal during the third line period after the end of the vertical blanking pulse V by the switchable amplifiers 511, 512, 513 respectively so that they can control the beam currents. Blanking signals BL1, BL2 and BL3 also provide for interruptions in the frame change blanking pulse, which corresponds to the measuring signal control pulse, in the corresponding time intervals. In these time intervals the beam currents are measured and part control signals are determined from the part measuring signals and stored in the control signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 163.

The circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 2 further contains a trigger circuit 19 to which a supply voltage is fed via a supply terminal 190. Via a reset input 191 a voltage is also supplied to the trigger circuit 19 from a third terminal 133 of the reference voltage source 130. When the circuit arrangement is turned on, this voltage is designed so as to be delayed with respect to the supply voltage so that when the circuit arrangement is brought into operation the interplay of the two voltages produces a switch-on reset signal such that a low-value voltage pulse occurs at the reset input 191 during turn on, which means that the trigger circuit 19 is set in its first state. The reset input 191 can also be connected to another circuit of any configuration which generates a switch-on reset signal when the picture tube is turned on.
The trigger circuit 19 is further connected via a second connection 23 to a logic network 22 which, when the circuit arrangement is turned on, is also set into a first state via the second connection 23. In this first state the logic network 22 delivers a blocking signal at a blocking output 240 which is fed to the three switchable amplifiers 511, 512, 513. By this means the supply of the color signals to the output amplifiers 521, 522, 523 is interrupted completely so that no beam currents can be generated by these. No picture is therefore displayed.

An insertion signal EL which extends over the three line periods by which the measuring signal control pulse VH is longer than the vertical blanking pulse V, i.e. over the sampling interval, is also fed via a line 233 to the trigger circuit 19 and the logic network 22. As long as the trigger circuit 19 is in its first state, this insertion pulse EL is issued via a control output 192 from the trigger circuit 19 and fed to the pulse generator 244. During the period of the insertion pulse EL this generator produces a voltage pulse of a definite magnitude and passes this to output amplfiiers 521, 522, 523 as an auxiliary pulse via switching diodes 245, 246, 247. By this means the beam currents are switched on for a short time so as to receive a measuring signal despite the disconnected color signals as soon as at least one of the hot cathodes 801, 802, 803 delivers a beam current.
In its first state the trigger circuit 19 also delivers a signal via a control line 211, and this signal is used to switch the outputs 141, 142, 143 of the differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 to earth potential or practically to earth potential. This suppresses effects of voltages at the inputs 111 to 116 of the differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125, especially effects of the reference voltage source 130 which may in some cases initiate incorrect charging of the control signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 163.
The measuring signal produced by means of the pulse generator 244 at the input 121 of the buffer amplifier 120 is also fed to the trigger circuit 19 via a measuring signal input 20. If it exceeds a preset threshold value, the trigger circuit 19 switched into its second state. The logic network 22 is then also switched into its second state via the second connection 23. The differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125, too, are triggered by the signal along the control line 211 into issuing a control signal defined by the difference in the voltages at its inputs 111 to 116. The pulse generator 244 is blocked by the control output 192. The blocking signal issued from the blocking output 240 of the logic network 22 now turns on the switchable amplifiers 511, 512, 513 in the time intervals defined by the storage pulses L1, L2, L3 in such a way that in these time intervals the color signals can produce beam currents to form a measuring signal by which the control loops respond. However, the display of the picture is still suppressed. The control signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 163 are charged up in this process. In the leads to the first terminals 151, 152, 153 there are change detectors 251, 252, 253 which detect the changes of the charging currents of the control signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 163 and at their outputs 261, 262, 263 in each case deliver a part change signal when the charging current of the control signal storage capacitor in question has decayed and thus the relevant control loop has responded. The part change signals are fed to three terminals 271, 272, 273 of the change signal input 27 of the logic network 22.
When part change signals are present from all change detectors 251, 252, 253, when therefore all control loops have responded, the logic network 22 switches from its second to its third state. The blocking signal from the blocking output 240 is now completely disconnected such that the switchable amplifiers 511, 512, 513 are now switched only by the blanking signals BL1, BL2, BL3. The colour signals are then switched through to the output amplifiers 521, 522, 523 and the picture is displayed in the picture tube.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment for a trigger circuit 19 and a logic network 22 of the circuit arrangements as shown in FIGS. 1 or 2. The trigger circuit 19 contains a flip-flop circuit formed from two NAND-gates 194, 195 to which the switch-on reset signal, by which the trigger circuit 19 is returned to its first stage, is fed via the reset input 191. All the elements of the circuit arrangement in FIG. 4 are shown in positive logic. Thus, a short-time low voltage at the reset input 191 immediately after the circuit arrangement is started up is used to set the flip-flop circuit 194, 195 in such a way that a high voltage occurs at the output of the second NAND gate 194 and a low voltage at the output of the second NAND gate 195. The low voltage at the output of the second NAND gate 195 blocks differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125 via the control line 211 in the manner described.
The insertion pulse EL is fed via the line 233 to the trigger circuit 19, is combined via an AND gate 196 with the signal from the output of the first NAND gate 194 and is delivered at the control output 192 for the purpose of controlling the pulse generator 244.
The signals from the outputs of the NAND-gates 194, 195 are fed via a first line 231 and a second line 232 of the second connection 23 as a switching signal to the logic network 22. The first line 231 is connected to reset inputs R of three part change signal memories 221, 222, 223 in the form of bistable flip-flop circuits which when the circuit arrangement is started up are reset via the first line 231 in such a way that they carry a low voltage at their outputs Q. The second line 232 of the second connection 23 leads via three AND gates 224, 225, 226 to setting inputs S of the three part change signal memories 221, 222, 223. By means of the AND gates 224, 225, 226 the signal on the second line 232 of the second connection 23 is combined each time with one of the part change signals supplied via the terminals 271, 272, 273. The signals from the outputs Q of the part change signal memories 221, 222, 223 are combined by means of a collecting gate 227 in the form of an NAND gate and are held ready at its output 228.
The measuring signal is fed to the trigger circuit 19 via the measuring signal input 20 and passed to a first input 197 of a threshold detector 198 to which at a second input a threshold value, in the form of a threshold voltage for example, produced by a threshold generator 199 is also supplied. When the voltage at the first input 197 of the threshold detector 198 is smaller than the voltage delivered by the threshold generator 199, the threshold detector 198 delivers a high voltage at its output 200. When, on the other hand, the voltage at the first input 197 is greater than the voltage of the threshold generator 199, the voltage at the output 200 jumps to a low value. This voltage is supplied as the setting signal of the flip-flop circuit 194, 195, reverses the latter and thereby switches the trigger circuit 19 into its second state when the voltage at the first input 197 exceeds the voltage of the threshold generator 199.
Between the output 200 and the flip-flop circuit 194, 195 in the circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 4 there is inserted an inquiry gate 181 in the form of an OR gate to which an inquiry pulse is fed via an inquiry input 193 of the trigger circuit 19. This ensures that the flip-flop circuit 194, 195 is switched over only at a time fixed by the inquiry pulse--in the present case a negative voltage pulse--and not at any other times due to disturbances. As such an inquiry pulse it is possible to use, for example, a pulse which occurs in the second line period after the end of the vertical blanking pulse V, i.e. one which largely corresponds to the storage pulse L2.
After the switching over of the flip-flop circuit 194, 195 corresponding to the setting of the trigger circuit 19 into the second state, appropriately modified signals are supplied via the control line 211 and the output 192 for the purpose of controlling the pulse generator 244 and the differential amplifiers 123, 124, 125. Modified voltages also appear on the lines 231, 232 of the second connection 23, and these voltages release the part change signal memories 221, 222, 223 such that they can each be set when the part change signals reach the terminals 271, 272, 273.
In certain cases, a further flip-flop circuit 234 is inserted in the lines 231, 232 to delay the signals passing along these lines; this is reset via the first line 231 when the circuit arrangement is started up and thus it also resets the part change signal memories 221, 222, 223. However, after the trigger circuit 19 is switched into the second state the further flip-flop circuit 234 is not set via the second line 232 of the second connection 23 until a release pulse arrives via a release input 235 and another AND gate 236, for example a period of approximately the interval of two vertical blanking pulses V after the switching of the trigger circuit 19 into the second state. In this way it is possible to bridge a period of time in which no defined signal values are present at the terminals 271, 272, 273.
The signal at the output 228 of the collecting gate 227 changes its state when the last of the three part change signals has also arrived and has set the last of the three part change signal memories. The signal is then combined via a gate arrangement 229 of two NAND gates and one AND gate with the insertion pulse EL of line 223 and with the signal on the second line 232 of the second connection 23 or from the output Q of the further flip-flop circuit 234 to the blocking signal delivered at the blocking output 24 which is fed to the switchable amplifiers 511, 512, 513.

FIGS. 31, m, n show the combinations of the blocking signal with the blanking signals BL1, BL2, and BL3 at the blanking inputs 241, 242, 243 of the switchable amplifiers 511, 512, 513 in the form of logic AND operations. The dot-dash lines show resulting insertion signals A1, A2, A3 formed by these operations after the starting up of the circuit arrangement and before the occurrence of a beam current, i.e. in the first state of the logic network 22. Here the resulting insertion signals A1, A2, A3 are constant at low level. The dash curves show the resulting insertion signals A1, A2, A3 after the appearance of a beam current and before the steady state of the cut-off point control is reached, i.e. in the second state of the logic network 22, while the continuous curves represent the resulting insertion signals A1, A2, A3 in the steady state of the cut-off point control, i.e. in the third state of logic network 22. The dash curves have similar shapes to storage pulses L1, L2, L3, whereas the continuous curves correspond in shape to the inverses of the blanking signals BL1, BL2, BL3. In this case a high level of the resulting insertion signals A1, A2 or A3 means that the switchable amplifier 511, 512 or 513 feeds the colour signal to the relevant output amplifier 521, 522 or 523 respectively, whereas a low level in the resulting insertion signal A1, A2 or A3 means that the relevant switchable amplifier 511, 512 or 513 is blocked for the color signal.
The circuit arrangement described is designed in such a way that the trigger circuit 19 remains in its second state and logic network 22 remains in its third state even if charging currents reappear at the difference signal storage cpacitors 161, 162, 163 due to disturbances during the operation of the circuit arrangement. The cutoff point control then makes readjustments without the displayed picture being disturbed.
In the circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the green color signal can also be let through during the second line period after the end of the vertical blanking pulse V and the blue color signal during the third line period after the end of the vertical blanking pulse V by the switchable amplifiers 511, 512, 513 for the purpose of controlling the beam currents. The storage pulses L2 and L3 at the control signal sampling switches 155 and 156 and the second and third blanking signals BL2 and BL3 at the blanking inputs 242 and 243 are then to be interchanged. The resulting insertion signals A2 and A3 as shown in FIGS. 3m and n are also interchanged then accordingly.
In FIG. 2 a dashed line is used to indicate which components of the circuit arrangement can be combined advantageously to form an integrated circuit. The first terminals 151, 152, 153 of the difference signal storage capacitors 161, 162, 163, one terminal 128 of leakage current storage capacitor 126, three terminals 524, 525, 526 in the leads to the output amplifiers 521, 522, 523 as well as a line connection 704 between the first terminal 701 of the measuring resistor 702 and the input 121 of the buffer amplifier 120 will then form the connecting contacts of this integrated circuit


TELEFUNKEN PALCOLOR 2228  CHASSIS 415A The Telefunken PPHV Flyback Horizontal Output Transformer Technology:
Line end stage including transformer for a television receiver:
The current Telefunken 415/615 CTV chassis series like the here above shown tv is conventional in most respects, with its self oscillating chopper power supply which also provides mains isolation, TDA 3560 OR TDA3562A single -chip decoder, class AB RGB output stages, TDA1670 field timebase i.c. and BU208 line output transistor. The line output transformer is something quite new however.
Line output transformers are nowadays reliable components though a percentage of failures do occur. Tripler breakdown after some years' service is far more common, except in Japanese sets. The transformer is certainly one of the most expensive items in a TV receiver: the pulse windings and secondaries used to provide various supply lines add greatly to the manufacturing cost and increase the insulation problems. Telefunken decided to do something about this in designing the 415/615 chassis. The aims were to reduce the cost of the transformer, make it as small as possible, mountable without securing screws, and producible by automatic production methods whilst having a power handling capability, reliability and internal resistance equal to or better than conventional designs. To achieve these aims it was decided to use a half -wave e.h.t. rectifier arrangement. This in itself is not unique of course, but for CTV use the problem of a half -wave rectifier circuit is the high leakage inductance and internal capacitance in the transformer. The result is an e.h.t. system with a high internal resistance. It was decided therefore to use a transformer with just two windings, the primary and e.h.t. overwinding. The other supplies are derived from the chopper transformer, while a transistor to which the line flyback pulses are fed produces the feedback pulse for the flywheel sync system.
The latter is in the TDA1950 sync/line oscillator chip, which also produces the sandcastle pulse used by the TDA3560 or TDA3562A decoder i.c. for gating, blanking and clamping. This decision greatly simplifies the transformer of course, while collaboration with a specialist manufacturer or ferrite cores enabled the cross-sectional area of the core to be reduced by some 25 per cent. The result is a transformer which is extremely compact and light. The main design advance however is the use of what Telefunken call the "push-pull high-voltage concept". This uses two rectifier diodes, one at each end of the winding as shown in Fig. 1. The action of the circuit is shown in Fig. 2. D1 acts as a conventional peak rectifier when the positive going flyback pulse arrives at its anode, charging transformer George R. Wilding the e.h.t. reservoir capacitor C2 (tube capacitance). During this time D2 conducts, clamping the bottom end of the e.h.t. overwiding to chassis. At the end of the flyback pulse half cycle the bottom end of the winding swings positively and D2 cuts off. It conducts again when the voltage at its cathode (circuit oscillatory action) tries to swing negatively, thus charging the interwinding capacitance Cl. The next time the flyback pulse occurs, D1 sees an enhanced voltage at its anode, i.e. the sum of the flyback pulse and the charge on Cl. The circuit thus acts as a voltage multiplier, and the number of overwinding turns can be substantially reduced in comparison with a simple half -wave rectifier circuit. Even though it's on such a small former the primary winding has only two layers. These terminate in connec- tion pins which together with two snap-on springs hold the transformer securely to the board for soldering. The diodes and the e.h.t. connection are secured to the body of the overwinding and encapsulated in heat hardened epoxy resin. The focus supply is obtained via a bleed resistor in the tube's anode cap connector. Fig. 3 shows the feedback pulse generator stage.


Der PPHV-Transformator", by Walter Goseberg, Funkshau 1/1981, pp. 70-71.
"Kaum zu fassen: 23.000 Volt zum Anfassen!-PPHV-Zeilentrafo der Zukunft. Aus Hannover."-Telefunken Heute, Aktuelle Information fur den Fachhandel.











A line end stage for a television receiver which comprises a transformer, a first high voltage rectifier and a second high voltage rectifier. The transformer has a primary winding coupled to the line sweep coils of the receiver, and a secondary winding. The secondary winding has one end coupled through the first high voltage rectifier to ground and through the second high voltage rectifier to the anode of the television receiver picture tube. The transformer comprises a core having a longitudinal axis. The primary winding is mounted on the core coaxial with the longitudinal axis and an insulating winding form surrounds the primary winding. The winding form is provided with spaced longitudinally-distributed radially-extending chambers and the secondary winding is located within these chambers. The thicknesses of the winding form between the bottoms of the chambers and the primary winding are greatest at the ends of the winding form and become progressively smaller toward the center of the form.


1. In a televison receiver having line sweep coils and a picture tube, a line end stage comprising
a transformer coupled to said line sweep coils including
a core having a longitudinal axis;
a single continuous untapped primary winding mounted on said core, said primary winding being coaxial with said longitudinal axis;
an insulating winding form surrounding said single primary winding, said winding form being coaxial with said longitudinal axis and being provided with spaced longitudinally-distributed radially-extending chambers; and
a single continuous untapped secondary winding located within the chambers of said winding form, the distances between the bottoms of the chambers within said winding form and said primary winding decreasing from the ends of said winding form toward the center thereof along said longitudinal axis;
a first high voltage rectifier having its anode connected to ground and its cathode connected to one end of said secondary winding; and
a second high voltage rectifier having its anode connected to the other end of said secondary winding and its cathode connected to the anode of said picture tube.


2. A line end stage as defined in claim 1 wherein the thickness of the insulation of said insulating winding form between said primary and secondary windings is a minimum along a line perpendicular to said longitudinal axis at the center of said core and increases toward the end of said core.

3. A line end stage as defined in claim 1 wherein the thickness of said winding form between the bottom of the chamber at the center of said winding form and said primary winding has a predetermined value, and the thicknesses of each of said chambers toward the ends of said winding form and said primary winding increases with respect to that at the center as a function of the distance from said center chamber.

4. A line end stage as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said chambers has parallel sides and the bottom thereof is perpendicular to said sides.

5. A line end stage as defined in claim 1 wherein the chambers at the ends of said winding form are empty, and said secondary winding is located within the chambers therebetween.

6. A line end stage as defined in claim 1 wherein the thicknesses of the secondary windings within said chambers are different, said thicknesses being selected to tune said secondary winding to a predetermined harmonic of the frequency of the return sweep oscillation of said television receiver.

7. A line end stage as defined in claim 1 wherein said primary winding extends in the direction of said longitudinal axis beyond said secondary winding.

8. A line end stage as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said chambers has parallel sides and the bottom thereof has a rounded fluted shape.

9. A line end stage as defined in claim 8 wherein the edge of said bottom adjacent one side of said chamber has a different radius of curvature than the edge adjacent the other side of said chamber.

10. A line end stage as defined in claim 9 wherein the chambers containing said secondary winding at the ends of the said winding form have said rounded fluted shape and wherein the edges of the bottoms of said chambers facing the ends of said winding form have a larger radius of curvature than the opposite edges of said chambers.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a line end stage for a television receiver and, in particular, to a transformer comprising a component of this stage. A line end stage for a television receiver includes, among other components, a transistor which functions as a switch, a high voltage rectifier, and a transformer having a primary winding and a high voltage secondary winding. The line end stage produces the high voltage required to energize the picture tube.
A conventional line end stage of this type is a relatively expensive and heavy part of the receiver, whih must withstand high voltages and currents on the order of 25,000 volts and two to three amperes. It performs several functions such as controlling the line sweep coils, and generating the high voltage for the picture tube, pulses for gating purposes and the direct operating voltages. Consequently, the stage must satisfy a number of different requirements.
More specifically, the line end stage should be as small as possible, light in weight and easy to manufacture. A low internal impedance is desirable and, despite the relatively high power involved, the stage should operate over long periods without malfunctioning.
It is known that a low internal impedance can be attained by tuning the stray inductance of the high voltage winding and the effective capacitance to certain oddnumbered harmonics of the frequency of the retrace or return sweep oscillation of the line transformer. In this way, the pulse shape of the retrace pulse is broadened so as to reduce the internal impedance of the high voltage source, it being of particular advantage to tune to the ninth harmonic of the return sweep oscillation frequency. However, tuning to such a high frequency presents a number of technical problems because of the design of the line end stage, and because the effective inductances and capacitances must not exceed certain values. Maintaining these values and simultaneously meeting the other requirements is often difficult in practice.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a line end stage having a particularly simple design and which provides a fixed coupling between the primary and high voltage windings, the stray inductance of the high voltage winding being particularly low. This stage permits tuning to the desired harmonic of the frequency of the return sweep oscillation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a line end stage for a television receiver is provided which comprises a transformer, a first high voltage rectifier and a second high voltage rectifier. The transformer has a primary winding coupled to the line sweep coils of the receiver, and a secondary winding. The secondary winding has a first end coupled through the first high voltage rectifier to ground and a second end coupled through the second high voltage rectifier to the anode of the television receiver picture tube.
The transformer comprises a core having a longitudinal axis. The primary winding is mounted on the core coaxial with the longitudinal axis, and an insulating winding form surrounds the primary winding. The winding form is provided with spaced, longitudinally-distributed, radially--extending chambers, the secondary winding being located within these chambers. The thickness of the winding form between the bottoms of the chambers and the primary winding is greatest at the ends of the winding form and become progressively smaller toward the center of the form.
The present invention offers a plurality of advantages with respect to the design, insulation and voltage distribution of the line transformer. In order to obtain a desired high voltage for the picture tube, a pulse voltage of a particular amplitude must be present across the high voltage winding, and with a given primary this determines the number of turns in the winding. In the present invention, the amplitude of the pulse voltage across the high voltage winding is the same as in prior art circuits in which the high voltage winding is directly grounded at one end. However, several advantages are obtained which are not realized with conventional circuits.
Since the first end of the high voltage winding is grounded through the first high voltage rectifier, it is maintained at a voltage having a direct component and an alternating component. An alternating voltage component is also present at the second end of the high voltage winding, this component having the same amplitude and being of opposite polarity from the alternating voltage component present at the first end of the winding. Accordingly, the alternating voltage component is zero at the center of the high voltage winding thereby producing an alternating voltage symmetry in the high voltage winding relative to the primary winding.
In prior art circuits having one end of the high voltage winding directly grounded, the alternating voltage has the required amplitude only at the ungrounded end of the winding. In contrast, in the present invention, the alternating voltages present at both ends of the coil are in phase opposition and at half the amplitude with respect to ground as compared to the alternating voltage at the ungrounded end of the conventional high voltage winding. The amplitude of the maximum alternating voltage is thus divided approximately in half compared to the maximum alternating voltage in the prior art circuit. This symmetry and reduction of voltage compared to the prior art circuit has several advantages.
The maximum amplitude of the alternating voltage is less than in the prior art circuit and therefore the thickness of the insulation between the high voltage winding and the primary winding can be reduced. This results in tighter coupling between the two windings, reduction in the stray inductance and simplifies tuning to the ninth harmonic.
The reduced amplitude of the alternating voltage across the high voltage winding is also beneficial because the capacitive currents flowing between the high voltage and primary windings are reduced in amplitude. In the prior art circuit, these capacitive currents are practically zero at the grounded end of the high voltage winding but increase toward the ungrounded end to a value corresponding to the amplitude of the alternating voltage at that end. In contrast, in the circuit according to the present invention, the amplitude of the capacitive current is zero at the center of the high voltage winding because the amplitude of the alternating voltage at this point is zero. The capacitive currents increase towards the ends of the high voltage winding to approximately equal and opposite values; however, these values are about half the maximum value of the capacitive current in the prior art circuit. Also, the integrated sum of the capacitive reactive currents flowing across the distributed winding capacitances is lower in the circuit according to the present invention than in the prior art circuit.
The fact that the amplitude of the alternating voltage at the center of the high voltage winding is zero can be utilized to advantage in the design of the winding form for the high voltage winding by making the insulating space at the center smaller than at the ends of the high voltage winding. According to one embodiment of the invention, the insulating space between the two windings is determined by the amplitude distribution of the effective alternating voltage across the high voltage winding.
In the present invention, the high voltage winding has about the same alternating voltage load at both ends, and the alternating voltages appearing at these two ends have the same shape and amplitude but are of opposite polarity. Accordingly, the interfering radiation emanating from the line transformer is reduced because the voltages at the ends of the high voltage winding partially cancel each other.
The primary and secondary sides of the transformer each contain only a single winding and are not provided with taps, thereby greatly simplifying the design of the transformer. In particular, this simple design permits fixed coupling and attainment of a low stray inductance for the high voltage winding which enhances tuning to a high harmonic of the frequency of the return sweep oscillation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of the invention.
FIG. 2 shows voltage curves for explaining the operation of the circuit of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the coil assembly of the transformer.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate additional embodiments of the chambers of the winding form depicted in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the line end stage of a television receiver which includes a switching transistor 2 having its base connected to an input terminal for switching by a square-wave input signal 1, a transformer 3 having a primary winding 4 and a high voltage secondary winding 5, two high voltage rectifiers 6 and 7, a smoothing capacitor 8, a picture tube 9, a coupling capacitor 10 which also serves as a tangential equalizer and line sweep coils 11. The anode of diode 6 is grounded and its cathode is connected to one end 12 of the secondary winding 5. The anode of diode 7 is connected to the other end 14 of secondary winding 5, its cathode being grounded for alternating voltages by capacitor 8 which is formed essentially by the capacitance of the anode coating of the picture tube 9. With these connections, the two ends 12 and 14 of the secondary winding 5 carry substantially the same load.
Referring to FIG. 2, the diode 6 prevents the return sweep voltage 13a at point 12 from becoming negative by clamping the negative peak of that voltage at ground potential. A direct voltage U ₁ is generated at point 12 and also at point 14. Since the winding 5 is inductive, the return sweep voltage 13b at point 14 is of opposite polarity with respect to the voltage 13a at point 12. Thus, the alternating voltage at the center 15 of the winding is equal to zero and the distribution of the alternating voltage about the line 32 is symmetrical with respect to ground.
The voltage present at point 14 is rectified by rectifier 7 so that the voltage U ₂ at terminal 16 functions as the anode voltage for the picture tube 9. If the terminal 12 were grounded, approximately the same direct voltage U ₂ would be produced at terminal 16 but the advantages of the present invention would not be obtained.
The amplitude of the alternating voltage component across winding 5 differs greatly from one end to the other. That is, the alternating voltage between winding 5 and ground is zero at the center of the winding and reaches maximum values of opposite polarities at the ends 12 and 14. This permits the insulation space between the high voltage winding 5 and primary winding 4 of transformer 3 to be a function of its position along the winding.
Referring to FIG. 3, the structure of transformer 3 is shown in which the primary winding 4 surrounds a core 17 having a longitudinal axis 30. An insulating winding form 18 having a plurality of chambers 20 surrounds winding 4. The high voltage winding 5 comprises partial windings 19 disposed in those chambers 20 designated by the letters B through L, chambers A and M not having windings placed therein.
All of the partial windings 19 lying within the chambers 20 are wound one after another without any interruption of the wire. The wire is fed through slots within the walls forming the chambers 20. That means that all of the partial windings 19 are series-connected without any interruption, and form together the winding 5 of FIG. 1.
The thickness d of the winding form 18 at the bottom of each of the respective chambers 20 is a minimum at the center of the form along radial axis 32 where the amplitude of the alternating voltage is substantially equal to zero, the thickness increasing symmetrically along a parabolic curve toward the two ends of the winding form 18. In an actual embodiment tested, the wall thickness d of chambers A-M had the following values:

______________________________________

Chamber d in mm

______________________________________

A 2.0 (empty) B 1.6 C 1.3 D 1.2 E 1.1 F 1.0 G 1.0 H 1.0 I 1.1 J 1.2 K 1.3 L 1.6 M 2.0 (empty)

______________________________________

The wall thickness d, which determines the insulating space between the high voltage winding 5 and the primary winding 4, corresponds to the amplitude of the alternating voltage distribution along the longitudinal axis of the winding form.
Chambers A and M are intentionally not provided with a winding 19. This has the advantage that the space between the first winding in chamber B and the sharp edge of end 21 of primary winding 4 is relatively large, thereby reducing the danger of arcing at the edge of the winding. Similarly, the distance between the winding in chamber L and the edge of end 22 of the primary winding 4 is relatively large to reduce the possibility that arcing will occur at this end of the transformer.
As shown in FIG. 3, the number of turns of the windings 19 in the individual chambers 20 are, in general, not the same. That is, the radial thicknesses of the windings in chambers F, G and H are equal but the thickness of the windings in the chambers on either side of chambers F and H decrease significantly and are at a minimum in chambers B and L, the stray inductance being controlled to permit tuning to a desired harmonic.
If, for example, the winding is distributed so that there are more turns at the center of the winding form 18 where the distance between the high voltage winding 5 and the primary winding 4 is smaller than at the edges, the coupling is closer at the center thereby changing the stray inductance compared to that which would have been obtained with a uniform winding distribution.
It is desirable that the stray inductance of the winding 5 together with all effective capacitances be tuned to a frequency corresponding to the ninth harmonic of the frequency of the line fly back pulse in order to achieve a low value of internal resistance at terminal 16 of the high voltage source. The stray inductance of the winding 5 which is necessary for achieving this resonant frequency can be obtained by a proper distribution of the partial windings 19 within the chambers 20. In particular the stray inductance can be kept low because the distance between the partial windings 19 in the middle region of form 18, i.e. around chamber G can be made very small. This is possible as the value of the ac-voltage in this region corresponding to center 15 in FIG. 2 is zero.
FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the winding form in which the edges along the bottom of the chamber 20 are rounded so as to have a fluted shape in order to reduce arcing, rounding the circumferential edges reducing the probability that arcing will take place. Moreover, the wire comprising the turns of the high voltage winding can more conveniently be placed in the chambers 20 during winding.
In FIG. 5, the radii or curvature at the two edges of the chambers 20 are different. This configuration is employed for the first and last chambers B and L having a winding 19 placed therein, the edge 23 having the larger radius of curvature being located at the end of the winding form. Thus, a chamber shaped as shown in FIG. 5 would be used for chamber L to reduce the chance of arcing between edge 22 and the coil placed in chamber L. The embodiment of FIG. 5 is preferably provided only for chambers B and L.
It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

TELEFUNKEN PALCOLOR 2228  CHASSIS 415A TELEFUNKEN PLL SYNTHESIZER Digital phase control circuit including an auxiliary circuit:m3870

An electronically controllable tuning device includes a voltage controlled oscillator adapted to have an oscillation frequency controlled by a control voltage and simultaneously generate a fundamental wave of a predetermined frequency, a programmable frequency divider for dividing the fundamental wave frequency at a frequency division ratio corresponding to the control of a channel selection means and a phase locked loop adapted to compare the fundamental wave phase with the phase of the output of the programmable divider to generate a comparison output and feeding the comparison output back to the voltage controlled oscillator to control the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator. The tuning device further includes means for supplying as a local oscillation signal to an intermediate frequency generating mixer one of higher harmonic wave components of the fundamental wave.

A digital phase control circuit which includes a controllable oscillator, a programmable divider coupled to the oscillator, a reference frequency source, a phase discriminator coupled to the outputs of the programmable divider and reference frequency source and means coupling the output of the phase discriminator to a control input of the oscillator. In addition to these components, an auxiliary circuit is provided which has its input coupled to the output of the phase discriminator and first and second outputs coupled to the reference frequency source and the programmable divider. The auxiliary circuit generates a first signal at the input of the reference frequency source when the phase difference between the signals at the outputs of the programmable divider and the reference frequency source is in one direction and a second signal at the second input of the programmable divider when the phase difference is in the opposite direction.

1. In a digital phase control circuit including a controllable oscillator having a control input; a programmable first divider having first and second inputs, said first input being coupled to the output of said oscillator; a reference frequency source comprising a second divider having an input; a phase discriminator having first and second inputs coupled to the outputs of said programmable first divider and said second divider respectively, said phase discriminator further having output means; and means coupling the output means of said phase discriminator to the control input of said controllable oscillator, the frequency of said oscillator being controlled in a direction determined by the direction of the phase deviation between the signals applied to the first and second inputs of said phase discriminator and compared therein; the improvement comprising:
an auxiliary circuit having input means coupled to the output means of said phase discriminator, a first output coupled to the input of said second divider comprising said reference frequency source and a second output coupled to the second input of said programmable first divider, said auxiliary circuit generating a first synchronizing signal at the input of said second divider when the phase difference between the signals at the outputs of said programmable first divider and said second divider is in one direction and generating a second synchronizing signal at the second input of said programmable first divider when the phase difference between the signals at the outputs of said programmable first divider and said second divider is in the opposite direction thereby setting either said programmable first divider or said second divider, respectively, to a predetermined initial phase position, the divider set to said predetermined initial phase position being maintained in said position until the other divider reaches its predetermined initial phase position.
2. The phase control circuit defined by claim 1 wherein said auxiliary circuit comprises a clock pulse generator for generating a signal at a predetermined interval after generation of a signal at the output of said phase discriminator, an auxiliary circuit output signal being generated at the input of said second divider or at the input of said programmable first divider only if the signal at the output of said phase discriminator is generated for an interval longer than said predetermined interval. 3. The phase control circuit defined by claim 2 wherein the output of said phase discriminator and the output of said auxiliary circuit each comprise a plurality of sequential pulses having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edges of the pulses at the output of said auxiliary circuit occurring later than the leading edges of the corresponding pulses at the output of said phase discriminator, and the trailing edges of the corresponding pulses at both the output of the auxiliary circuit and the output of the phase discriminator coinciding. 4. The phase control circuit defined by claim 2 wherein said clock pulse generator receives counting pulses at a constant frequency, means are provided for releasing said clock pulse generator to count said counting pulses from its predetermined initial position when a signal is generated at the output of said phase discriminator and means are provided for coupling the signal at the output of said clock pulse generator to a disable input thereof to stop said counter. 5. A phase control circuit as defined by claim 4 wherein the output means of said phase discriminator comprises a first output at which pulses appear when the frequency of said oscillator is increasing and a second output at which pulses appear when the frequency of said oscillator is decreasing, and wherein said auxiliary circuit further includes a first gating circuit having first and second inputs coupled to the first and second outputs of said phase discriminator and an output coupled to a reset terminal of said clock pulse generator, second and third gating circuits for coupling the output of said clock pulse generator to the input of said second divider and to the second input of said programmable first divider, respectively, and fourth and fifth gating circuits coupling the first and second outputs of said phase discriminator to the inputs of said second and third gating circuits.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to digital phase control circuits and, in particular, to a phase control circuit which has improved transient response during its readjustment mode.
Digital phase control circuits are known which include a controllable oscillator, a programmable divider, a reference frequency source, a phase discriminator and a lowpass filter or integrating circuit. The output signal of the controllable oscillator is fed to one input of the phase discriminator via the programmable divider and the other input of the phase discriminator receives a signal from the reference frequency source. The low-pass filter circuit derives a control signal from the output of the phase discriminator so as to control the controllable oscillator.
The signals at the output of the phase discriminator have rectangular pulses. The average d.c. voltage of the rectangular pulses is obtained by means of the series-connected filter circuit which provides a setting voltage for the controllable oscillator. The circuit regulates itself in such a way that, in the steady-state, the signals applied to the phase discriminator coincide in frequency and phase.
In order to prevent excessive overshoot of the controllable oscillator, a minimum time constant is required in the filter circuit which may be designed, for example, as an active integrator. This results in a relatively long time constant for the entire system which can be detrimental in many cases. A long time constant may also increase the tendency toward resonance of the entire circuit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a phase control circuit which is substantially improved with respect to its transient response during readjustment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a digital phase control circuit which includes a controllable oscillator, a programmable divider coupled to the oscillator, a reference frequency source, a phase discriminator coupled to the outputs of the programmable divider and reference frequency source and means coupling the output of the phase discriminator to a control input of the oscillator. In addition to these components, an auxiliary circuit is provided which has its input coupled to the output of the phase discriminator and first and second outputs coupled to the reference frequency source and the programmable divider. The auxiliary circuit generates a first signal at the input of the reference frequency source when the phase difference between the signals at the outputs of the programmable divider and the reference frequency source are in one direction and a second signal at the second input of the programmable divider when the phase difference is in the opposite direction.
Thus, in the present invention, an auxiliary circuit is provided in addition to the components of the prior art phase control circuit. This auxiliary circuit acts selectively on the programmable divider or the reference frequency source to reset the programmable divider or the reference frequency source, respectively, to a predetermined initial phase position at specific points in time. This initiates a comparison which begins at the predetermined initial phase position of the circuit. The comparison process beginning with the return of the predetermined initial position of the programmable divider or of the reference frequency source is repeated continuously. The invention operates such that, during every comparison cycle, a genuine phase or frequency comparison is effected between the two signals present at the phase discriminator. Each time at the start of the comparison cycle, the phase difference is defined as "zero." Therefore, the phase of frequency deviation present at the end of the comparison cycle between the two signals present at the phase discriminator is an exact measure of the phase deviation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a phase control circuit in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show the output signals of a prior art phase control circuit for both directions of adjustment.
FIG. 4 is a pulse diagram of the signals in a phase control circuit including the features of the present invention for one direction of adjustment.
FIG. 5 shows signals corresponding to FIG. 4 for the other direction of adjustment.
FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram comparing the operation of the circuit with and without the auxiliary circuit of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the auxiliary circuit of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 shows a television tuner constructed in accordance with the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a phase adjustment circuit which includes a voltage controllable oscillator 1 (VCO), a programmable divider 2, a reference source 4, a phase discriminator 3, a coupling circuit 6 and a lowpass filter and amplifier circuit 5. These components are combined in a known manner to form a control loop. The programmable divider can be set to a selected dividing ratio which determines the initial frequency of the controllable oscillator 1. The programmable divider may also have fixed predividers (not shown) connected between it and the oscillator 1. The reference frequency source 4 includes a quartz oscillator 4a and a series-connected frequency divider 4b having, for example, a fixed dividing ratio. The output signal of the divider 4b is fed to the phase discriminator 3 to provide a reference signal.
Before describing auxiliary circuit 7 of FIG. 1, the operation of the prior art phase control circuit will be explained with the aid of FIGS. 2 and 3; that is, the circuit shown in FIG. 1 without the auxiliary circuit 7 will be described.
The output signal of the programmable divider 2 is shown at the top of FIG. 2. After each passage through the programmable divider 2, a negative pulse 8 appears at the output of this divider and is fed to the phase discriminator 3. In the second line of FIG. 2, the reference signal is shown which is fed to the other input of the phase discriminator 3.
The phase discriminator 3 has an output 9 at which control pulses appear when the oscillator 1 is adjusted in the upward direction; that is, toward a higher frequency, and an output 10 at which pulses appear for an adjustment in the downward or lower frequency direction. The signals at outputs 9 and 10 are illustrated in the third and fourth lines of FIG. 2. The last line shows a so-called "tristate signal" which is obtained at the output of coupling circuit 6 and which is fed to the lowpass filter 5. The diagram shown in FIG. 2 is based on a so-called Type 4 phase discriminator which is described at page 19 of the book by Horst Geschwinde "Einfuhrung in die PLL-Technik" (Introduction to the PLL Technique), published by Vieweg. Each of the outputs 9 and 10 of the phase discriminator 3 has an associated output in a bistable circuit comprising the phase discriminator. In the illustrated case, the phase discriminator 3 is designed so that the bistable circuits respond to the negative-going edge of the pulse 8 coming from the programmed divider 2. If there is a phase difference between the signals applied to the phase discriminator 3, pulses appear either at the "upward" output 9 or at the "downward" output 10, depending on the direction of the deviation. The bistable circuit associated with the "upward" output can be set by the edges 11 of the reference signal and reset by the pulses 8 coming from tne programmable divider 2. Conversely, the bistable circuit in the phase discriminator associated with the "downward" output can be set exactly oppositely by the pulses 8 coming from the programmable divider 2 and reset by the edges 11 of the reference signal.
FIG. 2 shows the signals for the case where at time t ₀ the dividing ratio of the programmable divider 2 is switched to a higher value. Consequently, the frequency of the oscillator 1 is adjusted toward higher frequencies, which can be seen in FIG. 2 in that the pulses 8 at the output of the programmable divider jump toward a lower frequency after a new dividing ratio has been set into the programmable divider and thereafter are brought closer together by the adjustment process. Thus, at an interval indicated by the bracket 12, the frequency of the pulses coincides with the frequency of the reference signals but there still exists a phase deviation between the signals. This deviation can be overcome by temporarily increasing the frequency of the signal of oscillator 1 beyond the desired value. For that reason, the pulses at the "upward" output 9 continue to be generated. The prior art circuit thus exhibits an overshoot which is required by the system.
FIG. 3 is a pulse diagram in which the dividing ratio of the programmable divider 2 of FIG. 1 is set to a lower value at time t ₀ . The time at which coincidence with respect to frequency exists for the signals being compared in the phase discriminator is identified by a bracket 13. The operation of the prior art system under these conditions is analagous to the previously described operation under the conditions of FIG. 2.
The auxiliary circuit 7 of FIG. 1 resets the programmable divider 2 or the reference frequency source 4, to its initial position at specific points in time. The auxiliary circuit 7 is controlled by the signals at outputs 9 and 10 of the phase discriminator 3.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show how the auxiliary circuit of FIG. 1 controls the programmable divider 2 and the reference frequency source 4. FIG. 4 illustrates the operation of the circuit including auxiliary circuit 7 for a change in frequency corresponding to FIG. 2 wherein the oscillator frequency increases; that is, changes in the upward direction. It is assumed that the circuit has the same components as the circuits on which FIGS. 2 and 3 are based but that it includes in addition the auxiliary circuit 7.
The synchronizing signal A shown in the last line of FIG. 4 is generated by the auxiliary circuit 7. The synchronizing signal A includes pulses 14 and 17 which are fed to the reset input R of the reference frequency source. At time t ₀ , a new dividing ratio is fed into the programmable divider 2 and at time t ₁ the oscillator begins to increase its frequency so that the pulses 8 come closer together again. At time t ₁ , the pulse 15 is initiated at the "upward" output 9 of the phase discriminator since the edge 11 of the reference signal appears earlier than the next pulse 8 from the programmable divider. The pulse 14 of the synchronizing signal A is derived from the pulse 15.
Pulse 14 is used initially to reset the divider 4b of the reference frequency source 4 which does not generate reference signal pulses as long as pulse 14 is present. At time t ₂ , the pulse 15 and the output pulse 14 derived from pulse 15 are terminated. Thus, at time t ₂ , the divider of the frequency source 4 is restarted from its basic position.
The frequency divider 4b may be a twelve bit divider consisting, for example, of two type CD4520 integrated circuits manufactured by RCA. This known divider is set to its basic position by a logical reset signal.
After a period T ₁ of the reference signal, at time t ₃ , a new control pulse 16 starts at the output 9 of the phase discriminator 3 since the edge 11 again appears earlier than the next pulse 8 from the programmable divider. A synchronizing pulse 17 is again generated which sets back the divider 4b of the reference frequency source 4 and stops it.
The adjustment is effected in the above-described manner until at time t ₄ the signals being compared in the phase discriminator 3 coincide with respect to frequency and phase. As can be seen from a comparison of FIG. 4 with FIG. 2, this state is attained much faster than in the circuit without the auxiliary circuit 7. The control pulse terminated each time at the end of the comparison cycle provides a precise indication of the frequency deviation of the two signals applied to the phase discriminator, which is not the case in FIGS. 2 and 3.
Upon a change in the frequency of the oscillator in the opposite direction (downward), a synchronizing signal B is generated in the auxiliary circuit 7, as shown in FIG. 5, from the signal at "downward" output 10 of phase discriminator 3. With this synchronizing signal, the programmable divider 2 is controlled rather than the reference source 4 as shown in FIG. 4.
At time t ₀ , as in FIG. 3, the dividing ratio of the programmable divider is reduced to correspond to the reduction in frequency of the oscillator 1. This initially effects an increase in the output frequency of the controllable oscillator. The synchronizing signal B is derived from the pulses 18 and 19 at the "downward" output 10 of the discriminator 3. This signal is fed to the load input L of the programmable divider 2. At time t ₁ a pulse 8 from the programmable divider starts the pulse 18 at the output 10. The programmable divider is set by the synchronizing pulse 20 derived from pulse 18 and is kept in the initial position until time t ₂ . At time t ₂ , the edge 11 of the reference signal terminates the pulse 18. At the same time, the programmable divider begins to operate again. At t ₃ , the pulse 19 at the output 10 is started because the next pulse 8 appears earlier than the next negative-going edge 11 of the reference signal. The synchronizing pulse 21 derived from pulse 19 again sets the programmable divider 2 and holds it in its initial position. At time t ₄ the programmable divider 2 is released again and the process continues.
The programmable divider 2 is a known component. For example, four type 74 LS169 integrated circuits manufactured by National Semiconductor may be used in series as a fourteen bit presettable down counter.
As is evident from the explanation of FIGS. 4 and 5, the reference frequency source 4 is controlled by the auxiliary circuit in one direction and the programmable divider 2, located between the oscillator 1 and the discriminator 3, in the other direction. The influenced circuit is controlled in accordance with the signals appearing at the output of the discriminator 3, which correspond to the phase or frequency error, so that at the beginning of each comparison cycle the phase error is assumed to be zero. In this way, adjustment of the circuit beyond the desired value is avoided. Thus, the described phase control circuit, including the auxiliary circuit 7, has very short transient periods.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the rising edge of the synchronizing signals A and B are shifted by the time τ with respect to the associated output signal of discriminator 3. By providing a predetermined delay period τ, the auxiliary circuit 7 is made effective for only a certain minimum width of the pulses of the output signal from discriminator 3. If the pulses at outputs 9 and 10 of the discriminator 3 fall below this minimum width, no synchronizing signals A or B are generated any longer. The circuit then operates in the customary manner, as described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3. The delay period is advantageously selected to be greater than one period of the frequency of the reference oscillator so that the auxiliary circuit will not respond to the non-transient state.
If such a delay period is provided, the control circuit will be brought into a state, by means of the auxiliary circuit 7 provided to avoid overshooting, in which the signals present at the phase discriminator coincide with respect to frequency as well as phase. Then the auxiliary circuit 7 is no longer effective.
FIG. 6 shows the result obtained with the auxiliary circuit 7 by illustrating the control signal for oscillator 1. The top portion of FIG. 6 shows the signal obtained when an auxiliary circuit was used which operates in the manner described above under conditions of increasing frequency. The signal at the bottom of FIG. 6 was obtained when the same circuit was used without auxiliary circuit 7. It can be seen that the auxiliary circuit 7 resulted in a significant improvement in the transient behavior.
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the auxiliary circuit 7 of FIG. 1. The auxiliary circuit includes a counter 22 and logic gates 23 to 27, the counter generating the fixed delay period λ. A typical counter which may be used for this purpose is the type CD4520 manufactured by RCA. The signals at the outputs 9 and 10 of the phase discriminator 3 are fed through an AND gate 23 to the reset input of the counter 22. The clock pulse input of the counter 22 receives, via an input terminal 30, counting pulses at a frequency of, for example, 1 MHz. If no pulse arrives from the outputs 9 and 10 of the phase discriminator, the reset input receives a reset signal and the clock pulses at the clock pulse input of the counter 22 are ineffective. The output Q _n of the n ^th stage of the counter 22 is connected with a disable input D of the counter. That is, if the counter state Q _n is reached, the counter stops itself. The synchronizing signals A and B are also derived from output Q _n via gates 25 and 27. A signal is fed via inverters 24 and 26, to the gates 25 and 27 which act as gating circuits so as to indicate which one of the two gates 25 and 27 is to be enabled for the signal coming from output Q _n . Gates 25 and 27 therefore control whether the programmable divider 2 or the reference frequency source 4 of FIG. 1 receives a synchronizing signal.
With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the circuit in FIG. 7 operates as follows: The pulse 15 in FIG. 4 is present at the input 9 and enables gate 27 via inverter 26 to provide a synchronizing signal. However, no pulse appears at output 29 because the output Q _n of the counter 22 does not furnish a signal. Pulse 15 cancels the reset signal of counter 22 and counting pulses from input 30 are counted into the counter. After a delay period λ a signal jump appears at the output Q _n , in accordance with the clock pulse frequency and the number of stages in the counter, which stops the counter 22 through the disable input. The change of signals at the output Q _n also changes the logic state at the upper input of gate 27 so that the pulse 14 of FIG. 4 is formed. As soon as pulse 15 in FIG. 4 is completed, the AND condition for gate 27 is no longer met so that the pulse 14 is terminated simultaneously with pulse 15. The termination of pulse 15 causes the counter 22 to be reset to its starting position and held in that position.
When there is a pulse at input 10 of the circuit of FIG. 7, the circuit operates in a corresponding manner with the difference that gate 25 is enabled instead of gate 27. In this case, the synchronizing signal B is formed at output 28 and used to control the programmable divider 2. By selecting the frequency of the counting clock pulse at the input 30 it is possible to preselect the delay period λ.
It is also possible to obtain the delay period λ by means of circuit elements which operate in a different manner. For example, the delay of a plurality of series-connected gates (e.g., inverters) can be utilized.
FIG. 8 shows the complete circuit diagram of a tuner embodying the features of the present invention. At the top left of FIG. 1, block 31 is a tuner including the VCO 1. The signal from the VCO 1 travels through a predivider 32 included in the tuner to the programmable divider 2. At the beginning of a dividing cycle, the programmable divider is set to the preprogrammed value via a "load" input L and is then pulsed until it reaches the value zero. When it reaches the value zero, the load input receives a new charging pulse via a gate 33 with which the starting position of the programmable divider 2 is reset. The charging pulse of the programmable divider is fed to the input 35 of a phase discriminator 3 which is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 8. The other input 34 of the phase discriminator 3 receives a signal from the reference divider 4. The phase discriminator 3 which operates in a known manner, includes a plurality of gates.
At the lower right of FIG. 8, the coupling circuit 6 is shown. The auxiliary circuit 7 which has already been described in connection with FIG. 7 is shown in outline in FIG. 8. The synchronizing signal A is fed to the reset input of the reference divider 4 and the synchronizing signal B is fed to gate 33.
The auxiliary circuit 7 is also connected to a lock indicator which includes a counter 36, an AND gate 37 and an inverter 38. The counter 36 is set back with each synchronizing signal A and B via a reset input. Clock pulses at a relatively low frequency are fed to the clock pulse input of the counter 36 via an AND gate 37. These clock pulses are obtained from the output of the reference divider 4. From an output Q _p , a lock signal is derived. This lock signal appears only if no synchronizing signal appears for a relatively long period of time. The supply of clock pulses through gate 37 is blocked as soon as the lock signal appears because of the feedback of the lock signal via an inverter 38. The lock signal remains in effect until a new synchronizing signal is formed.
The lower left of FIG. 8 shows the filter circuit 5 which includes an operational amplifier 39.
It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

TELEFUNKEN PALCOLOR 2228  CHASSIS 415A  PLL MICROCOMPUTER Frequency synthesizer tuning system for television receivers:TFK u3870M

" A method for tuning a television receiver having automatic frequency control to the carrier frequency of a selected broadcast channel with an associated channel number including generating a variable frequency signal by means of a local oscillator, generating a reference frequency signal by means of a reference oscillator, and generating a local oscillator correction signal for matching an intermediate frequency signal derived from said local oscillator signal and the carrier frequency signal with a predetermined nominal intermediate frequency signal, said method being characterized by the use of a microcomputer and comprising:
generating binary signals representing first and second digital tune words, said digital tune words representing a selected channel;
storing said first and second digital tune words in a first data memory in said microcomputer;
reading said first and second digital tune words from said first memory and generating a divided-down local oscillator frequency by the use of said first digital tune word and a divided-down reference oscillator frequency by the use of said second digital tune word;
comparing said divided-down local oscillator and reference frequencies and generating a control signal representative of the difference in frequency of said divided-down local oscillator and reference frequencies;
coupling said control signal to said local oscillator for causing it to be locked to the frequency of said received carrier signal;
mixing the local oscillator frequency signal and the carrier frequency signal to generate an intermediate frequency signal;
comparing said intermediate frequency signal with said predetermined nominal intermediate frequency signal and providing a tuning voltage to said microcomputer, said tuning voltage being indicative of the magnitude and direction of a tuning error between said intermediate frequency signal and said predetermined nominal intermediate frequency signal;
incrementally adjusting the reference oscillator frequency by means of a tuning signal provided to said reference oscillator by said microcomputer in response to said tuning voltage;
detecting when the incrementally changing, divided-down reference oscillator frequency causes the intermediate frequency signal to pass said predetermined nominal intermediate frequency signal; and
incrementally stepping the divided-down reference oscillator frequency back a predetermined number of steps following the passage of said predetermined nominal intermediate frequency signal by said intermediate frequency signal in tuning said television receiver to the selected channel.
"

A television tuning system employs a frequency synthesizer system for establishing the tuning of the receiver. A programmable frequency divider counter is connected between the output of a reference oscillator and a phase comparator to which the output of the local oscillator in the tuner also is applied. The phase comparator output provides a tuning voltage for controlling the tuning of the local oscillator. A microprocessor is used to control the count of the programmable frequency divider and initially to set a count corresponding to the selected channel in a counter connected between the output of the local oscillator and the phase comparator. The tuning consists of three discrete time periods. First, a settling time to allow channel change transients to settle; second, a short period of forced search at a relatively rapid rate to insure proper tuning; and third, a slower rate of step-by-step correction to accomodate for station drift and the like during reception. This third time period is initiated either by the passage of a fixed length of time following the start of the forced search period or by sensing a preestablished number of changes of state in the output of the frequency discriminator during the forced/search period.


1. A tuning system for the tuner of a television receiver capable of receiving a composite television signal and including frequency discriminator (AFT) circuit means, said system including in combination:
a reference oscillator providing a reference signal at a predetermined frequency;
a local oscillator in the tuner providing a variable output frequency in response to the application of a control signal thereto;
a programmable frequency divider means having first and second inputs coupled respectively to the output of said reference oscillator and said local oscillator for producing signals on first and second outputs having frequencies which are a programmable fraction of the frequency of the signals applied to the inputs thereto;
phase comparator means having one input coupled with the first output of said programmable frequency divider means and having another input coupled with the second output of said programmable frequency divider means for developing a control signal and applying such control signal to said local oscillator for controlling the output frequency thereof;
counter circuit means coupled with said programmable frequency divider means for initially setting said divider means to a predetermined division ratio and operating to change the programmable fraction of division thereof in accordance with changes in the count in said counter circuit means;
control circuit means coupled with the output of said frequency discriminator means and further coupled with said counter circuit means for causing said counter circuit means to count at a first rate in a predetermined direction determined by the state of the output signal from said discriminator means in the absence of a predetermined signal output from said frequency discriminator means until a predetermined maximum count is attained, thereupon resetting said counter circuit means to a count which is a predetermined amount less than said maximum predetermined count and continuing to count at said first rate in the same predetermined direction from said new count to continuously change the programmable fraction of said frequency divider means in accordance with the state of operation of said counter circuit means, said control means operating in response to said predetermined signal output from the frequency discriminator means for terminating operation of said counter circuit means; and
further means for terminating operation of said counter circuit means at said first rate and causing operation thereof at a second slower rate.
2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said further means includes timing means initiated into operation simultaneously with the setting of said divider means to a predetermined division ratio, and after a predetermined time interval said timing means producing an output signal applied to said counter circuit means to cause operation thereof to take place at said second slower rate. 3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said counter circuit means includes a reversible digital counter coupled with said programmable frequency divider, means and said control circuit means causes said counter circuit means to count in said predetermined direction when the output of said frequency discriminator is of a first state and to count in the opposite direction when the output of said frequency discriminator is of second state; and said further means comprises means coupled with the output of said frequency discriminator and with said counter circuit means to take place at said second slower rate in response to a predetermined number of changes of state of frequency discriminator. 4. The combination according to claim 3 further including means responsive to the selection of a new channel in said television receiver for resetting said further means to an initial condition of operation. 5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said further means comprises a search termination counter means operative to provide an output signal applied to said counter circuit means in response to a count thereby of a predetermined number of changes of state of said frequency discriminator to cause said counter circuit means to be operated at said second slower rate.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Both of the above mentioned patents are directed to frequency synthesizer tuning systems for use with television receivers to enable operation of the receivers with minimal viewer fine tuning adjustments. By the utilization of the frequency synthesizer tuning systems of these patents, the fine tuning adjustment which is necessary with conventional types of television receiver tuning systems has been substantially eliminated. The system employed in the '953 patent permits utilization of a frequency synthesizer tuning system which correctly tunes to a desired television station or channel even if the transmitted signals from that station are not precisely maintained at the proper frequencies. The '535 patent is directed to a signal seek tuning system adaptation of the frequency synthesizer tuning system of the '953 patent which still permits implementation of all of the desired wide-band pull in range of the frequency synthesizer system of the '953 patent.
The systems of the foregoing patents operate effectively to correct automatically for frequency offsets in a frequency synthesizer tuning system without affecting the operation of the conventional frequency synthesizer used in the system. The systems of these patents are in widespread use commercially and permit direct selection, with automatic fine tuning adjustment, of any desired VHF channel which the viewer wishes to observe. In addition, the signal seek adaptation disclosed in the '535 patent couples all of the advantages of the frequency synthesizer tuning system of the '953 patent with the desirability of providing bidirectional signal seek operation.
While the systems disclosed in the foregoing patents operate in a highly satisfactory manner to accomplish the desired results of accurate tuning without the necessity of fine tuning adjustments, the circuitry for accomplishing the desired results is somewhat complex. It is desirable to reduce the circuit complexity and the number of signal detectors for accomplishing these results without compromising the accuracy of operation of the system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved tuning system for a television receiver.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved frequency synthesizer tuning system for a television receiver.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved frequency synthesizer tuning system for a television receiver which includes a provision for adjusting the synthesizer loop for frequency offsets in the received signal with a minimum number of signal detectors.

It is a further object of this invention to tune the local RF oscillator of a television receiver to the correct frequency for a selected channel with a frequency synthesizer tuning system, and automatically to change the reference frequency of the synthesizer system, or adjust the count of a programmable divider that produces a signal that divides the frequency of the local oscillator of the tuner, if the AFT signal produced by the AFT frequency discriminator of the receiver is outside a predetermined range corresponding to correct tuning.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved frequency synthesizer tuning system for a television receiver which operates to adjust the synthesizer loop for frequency offsets in the received signal over a relatively wide pull in range in response to the output of the receiver frequency discriminator by changing the division ratio of a programmable frequency divider in the reference oscillator leg or local oscillator leg of the synthesizer loop at a first relatively high rate from an initial nominal value to a pre-established maximum in one direction, and then resetting the division ratio to a second nominal value once the maximum is reached and continuing to incrementally change the division ratio in the same direction from the second nominal value until a properly tuned condition is indicated by the output of the receiver AFT frequency discriminator, followed by control at a lower rate of operation to maintain tuning during transmitting station drifts.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, the frequency synthesizer tuning system for a television receiver includes a stable reference oscillator and a voltage controlled local oscillator in the tuner. A programmable frequency divider is connected between the output of the reference oscillator and one input to a phase comparator, the other input of which is supplied by the output of the local oscillator. The output of the phase comparator then comprises a control signal which is supplied to the local oscillator to control the frequency of its operation.
A counter circuit is connected to the programmable frequency divider for initially setting the divider to a predetermined division ratio upon selection of a desired channel by the viewer. The counter then operates to change the programmable fraction of the division ratio at a first relatively high rate in a direction controlled by the output from the receiver picture carrier discriminator in the absence of a predetermined signal output derived from the discriminator. A control means causes the counter circuit to count in this direction until it is determined that a station is tuned or a predetermined maximum count is attained if no station is correctly tuned, thereupon resetting the counter circuit to a count which is a predetermined amount less than the maximum predetermined count. Counting is continued in the same predetermined direction from the new lesser count to continuously change the programmable fraction of the frequency divider in accordance with the state of operation of the counter.

The high rate operation of the counter is terminated by the control means in response to a predetermined signal from the output of the discriminator, indicating that a station is correctly tuned, or after a fixed time-out interval; so that the system automatically adjusts for frequency offsets of the received signal which otherwise would cause the station to be mistuned if a conventional frequency synthesizer tuning system were used. After termination of the high rate operation of the counter, it is switched to a lower rate operation for maintaining tuning during transmitting station drifts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a television receiver employing a preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a portion of the circuit of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a detailed circuit diagram of a portion of a circuit shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the control sequence of operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 1 and 2; and
FIG. 5 shows a waveform and time/frequency chart, respectively, useful in explaining the operation of the circuit shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings, the same reference numbers are used throughout the several figures to designate the same or similar components.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a television receiver, which may be a black and white or color television receiver. Most of the circuitry of this receiver is conventional, and for that reason it has not been shown in FIG. 1. Added to the conventional television receiver circuitry of FIG. 1, however, is a frequency synthesizer tuning system, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is capable of automatically changing the reference frequency when a frequency offset exists in the received signal for a particular channel.
Transmitted composite television signals, either received over the air or distributed by means of a master antenna TV distribution system, are received by an antenna 10 or on antenna input terminals to the receiver. As is well known, these composite signals include picture and sound carrier components and synchronizing signal components, with the composite signal applied to an RF and tuner stage 11 of the receiver. The stage 11 includes the conventional RF amplifiers and tuner sections of the receiver, including a VHF oscillator section and a UHF oscillator section. Preferably, the UHF and VHF oscillators are voltage controlled oscillators, the freuency of operation of which are varied in response to a tuning voltage applied to them to effect the desired tuning of the receiver.
The output of the RF and tuner stages 11 is applied to the remainder of the television receiver 14, which includes the IF amplifier stages for supplying conventional picture (video) and sound IF signals to the video and sound processing stages of the receiver 14. The circuitry of the receiver 14 may be of any conventional type used to separate, amplify and otherwise process the signals for application to a cathode ray tube 16 and to a loudspeaker 17 which reproduce the picture and sound components, respectively, of the received signal.
The receiver 14 also includes a conventional AFT or automatic fine tuning discriminator circuit and additionally may include a synch separator circuit for producing an output in response to the presence of vertical synchronizatin pulses, a picture carrier detection circuit, and an automatic gain control (AGC) amplifier. Outputs representative of these sensor components are shown as being coupled over a group of lead 20 to sensory circuitry 22, which in turn couples outputs representative of the operation of these various sensor circuits to a microprocessor unit 23 for controlling the operation of the microprocessor unit.
The microprocessor unit 23 is utilized in the system of FIG. 1 for controlling the operation of a frequency synthesizer tuning system capable of automatic offset correction. When the viewer desires to select a new channel, he enters the desired channel number into a channel selection keyboard 25. There are a number of different keyboards which may be employed to accomplish this function, and the particular design is not important to this invention. The channel selector keyboard 25 also may include switches or keys for initiating a signal seek function in either the "up" or "down" direction.
Information represented by the selection of channel numbers on the keyboard 25 is supplied to the microprocessor unit 23 which provides output signals over a corresponding set of leads 27 to the tuners (local oscillators) 11 to effect the appropriate band switching control for the tuners 11 in accordance with the particular channel which has been selected. In addition, the keyboard 25, operating through the microprocessor unit 23, provides output signals which operate a channel number display 29 to provide an appropriate display of the selected channel number to the viewer.
The microprocessor M3870 unit 23 also processes the signals which are used to operate the channel number display 29 through a multiplexing circuit operation to decode the selected channel number into a parallel encoded signal. This signal is applied to corresponding inputs of the count-down counter or programmable frequency divider 31 to cause the division number of the divider 31 to relate to the divided down frequency of the tuner local oscillators connected to the input of the divider 31 through a prescaler divider circuit 32 to the frequency of the reference oscillator 34. Thus, the division number or division ratio of the local oscillator frequency obtained from the output of the programmable divider 31 is appropriately related to the frequency of the reference crystal oscillator 34.

The output of the oscillator 34 also is applied through a countdown circuit or programmable frequency divider 35. Conventional frequency synthesizer techniques are employed; and the microprocessor unit 23 automatically compensates, through appropriate code converter circuitry, for the non-uniform channel spacing of the television signals. It has been found most convenient to cause the programmable frequency divider 31 to divide by numbers corresponding directly to the oscillator frequency of the selected channel, for example, 101, 107, 113 . . . up to 931.
In accordance with the time division multiplex operation of the microprocessor 23, the count of the programmable frequency divider 35 initially is adjusted to a fixed count by the application of appropriate output signals from the microprocessor unit 23 to a point selected to be at or near the mid-point of the operating range of the programmable frequency divider 35. Thus, the output of the divider 35 is a stable reference frequency (because the input is from the reference crystal oscillator 34) which is used to establish initially and to maintain tuning of the receiver to the selected channel.
The output of the programmable divider 35 is applied to one of two inputs of a phase comparator circuit 37. The other input to the phase comparator circuit 37 is supplied from the selected one of the VHF or UHF oscillators in the tuner stages 11 through the programmable frequency divider 31. The phase comparator circuit 37 operates in a conventional manner to supply a DC tuning control signal through a phase locked loop filter circuit 39 and over a lead 40 to the oscillators in the tuner system 11 to change and maintain their operating frequency.
With the exception of the use of the microprocessor unit 23, the operation of the system which has been described thus far is that of a relatively conventional frequency synthesizer system incorporated into a television receiver. This system is similar to the system of the '953 patent. As in the system of that patent, the system shown in FIG. 1, when the transmitted station or station received on a master antenna distribution system provides the station or channel signals at the proper frequency, operates as a relatively conventional frequency synthesizer system. If, however, there is a frequency offset in the received signal to cause the carrier of the received signal to be displaced from the frequency which it should have to some other frequency, it is possible that the system would give the appearance of mistuning to the received station. The microprocessor 23, operating in conjunction with the sensory circuitry 22, is employed in conjunction with the countdown or programmable frequency divider circuit 35 to eliminate this disadvantage and still retain the advantages of frequency synthesizer tuning.
Reference now should be made to FIG. 2 which shows details of the interface between the keyboard 25, the microprocessor unit 23, and the circuitry used in the frequency synthesizer portions of the system. A commercially available microprocessor which has been used for the microprocessor 23, and which forms the basis for the diagramatic representation of the microprocessor in FIG. 2, is the Matsushita Electronics Corporation MN1402 four-bit single-chip microcomputer. This microcomputer has two, four-bit parallel input ports labeled "A" and "B". In addition, three output ports, a five-bit output port "C" and two four-bit output ports "D" and "E" are provided. The internal configuration of the microcomputer 23 includes an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a read only memory (ROM) for storing instructions and constants, and a random access memory (RAM) used for data memory, arranged into four files, each file containing 16 four-bit words. These words are selected by X and Y registers and this memory is used, for example, for timers, counters, etc., and also is used to hold intermediate results. To facilitate an understanding of the operation of the system, a portion of this memory is shown in FIG. 2 as a clock 81 and a reversible counter 82 connected between the "B" input port and the "D" output port. The microcomputer 23 is programmed to permit it to operate in conjunction with the remainder of the circuits shown in FIG. 2. The programming techniques are standard, and the microcomputer 23 itself is a standard commercially available circuit component.
There are several system parameters that must be selected in the operation of the system shown in FIG. 2. The selection of the nominal frequency of the two signals that feed the phase comparator circuit 37 is an example. Channel selection is provided by changing the frequency division ratio of the selector counter 31 which divides the local oscillator signal after this signal is passed through a prescaler circuit 32 and a divide-by-two divider circuit 41. The nominal frequency from the programmable frequency divider 31 (selector counter) is selected so that the local oscillator (tuner) 11 can be set exactly on frequency for all channels.

Since the frequency divider 31 is able to divide only by integer numbers, one distinct frequency possibility in the range of one KHz is obtained, another in the range of two KHz, etc. A choice must be made as to which of these values is optimum. Each value yields the nominal frequency of all of the 82 channels by simply multiplying by an appropriate integer for each channel. To simplify the phase locked loop filtering problem by the filter 39, it is desirable that the frequencies of the signals supplied to the phase comparator 37 are as high as possible. This permits rapid acquisition of a new channel along with a very clean DC control signal to adjust the local oscillator. A trade-off for this, however, must be made to permit fine tunning adjustment of the local oscillator automatically to correctly tune in stations which are off their assigned frequency, or to manually provide this feature, if desired. The two-speed operation of the system in accordance with the present invention allows a better trade-off to be made by allowing rapid acquisition and then a slower speed for precise tuning.
A compromise solution which is utilized in the circuit of FIG. 2 is to cause the frequency division chain from the local oscillator 11 in the tuner to the phase comparator 37 to be composed of the fixed divide-by-256 prescaler 32, and a fixed divide-by-4 division, which is accomplished by the divider 41 at the input of the counter 31 and a second divider 42 at the output of the counter 31. The variable frequency divider counter 31 then is loaded by means of three latch circuits 44, 45 and 46 at an appropriate time by the time division multiplex operation of the microcomputer 23 and a number that programs the programmable frequency divider counter 31 to divide by the numerical value of the frequency of the local oscillator in MHz for the channel selected. For example, if the receiver is to be tuned to channel 2, which has a nominal local oscillator frequency of 101 MHz, the programmable frequency divider 31 is set to divide by 101. If the receiver is to be tuned to channel 83, which has a nominal local oscillator frequency of 931 MHz, the programmable frequency divider 31 is set to divide by 931. In both cases, the variable divider 31 produces a 1 MHz signal. However, because of the fixed divide-by-256 and the two fixed divide-by-two dividers in series with the programmable divider 31, an output frequency of 976.5625 Hz is supplied from the output of the divider 42 to the upper input of the phase comparator 37.

The division ratio of the selector counter 31 is established by appropriate output signals from the latch circuits 44, 45 and 46, as mentioned above. The initial operation for changing, or maintaining, the division ratio of the divider 31 is established by an entry of the two digits of the selected channel number in the keyboard 25. The microcomputer 23 operates as a time division multiplex system for continuously monitoring the input ports and the output ports to control the operation of the remainder of the system. The selection of the two digits of the desired channel number is affected by a time division multiplex iscanning of the outputs of the D output port of microcomputer 23 and providing that information at the A input port. From here the information is translated again to the D output ports to the appropriate drivers of the channel number display circuit 29 and to the latches 44, 45 and 46, and to a pair of similar four bit latches 49 and 50 which control the divider ratio of the counter 35.
Although the D output ports of the microcomputer 23 are connected in common to all of these various portions of the circuit, the selection of which of the latches are enabled to respond to the particular output signals appearing on the D output ports at any given time is effected through the C and E output ports of the microcomputer 23 in a time division multiplex fashion. A decoder circuit 52, connected to the lowermost three outputs of the E output port of the microcomputer 23, is used to apply unique decoding signals at different times in the time division multiplex sequence of operation of the microcomputer 23 to the five latch circuits 44, 45, 46, 49 and 50, respectively. At any given time in the sequence, only one of these latch circuits is enabled for operation. A latch load signal is applied from the upper output (EO3) at each cycle of operation of the signals appearing on the E output port to set the latch circuit which is enabled by the output of the decoding circuit 52 with the data appearing on the other inputs to the latch circuit. This data simultaneously appears on the four outputs of the D output port of the microcomputer 23.
Thus, in rapid sequence, the latch circuits 44, 45 and 46 are set to store the division number corresponding to the selected channel entered onto the keyboard 25, and the latch circuits 49 and 50 are each operated to set the programmable divider reference counter 35 to a center or nominal count, which is always the same upon the selection of a new channel on the keyboard 25. Similarly, the two right-hand outputs of the C output port (CO6 and CO5) enter the two digits of the selected channel number in the drivers of the display circuit 29 at the proper time in the binary encoded sequence when these digits appear on the four-bit binary encoded representation of the D output port. This results in a visual display of the channel number selected.
In addition to the selection of a channel number directly by the keyboard 25, the keyboard also may include an additional switch 56, which is scanned in the time division multiplex sequence to determine if the receiver is placed in a "seek" mode of operation (when the signal seek capability is incorporated into such a receiver). Operating in conjunction with the signal seek switch 56 are a pair of "up" and "down" seek direction input switches shown with a graphic representation of the seek directions on the keyboard 25. A further provision is provided by two keys labeled "U" and "D", which are used for "manual" fine tuning of the receiver in the "up" or "down" directions depending upon which of the two keys U or D has been operated. The keyboard 25 includes one additional switch 58 which may be used to disable the automatic fine tuning (AFT) portion of the circuit by rendering the microcomputer insensitive to the signal output from the AFT circuit, in a manner described more fully subsequently.
As is apparent from the foregoing, the microcomputer 23 provides the intelligence, decision making, and control for the system operation. It is a complete self contained computer. The decisions or signal inputs upon which the microcomputer 23 bases its operation include, in addition to the inputs from the keyboard 25, inputs on sensory inputs into the B input port and into the SNS1 and SNS0 inputs as shown in FIG. 2. These input signals are used to provide an indication to the microcomputer 23 of the presence or absence of a received signal; and if the presence of such a signal is indicated, the inputs provide a further indication of the accuracy of the tuning of the receiver to that signal. If the system is being operated solely in a manual mode of operation (AFT switch 58 open), the microcomputer 23 disregards all of this sensory information and tunes to the frequency allocation of the channel selected in the manner described above. The system will stay tuned to this condition, operating as a conventional frequency synthesizer, whether or not a station is present in the received signal.
When the system is placed in its automatic mode of operation (similar to the mode of operation of the above mentioned '953 patent), the counter 82, integrally formed as part of the microcomputer 23, continuously adds or subtracts one number at a time from the nominal value or programmable division fraction entered into the programmable frequency divider 35 at the outset of each new channel number selection when frequency offset (mistuning) is present. The counter 82 is driven at a relatively high counting rate by clock pulses from the clock 81 during this initial or forced search mode of operation. Thus, automatic offset correction is provided for any channel which is off its assigned frequency. The offset correction automatically adjusts the frequency of the local oscillator by changing the division ratio of the signal from the reference oscillator 35 applied to the lower input of the phase comparator 37. By doing this, the output of the phase comparator 37 applied to the local oscillator 11 varies to cause the oscillator to be tuned in the proper direction to compensate for the transmitting station mistuning.
When the system is operating in its automatic mode of operation, the microcomputer 23 responds to the sensor information applied to it on its B input ports and on the S1 input port shown in FIG. 2. These inputs are obtained from the various outputs of the operational amplifiers shown connected to the corresponding input ports in the detailed circuit of FIG. 3. Depending upon whether the receiver is provided with a signal seek feature or not, one or more of the sensory inputs of the circuit of FIG. 3 are used. The system shown in the drawings has a capability of correcting for frequency offsets larger than 1.5 MHz on channels 2 and 7 and approximately 2 MHz on channels 6 and 13. The remainder of the channels have a range between these two values.
If the receiver is not tuned properly, the micromputer 23 executes the localized search of the tuning range mentioned above. Since there is a necessary settling down time for the tuning of a television receiver immediately following selection of a new channel, a time interval of 250 milliseconds has been selected to prevent any localized search or offset frequency correction until the expiration of this "settling down" time period. If, at the end of this 250 millisecond time interval, a properly tuned station is present, this is indicated by the sensory outputs from the television receiver and no localized search is effected to change the division ratio or programmable divider count in the reference counter 35 for a system that also has signal seek.
A system with no signal seek capability is described later that requires less sensory input but which uses a time period where a forced search is required directly after the settling time interval.

Upon termination of the 250 millisecond settling down period, the microcomputer 23 is rendered responsive to the sensory input signals on its sensory input signal ports. In the simplest form, only the output of the frequency discriminator 60 (FIG. 3) applied to three comparators 61, 62 and 63 is used to provide the necessary tuning information to the microcomputer 23. The outputs of these comparators are applied to the B12 and B11 inputs of the microcomputer.
The comparator 61 simply is a conventional comparator for determining whether or not the output of the frequency discriminator is positive or negative, as indicated in the upper waveform of FIG. 5. The comparators 62 and 63 are each adjusted with appropriate reference input levels to provide a narrow window centered about the center tuning frequency (fc) of the receiver. If the tuning of the receiver, as indicated by the output of the frequency discriminator 60, is outside this window on either side of the central axis shown in FIG. 5, one output condition is indicated on the input terminal B11 of the microcomputer. Only when the tuning frequency is within the tuning window, indicative of a properly tuned receiver, is the appropriate input applied to the microcomputer input terminal B11. This input overrides any other input that may be present on the input terminal B12 and is indicative of a properly tuned receiver. The input from the frequency discriminator 60, as applied to the microcomputer on its input port B12, is used to determine the direction of operation of the counter 82 of the microcomputer for the localized search count signals applied to the latch circuits 49 and 50 to change the count of the reference programmable divider counter 35 on a step-by-step basis.
The lower graph of FIG. 5 plots the relative frequency of the local oscillator 11 to the received signal frequency with respect to time. The various arrows are used to indicate the manner of operation of the counter 82 in the microcomputer 23 in conjunction with the reference counter 35 for adjusting for any mistuning conditions which may exist after the initial station selection has been effected in the manner described above.
If the receiver is properly tuned, the outputs from the comparators 62 and 63 of FIG. 3 which are combined together and applied to the input port B11 of the microcomputer 23, provide an indication that the tuning is within the properly tuned center frequency window. As a consequence, no further operation of the microcomputer to change any of the outputs applied to the latch circuits 49 and 50 for the duration of this condition is effected. On the other hand, if the receiver is mistuned on either side of the proper tuning frequency, the various operating characteristics shown in FIG. 5 are effected.
Assume initially that the receiver is capable of making tuning adjustments over a range of fc plus Δf to fc minus Δf, as indicated in the top waveform of FIG. 5. Three specific examples of mistuning will then be considered. Initially, assume that the local oscillator is mistuned relative to the received signal to a frequency f1 as shown in the lower graph of FIG. 5. In this condition, the outout of the frequency discriminator 60 is positive since this signal frequency lies to the lefthand side of the center or properly tuned region of operation of the discriminator. Under this condition of the operation, the input signal applied to the sensor port B12 of the microcomputer 23 is such that the microcomputer counter 82 is caused to advance in a positive direction to change the programmable division ratio or count of the reference counter 35 in a manner to force the output of the phase comparator 37 to adjust the frequency of the local oscillator until the proper tuning indicated at point B in the lower graph of FIG. 5 is reached. The time interval for accomplishing this result is measured from the upper end of the arrow representative of the frequency f1 to the point B.
Now assume that the receiver mistuning is to a frequency f2 which as shown in FIG. 5 as located on the righthand-side of the center axis fc. In this condition, the discriminator output is negative. This is reflected in the output of the comparator 61 applied to the input port B12 of the microcomputer 23. The polarity of this signal is identified by the microcomputer 23 to cause the counter 82 in it to operate in the reverse direction. As this count is applied on a step-by-step basis through the latch circuits 49 and 50 to the reference counter 35, the division ratio or count of the reference counter (divider) 35 is changed. As a result, the reference oscillator signal applied to the phase comparator 37 causes the phase comparator 37 output to drive the local oscillator frequency in a direction opposite to that considered in the first example. This is shown by the vector interconnecting the top of the arrow representative of f2 to point A on the time/frequency graph of FIG. 5.
As discussed in the general discussion above, whenever the tuning frequency reaches the narrow window on either side of fc, the outputs of the comparators 62 and 63 provide the necessary indication on the sensory input port terminal B11 to cause termination of the operation of the counter 82 in the microcomputer 23. Then the reference counter 35 remains set to the count attained just prior to the appearance of this input signal on the input port B11 of the microcomputer 23.
A third mistuning condition can exist, and ordinarily this condition results in an ambiguity which cannot be corrected simply by responding to the signal polarity at the output of the frequency discriminator. This is indicated by the mistuned condition where the difference between the local oscillator frequency f3 and the transmitter frequency is such that the signal f3 lies in the range to the right of the negative portion of the discriminator output shown in the upper waveform of FIG. 5. In this condition, the associated sound causes the discriminator output to be positive; so that the television receiver normally would attempt to tune toward the next adjacent channel and away from the properly tuned center frequency of the channel which is desired. The output of the discriminator 60 in this situation is the same as it was in the first example considered for frequency f1; so that the counter 82 of the microprocessor 23 operates to change the count in the reference counter 35 in a manner to cause the local oscillator frequency to go higher toward a frequency f3 +Δf, as shown in FIG. 5.
A predetermined number of counts of the counter 82 in the microcomputer 23 are necessary for the microcomputer to count through the frequency range Δf, and this range is selected to be within the pull in or operating range of the system. Once this count has been attained, the microcomputer counter 82 immediately is reset back to a count which corresponds to a frequency 2 Δf lower than the frequency attained by the maximum count. This is indicated in FIG. 5 by the frequency f3-Δf. Because the microcomputer counter 82 is limited to counting a number of counts equal to Δf, this new frequency now is on the lefthand side of the center line fc, shown in both waveforms of FIG. 5. This places the local oscillator frequency at a point such that the frequency discriminator output is the positive output shown on the lefthand-side of the upper waveform of FIG. 5. Counting continues in the same direction as previously. This time, however, it is in a proper direction to bring about correct tuning; and when the center frequency is reached, the output of the comparators 62 and 63 cause the microcomputer 23 to stop its count. The proper tuning point attained is indicated at point C on the graph of the lower part of FIG. 5.
Because the counter 82 of the microcomputer is limited to a maximum count equivalent to Δf above its initial count and thereupon is reset to a new count equivalent to 2 Δf lower than the maximum count, it is not necessary to utilize any other sensory inputs in order to properly tune the receiver over a wide pull in range (as much as plus or minus 2 MHz). Only the output of the conventional frequency discriminator 60 is used to provide the necessary sensory inputs.

The counter 82 of the microcomputer 23 is operated by the clock 81 during the foregoing sequence of operation, immediately following the selection of a new channel by the operation of the keyboard 25, at a fast or high speed operation. Typically, the counter steps are 10 milliseconds per step; so that there are no initial visual effects which can be noticed by an observer of the television screen of the receiver being tuned. The maximum forced search period is approximately 900 milliseconds in duration. At the end of this time interval, a timer in the microcomputer 23 causes a signal to be applied through the outputs of the E output port to the decoder circuit 52 indicative of the completion of this time interval. The decoder 52 then applies a pulse on an output lead connected to the B13 input of the B input port of the microcomputer 23. This pulse is sensed by the microcomputer 23 and is applied to the clock 81 to change the clock rate to a much slower rate, approximately one-third (1/3) or one-fourth (1/4) the rate used previously during the forced search mode of operation. This then permits the system to accomodate station drifts which normally occur at a very slow rate during the transmission and reception of a television signal. As a consequence, it is possible to use more filtering in the filter 39 on the tuning line (FIG. 1) and employ a smaller frequency window for the channel verification sensed by the circuitry shown in FIG. 3. The result is a more precise tuning from the receiver than is otherwise possible if only a high speed operation of the clock 81 is utilized.
When the channel once again is changed by operation of the keys in the keyboard 25 or operation of the channel selection circuitry from a remote control unit, this new channel input is sensed by the microcomputer 23 from the signals applied to the A input port and the clock 81 is reset to its fast time or the forced search mode of operation; and the process resumes.
Instead of employing an additional decoding function in the decoder 52, a separate decoder also could be connected to the outputs of the D output ports to feed back the signal to the B13 input terminal of the B input port of the microcomputer 23. The operation of the system to change the rate or frequency of the pulses applied by the clock 81 to the counter 82 otherwise is the same as described above.
Although applicant has found that it is preferable to correct for mistuning or frequency offsets by adjusting the count or division ratio of the counter 35, such offset adjustments also could be effected by adjusting the count in the counter 31 in the local oscillator signal line. The operation in such a case is the same as described above for adjusting the count in the counter 35.
If the receiver is to be used with an automatic signal seek mode of operation, however, additional sensory inputs are necessary. These inputs operate in conjunction with the output of the frequency discriminator 60. The operation of the microcomputer 23 in controlling the count of the reference programmable frequency counter divider 35 is the same as described above. The additional sensory inputs simply are used in conjunction with the outputs of the comparators 62 and 63 to signal the microcomputer 23 to assure that tuning is to a picture channel rather than an adjacent sound channel. This is accomplished by utilizing the output of the synchronizing signal separator 65 which is applied to a comparator 67 to produce an output signal to the SNS1 sensory input of the microcomputer 23 only when vertical synchronizing signal components are present.
In addition, the output of a picture carrier detector 69 is applied to the input of a comparator 70 to produce an output to the B10 sensory input of the microcomputer 23. If the picture carrier detector 69 is producing an output indicative of the presence of a carrier, but no output is being obtained from the vertical synch separator 65 at the same time, the system is mistuned to a sound carrier and the microcomputer 23 is permitted to continue its localized search until a properly tuned station is found. Only when there is coincidence of signals from the picture carrier detector 69, the synch signal separator 65, and the automatic frequency discriminator window as determined by the comparators 62 and 63, is the microcomputer operation terminated to indicate that a properly tuned channel is present.
Further insurance of tuning the receiver only to a strong signal also can be provided by the addition of an AGC amplifier 72. This is connected to a comparator 74 coupled to the B10 input port along with the output of the picture carrier detector comparator 70. When the AGC amplifier 72 is used as a sensory input, the microcomputer operation, when the system is used in a signal seek mode, is only terminated to indicate reception of a valid signal when that signal is strong enough to produce the desired output from the comparator 74. The signal level which is acceptable is set by a potentiometer 75.
It should be noted that when the system is operated in a signal seek mode, the sensory inputs must indicate the reception of a properly tuned signal within a pre-established time period. If no signal is sensed by the various sensory input circuits operating in conjunction with one another as described above, the microcomputer 23 automatically steps to the next channel number and repeats the sequence of operation described above. This is when it is placed in its signal seek mode of operation. If signal seek is not employed, the additional sensory circuits 65, 69 and 72 are not necessary, and the inputs to the microcomputer which are provided from these sensory circuits are not utilized. The sensory signal input which is used both for a receiver without a signal seek capability of operation and for a receiver which has a signal seek mode of operation in it, is the output of the frequency discriminator 60 operating in conjunction with the comparators 61, 62 and 63 as described above.
As indicated above, the wideband method of tuning precisely to an incoming signal that is at the wrong frequency described here only needs the frequency discriminator sensory information. The method that uses the additional sensors described above is needed to make this system operate compatibly with signal seek but it is not restricted to seek operation.

For a system that does not use signal seek operation, only the frequency discriminator sensory input is required for proper operation. The discriminator 60 is used for both fine tuning direction information and to produce a frequency window to indicate the presence of a correctly tuned station (channel verification). Initially, after a channel change, there is a 250 millisecond settling time, the same as the operation described above with compatible seek. After that, however, comes a period of time where a forced localized search is produced by the microcomputer 23. The forced search is needed to insure that the system will correctly tune to stations that initially may be tuned to the undesired zero voltage crossover in the right half of the upper curve of FIG. 5. Such signals may be within the frequency window of the discriminator 60; and if a search is not forced, this system will not correctly tune. The compatible seek system described previously correctly tunes the local oscillator without a forced search, because the picture carrier detector and vertical detector do not give an output for this situation and the system automatically goes into its search mode of operation. However, the non-seek system does not have a picture carrier sensor input and must be forced to search for an initial period of time sufficient to allow the system to tune up to its maximum frequency and then reset (loop) back to a frequency of 2 Δf lower. Then it is tuned to the positive left half portion of the discriminator curve (FIG. 5) and the frequency window created by the discriminator 60 is sufficient to insure proper tuning. If the discriminator output produced by the desired incoming signal created an initial situation that produces the correct tuning direction information, i.e., in the left half of the curve of FIG. 5, or in the right half portion that gives the correct direction and

frequency window information, the forced search would not be needed. However, the forced search will produce a correct tuning situation anyway. In these cases, the tuning either is correct to begin with or correct tuning is reached quickly. Then, even though the forced search is active, it simply alternates up and down through the correct tuning point because each time the receiver is tuned a little high in frequency, it produces a negative output from the discriminator 60; and the tuning direction signal causes the system to tune down in frequency.

Then, a positive discriminator output is produced, and the system tunes up in frequency. This continues until the forced search is removed by time-out of the microcomputer 23 (a fraction of a second). At such time, the receiver is correctly tuned by the frequency window of the discriminator to be very near fc. The system cannot tune to the undesired discriminator crossover shown in the right half portion of FIG. 5 because the polarity of the tuning direction signal always causes it to tune away from that point.
The fast time or forced search operation of the system can be terminated in a different way other than the preestablished time-out period described above in conjunction with the operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 2. Generally, it is desirable to build into the system (or program into the system by means of software) such a maximum time-out period to effect the operation which has been described above to terminate the search and cause the clock 81 thereafter to operate in a low speed mode of operation. Termination also can be accomplished by sensing the number of changes in the direction sensor input applied to the B12 terminal of the B input port to cause the search to be terminated when this direction changes three times (or more). By doing this, any flicker that might be observed on the screen of the television receiver is minimized, since the forced search still takes place at the high rate of application of clock pulses from the clock 81 to the counter 82 in the same manner described above.
Termination of the search, however, also may be effected by means of a search terminate counter 78 (FIG. 3), which is advanced by pulses applied to it each time the output of the comparator 61 changes its sign (indicative of a change in direction for the counter 82) as applied to it through the B12 input port, as described earlier. After three of these changes, or some other number if desired, an output pulse is obtained from the search terminate counter 78 and is applied to the SNS0 input of the microcomputer 23. This causes the operation of the clock 81 to be switched to its low speed mode of operation to terminate the fast or "forced search" mode of operation. The next time a new channel number is entered on the keyboard 25, a reset pulse is applied to the search terminate counter 78 to reset it to its original or zero count, thereby readying it for another sequence of operation. It is apparent that the search terminate counter 78 may not always be operated to terminate the count, since the time-out interval which is sensed by the decode circuit 52 and applied to the B13 input port of the microcomputer 23 may occur before there are three changes of direction of the search. In any event, the next time a new channel number is entered into the keyboard 25, the search terminate counter 78 is reset; so that it is irrelevant whether this counter reaches a full count or not to effect the termination of the forced search operation of the system.
FIG. 4 shows the control sequence of the system which is stored in the ROM (Read Only Memory) of the microcomputer 23. The microcomputer 23 operates by always running through the flow sequence, via loops L1, L2 and L3. Loop L1 corresponds to a new channel selection by two digit number entry. Loop L2 corresponds to channel number increment or decrement by an up or down key operation, respectively, or by seek operation. Loop L3 corresponds to fine tuning, either manual or automatic. To obtain exact timing for system control, the microcomputer 23 receives a standard timing pulse from the output of the reference counter 35 divided in a divide-by-five counter 80 and applied to the A13 input port of the microcomputer 23. The control functions which are programmed into the microcomputer 23, as indicated in the flow chart of FIG. 4, are outlined in the following paragraphs.
Channel Number Correction: An invalid two digit channel number entry (0, 1, 84, 99) is corrected. When the operation of the receiver is in the signal seek mode, the next channel up from 83 is channel 2, and the next lower channel from channel 2 is 83.
PLL Control I: For a given channel number, a corresponding binary code for the PLL selector counter 31 is derived as described previously. For UHF channels, the local oscillator frequency separation between two adjacent channels is 6 MHz and the code for PLL is generated by the microcomputer 23 through means of a simple calculation. This code then is transferred from the microcomputer 23 to the latches 44, 45 and 46 as described previously.
PLL Control II: This routine of the microcomputer 23 is used to transfer the fine tuning data to the latches 49 and 50 which control the count of the reference counter 35 in the PLL circuit.
Channel Number Display: The channel number is transferred from the microcomputer 23 to the driver latches of the display driver circuit 29.
Key Input Detection: The keyboard is arranged as the matrix circuit shown in FIG. 2. ROM programming for scanning and acknowledging a keyboard entry only after successive indications provides protection against false entry due to contact bounce. The four data output lines of the D output port of the microcomputer 23 are used to transfer data to the phase lock loop section of the circuit and to the display circuit 29, as well as for scanning the keyboard matrix circuit.
Time Count: The microcomputer 23 receives a basic timing pulse of approximately 200 Hz from the output of the divider 80 and performs various controls for each timing pulse. By way of example, sensing for the vertical synch input (when the system is used with a signal seek capability) on the input port SNS1 takes place every 2.5 milliseconds. Automatic seek timing is selected to be 133 milliseconds for UHF channels. All of these timing pulses are derived from the basic synchronization timing pulse applied to the microcomputer on the A13 input port from the output of the divider 80. Various other timing values used in the microcomputer to properly time multiplex sequence the operation are derived from this basic timing pulse.
Sensor Input Detection: As described previously, the output of the comparators shown in FIG. 3 reflect the status of the tuning of the television receiver. If no signal seek mode of operation is used, only the frequency discriminator or AFT discriminator 60 is necessary. When a system is being used in a signal seek mode, a proper television signal receipt is indicated by the presence of a vertical synch signal at the output of the synch signal separator 65 and corresponding outputs are applied to the input leads B10 and B11 (high level input signals) indicative of tuning to the "correct tuned" frequency discriminator window and reception of a picture carrier. As stated previously, the signal present on the B12 input lead is used to determine the direction of tuning when the receiver is operated in its automatic mode.
Mode Detection: The status of the seek and automatic/manual (A/M) switches are detected. If the A/M switch (not shown) is in its automatic position, automatic seek and offset correction are active. If only the seek switch is on, only seek is performed. If the A/M switch is in manual, manual fine tuning (MFT) is active.
Automatic Mode: If the TV receiver is not properly tuned for VHF channels in automatic, the local oscillator frequency is shifted automatically toward proper tuning. The fine tuning data is generated in the microcomputer 23 and is transferred to the latches 49 and 50 for the reference counter 35 in the PLL circuit.
Manual Fine Tuning (MFT) Control: The local oscillator frequency is shifted by pushing the fine tuning up (U) or down (D) pushbutton or switch. This MFT control can be applied to VHF channels as well as to UHF channels.
Channel Up/Down: When a channel up (upward pointing arrow) or down (downward pointing arrow) key closure in the keyboard 25 is detected, or upon a direct access to an unused channel, this routine is activated and the system will advance to the next channel in the selected direction.
The foregoing embodiment of the invention which has been described above and which is illustrated in the drawings is to be considered illustrative of the invention, which is not limited to the specific embodiment selected for this purpose. For example, hard-wired logic could be used to achieve the various circuit operations which are accomplished by the microcomputer 23 in conjunction with the other portions of the system. The relative ease of programming and debugging the microcomputer 23, however, make it much simpler to implement the system operation with the microcomputer than with hard-wired logic. With respect to the sensor circuit inputs to the system, an added degree of operating assurance can be provided by the addition of a sound carrier sensor in addition to the picture carrier sensor shown in FIG. 3. If this feature is desired, the output of the comparator for the sound carrier is combined with the outputs of the comparators 70 and 74 at the input terminal B10 of the B input port of the microcomputer 23. Because of the manner of the circut operation which has been described previously, however, the addition of a sound carrier detector to the system is not considered necessary, even for a system operating in the signal seek mode of operation. This is in contrast to conventional television receivers having a signal seek operation, in which detection of the sound carrier generally is a necessity to insure that mistuning of the receiver to an adjacent sound carrier does not take place.

TELEFUNKEN Superheterodyne receiver frequency tracking circuit:
In a superheterodyne signal receiver including an input circuit arranged to be tuned to a frequency to be received and including a signal controllable variable reactance element presenting a reactance whose value is adjusted by a tuning signal and determines the frequency to which the input circuit is tuned, and a controllable local oscillator producing an alternating signal to be mixed with a received signal to produce an intermediate frequency received signal, a tracking circuit composed of: a first frequency control circuit including the local oscillator; a second frequency control circuit including a controllable sampling oscillator and a member connected to respond to the frequency of the output from the sampling oscillator to derive a signal related thereto and supplying that signal, as the tuning signal, to the controllable element; and a control signal generating unit generating first and second control signals and connected for supplying the first control signal to the first frequency control circuit for adjusting the frequency of the signal produced by the local oscillator, and for supplying the second control signal to the second frequency control circuit for adjusting the value of the tuning signal to tune the input circuit to a selected frequency, the generating unit maintaining a relationship between the first and second control signals such that the output frequency of the local oscillator is adjusted to the value corresponding to the received signal frequency to which the input circuit is tuned.

1. In a superheterodyne signal receiver including an input circuit arranged to be tuned to a frequency to be received and including a signal controllable variable reactance element presenting a reactance whose value is adjusted by a tuning signal and determines the frequency to which the input circuit is tuned, and a controllable local oscillator producing an alternating signal to be mixed with a received signal to produce an intermediate frequency received signal, a synchronizing circuit comprising: a first frequency control circuit including said local oscillator; a second frequency control circuit including a controllable sampling oscillator and means connected to respond to the frequency of the output from said sampling oscillator to derive a signal related thereto and supplying that signal, as the tuning signal, to said controllable element; and control signal generating means generating first and second control signals and connected for supplying said first control signal to said first frequency control circuit for adjusting the frequency of the signal produced by said local oscillator, and for supplying said second control signal to said second frequency control circuit for adjusting the value of said tuning signal to tune said input circuit to a selected frequency, said generating means maintaining a relationship between said first and second control signals such that the output frequency of said local oscillator is adjusted to the value corresponding to the received signal frequency to which said input circuit is tuned, wherein each said frequency control circuit includes converter means connected to provide an output signal representative of the frequency of the signal produced by its associated oscillator, and oscillator control means having a first input connected to receive the output signal provided by its associated converter means, a second input connected to receive its respective control signal and an output connected to supply its associated oscillator with a setting signal which is dependent on a relation between the signals at its first and second inputs for establishing a linear relationship between its respective control signal and the frequency produced by its respective oscillator, said synchronizing circuit further comprises a source of an addition a.c. signal, and said converter means of at least one said circuit has at least two inputs one of which is connected to receive a signal derived from the signal at the output of its associated oscillator and the other of which is connected to receive the additional a.c. signal and acts to cause its output signal to be dependent on a relationship between the frequencies of the signals applied to its two inputs.

2. In a superheterodyne signal receiver input section including: an input circuit, arranged to be tuned to the frequency of a signal to be received and containing a controllable reactance the value of which is adjusted by a tuning signal and determines the frequency to which the input circuit is tuned; a controllable local oscillator producing an alternating signal to be mixed with a received signal supplied by the input circuit to produce an intermediate frequency received signal; a first frequency control loop composed of the local oscillator, a first converter connected to provide an output signal representative of the frequency of the signal produced by the local oscillator, and first oscillator control means having a first input connected to receive the output signal provided by the first converter, a second input connected to receive a first control signal and an output connected to supply the local oscillator with a setting signal to adjust the frequency of the signal produced by the local oscillator as a function of a relation between the first control signal and the output signal provided by the first converter, with the local oscillator, first converter and first oscillator control means being connected together in a loop; a second frequency control loop including a controllable sampling oscillator containing a controllable reactance the value of which determines the frequency of the signal produced by the sampling oscillator, a second converter connected to provide an output signal representative of the frequency of the signal produced by the sampling oscillator control means having a first input connected to receive the output signal provided by the second converter, a second input connected to receive a second control signal and an output connected to supply the sampling oscillator with a setting signal to adjust the frequency of the signal produced by the sampling oscillator as a function of a relation between the second control signal and the output signal provided by the second converter, and means connected to supply the tuning signal to the input circuit, the value of which tuning signal is a function of the frequency of the signal being produced by the sampling oscillator, with the sampling oscillator, second converter and second oscillator control means being connected together in a loop; and control signal generating means including a source of a reference signal and means for causing the first and second control signals to be functions of the reference signal and to be so related to one another that the input circuit is tuned to a received signal frequency corresponding to the output frequency of the local oscillator, the improvement wherein said reference signal source comprises a source of an a.c. reference frequency signal, and a third converter connected to receive the reference frequency signal and to provide said reference signal at its output for compensating undesirable changes in the output signals produced by said first and second converters as a result of external adverse influences.

3. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 2 wherein said control signal generating means comprise a common control element constituting the source of both said first and second control signals.

4. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 3 wherein said control signal generating means further comprise signal modifying means connected to subject the output of said common control element to arithmetic operations for giving said first control signal a value which causes the output frequency of said local oscillator to be offset from the corresponding received signal frequency by a constant amount corresponding to the intermediate frequency value and for giving said second control signal a value which causes said tuning signal to tune said input circuit to a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the output of said local oscillator and differing from said local oscillator frequency by the intermediate frequency.

5. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said first and second converters includes means establishing a linear relationship between its respective control signal and the frequency produced by its respective oscillator.

6. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 5 wherein at least one of said control signals is an analog signal.

7. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 6 wherein at least one said oscillator control means comprises a comparator.

8. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 7 wherein, in said at least one loop, said comparator has two inputs, one of which is connected to the output of said converter in the same loop, said comparator having an output connected to control the frequency of said oscillator associated with the same loop, and said control signal for said loop is supplied to the second input of said comparator.

9. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 5 wherein said converter of at least one said loop has at least two inputs for receiving a signal from the oscillator associated with said loop and the a.c. reference frequency signal signals and acts to produce an output signal having a d.c. component which varies in dependence on a relationship between the frequencies of the two input signals.

10. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein said third converter is connected to said reference frequency source for producing an output signal having a d.c. component proportional to the reference frequency and constituting said reference signal.

11. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein said converter of said at least one loop produces an output signal which changes only when there is a change in the frequency relationship of the two a.c. input signals and in proportion to this relationship.

12. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 11 wherein said converter of said at least one loop operates to reverse the frequency relationship to which the change in the direct component of the output signal is proportional when the connections of the input signals to the two inputs of said converter are interchanged.

13. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein said converter of said at least one loop has a further input connected to receive a further a.c. input signal for further controlling the d.c. component of the output signal of said converter as a function of the frequency of the further input signal.

14. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein variation in the d.c. component of the output signal of said converter of said at least one loop is proportional to changes in the duty ratio of at least one of its input signals.

15. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein the d.c. component of the output of said converter of said at least one loop varies according to the relationship V=K₁ +K₂.f₁ /f₂, where V is the value of the d.c. component, K₁ and K₂ are constants, f₁ is the frequency of the output of its respective oscillator and f₂ is the frequency of the output of said reference frequency source.

16. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 2 wherein all of said converters are structurally and functionally identical.

17. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 2 or 16 wherein said controllable reactances of said input circuit and said sampling oscillator are constituted such that the values of said reactances vary in a constant ratio to one another in response to changes in the value of said second control signal.

18. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 17 wherein said controllable reactances of said input circuit and said sampling oscillator are identical in their design and response characteristics.

19. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 18 further comprising a single semiconductor chip presenting two identically constructed semiconductor varactor diodes, and wherein each said diode constitutes a respective one of said controllable reactances.

20. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 19 wherein the capacitances of said two diodes bear a constant ratio to one another and further comprising two capacitors each connected in parallel with a respective diode, the values of the capacitances of said capacitors being in said constant ratio to one another.

21. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 18 wherein said controllable reactances present controllable capacitances having capacitance values which bear a constant ratio to one another and further comprising two capacitors each connected in parallel with a respective controllable capacitance, the values of the capacitances of said capacitors being in said constant ratio to one another.

22. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 17 wherein said controllable reactances present controllable capacitances having capacitance values which bear a constant ratio to one another and further comprising two capacitors each connected in parallel with a respective controllable capacitance, the values of the capacitances of said capacitors being in said constant ratio to one another.

23. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 17 further comprising a single semiconductor chip presenting two identically constructed semiconductor varactor diodes, and wherein each said diode constitutes a respective one of said controllable reactances.

24. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 2 or 16 wherein said controllable reactances of said input circuit and said sampling oscillator are identical in their design and response characteristics.

25. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 2 or 16 further comprising a single semiconductor chip presenting two identically constructed semiconductor varactor diodes, and wherein each said diode constitutes a respective one of said controllable reactances.

26. Circuit arrangement as defined in claim 2 or 16 wherein said controllable reactances present controllable reactances present controllable capacitances having capacitance values which bear a constant ratio to one another and further comprising two capacitors each connected in parallel with a respective controllable capacitance, the values of the capacitances of said capacitors being in said constant ratio to one another.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known that frequency synchronism must exist between the oscillator and the input circuit of a superheterodyne receiver.
In order to attain the required synchronism between oscillator and input circuit, various techniques are employed. For example, it can be attempted to achieve the desired synchronism by specially cutting the discs of the rotary tuning capacitor. However, for electronic tuning systems varactor diodes which have specially adapted capacitance/voltage characteristics are not available. For this reason, tuning systems with varactor diodes employ the known threepoint tracking which, however, permits optimum tracking, or synchronization only at three points of the frequency range. Even with precisely identical characteristics of the tuning elements or diodes, there occur synchronization deviations which result in sensitivity breaks within the tuning range. Moreover, inequality of the characteristics and deviations in the capacitance value of the padding capacitor produce additional deviations and thus increase the problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the present invention are to provide improved synchronization compared to the known tracking circuits and to eliminate the deviations which, when three-point synchronization is employed, inherently occur in such known circuits across the tuning frequency band.
This and other objects are achieved, according to the present invention, by the provision, in or for a superheterodyne signal receiver including an input circuit arranged to be tuned to a frequency to be received and including a signal controllable variable reactance element presenting a reactance whose value is adjusted by a tuning signal and determines the frequency to which the input circuit is tuned, and a controllable local oscillator producing an alternating signal to be mixed with a received signal to produce an intermediate frequency received signal, of a tracking circuit composed of: a first frequency control circuit including the local oscillator; a second frequency control circuit including a controllable sampling oscillator and means connected to respond to the frequency of the output from the sampling oscillator to derive a signal related thereto and supplying that signal, as the tuning signal, to the controllable element; and control signal generating means generating first and second control signals and connected for supplying the first control signal to the first frequency control circuit for adjusting the frequency of the signal produced by the local oscillator, and for supplying the second control signal to the second frequency control circuit for adjusting the value of the tuning signal to tune the input circuit to a selected frequency, the control signal generating means maintaining a relationship between the first and second control signals such that the output frequency of the local oscillator is adjusted to the value corresponding to the received signal frequency to which the input circuit is tuned.