AGC RMS Detector for Wide Dynamic Range Signal Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RMS detectors face challenges in accurately processing signals with large peak-to-average ratios due to voltage variations that lead to noise offsets and overload issues, limiting their functionality in diverse communication systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of multiple variable-gain stages with automatic gain control feedback, which reduces voltage swings and maintains the squarer within its optimal operating region, enabling accurate RMS detection across a wide range of signal levels and modulation schemes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a squarer is used to detect RMS voltage of an incoming signal, then the RMS value can be calculated, but large voltage variations are amplified causing noise offsets and overload problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic gain control (AGC) that dynamically adjusts the gain of variable gain amplifiers based on the input signal level. This dynamic adjustment ensures the squarer operates within its optimal dynamic range, preventing both noise offsets at low levels and overload distortion at high levels, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and harmful factors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the output of the squarer and averager is fed back to control the gain of the variable gain amplifiers. This feedback loop automatically adjusts the signal level entering the squarer to maintain optimal operation, eliminating the trade-off between accuracy and distortion by continuously adapting to varying input conditions
2Adaptability or versatility
If the squarer operates over a wide dynamic range, then it can handle diverse signal levels, but it forces the squarer to operate outside its squaring region causing clipping and distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses variable gain amplifiers with dynamically adjustable gain controlled by automatic gain control circuits. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to wide dynamic ranges of input signals while maintaining the squarer operation within its accurate squaring region, thus achieving both adaptability and manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the signal processing into multiple stages with separate variable gain control for different signal levels. By segmenting the dynamic range handling across multiple amplification stages, each operating in its optimal region, the system achieves wide adaptability while maintaining squaring accuracy in each segment
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, devices and methods for detecting the RMS value of a signal. The RMS detector uses multiple variable-gain stages and internal gain control to generate an RMS output signal based on an arbitrary signal input. This RMS detector significantly reduces the signal swings seen on a squarer within prior art RMS detectors and reduces the detector's dependency on DC offsets at low signal levels and overload errors at high signal levels. The embodiments of the present invention also improve the accuracy of the RMS detector within large dynamic signal ranges by obviating the operation of a squarer in saturation or out of the squaring region. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are able to more accurately detect RMS values on a signal, operate over relatively higher signal ranges, and better function within different signal modulation schemes, particularly those with large peak-to-average ratios.