Carl G Hallberg

US Patent:

5734596, Mar 31, 1998

Filed:

Mar 29, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/624152

Inventors:

Pedro J. Medelius - Merritt Island FL
Carl G. Hallberg - Cocoa FL
Howard J. Simpson - Melbourne FL
Stephen W. Thayer - Satellite Beach FL

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by Administrator National
Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01R 3500

US Classification:

36457101

Abstract:

A self-calibrating, remote programmable signal conditioning amplifier system employs information read from a memory attached to a measurement transducer for automatic calibration. The signal conditioning amplifier is self-calibrated on a continuous basis through use of a dual input path arrangement, with each path containing a multiplexer and a programmable amplifier. A digital signal processor controls operation of the system such that a transducer signal is applied to one of the input paths, while one or more calibration signals are applied to the second input path. Once the second path is calibrated, the digital signal processor switches the transducer signal to the second path, and then calibrates the first path. This process is continually repeated so that each path is calibrated on an essentially continuous basis. Dual output paths are also employed which are calibrated in the same manner.