Importance

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Abstract

A fact acting automatic gain control system comprising a single or serial multistage arrangement. In one multistage embodiment (FIG. 1) each stage (13) has a first state with a predetermined gain and a second state with unity gain. The output of each stage determines what state is finally adopted although initially when a signal is input it is in the first state due to the action of a sequence controller (14). The predetermined gain values may comprise a binary sequence which descends in the direction towards the output. If the level detector (7) threshold is exceeded, the stage is set to the second state. A particular use of the system is to ensure burst mode pulses reaching a receiver are of similar amplitude. A similar arrangement can be employed for phase alignment ratther than gain control. In another multistage embodiment (FIG. 2) a sequence controller is not required and the input signal level is used to set the required state of an amplifier (17) before the input signal is applied to the amplifier, by means of a comparator (15) and a delay (16). An analogue equivalent of the FIG. 2 embodiment (FIG. 3) is a single stage arrangement.

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First Claim