[sci.electronics] Level Detectors

oolidjr@hubcap.UUCP (Joe Moll) (09/05/88)

I am in the process of designing a level detector unit that will read
the level of an incoming signal and have some kind of output that will
more that likely be fed to an A/D.  Anyone have any suggestions/pointers
that I should be aware of in my design?  

I want it to operate at a usuable speed.  I have built some slow
voltmeters (with opamps, take AC in and give RMS out) before.  Should I
use this basis and go from there or is there a better way??

Thanx for any help.

Joe


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Joe Moll  --------=\  Internet |  oolidjr@hubcap.clemson.edu
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shoeb@sal27.usc.edu (Muhammad Khan) (09/10/88)

In article <2939@hubcap.UUCP> oolidjr@hubcap.UUCP (Joe Moll) writes:
>I am in the process of designing a level detector unit that will read
>the level of an incoming signal and have some kind of output that will
>more that likely be fed to an A/D.  Anyone have any suggestions/pointers
>that I should be aware of in my design?  
>

>Thanx for any help.
>
>Joe
>


By level if you mean amplitude, you could think of using schimmit triggers 
or comparators designed in such a way to response on various signals level.
  

         M.S  Khan

oolidjr@hubcap.UUCP (Joe Moll) (09/13/88)

Sorry about the vague posting.  I'll now attempt to reconcile myself
here ...

I'm in the process of building a level tester (level here defined as --
dBm levels.  Sorry 'bout that ...) that will read the dBm level off of a
line and repeat it somehow.

Any how, I've come to a conclusion ...  Since I'm using a uPC anyway, I'm
going to use a A/D converter and read the converted value in a port and
do logrithms with software.

Thanks again,

Joe

P.S.

About the ongoing discussion about tieing phone lines together,
just DON'T DO IT, unless you like the Phone Cops.  Each line is
independent and if one is ringing and the other one is mechanically
connected to it, the phone company's central office will see the ringing
back at the main office for that prefix. Also the dial tone will also 
be looped back to the main office causing an alarm to go off when one or
the other of the phones is off the hook.

Prob. they would shut down that line (i.e. turn it off ... by-by phone)
and send out a repair man.  I'd suggest the little box that detects the
phone ringing and picks that line.

I'll stop now, before I extend past what I know about the phone lines.

Joe.

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                   /=----------+^ jlmoll@clemson.bitnet
Joe Moll  --------=\  Internet |  oolidjr@hubcap.clemson.edu
Clemson University  \     UUCP |  {pick a hub}!hubcap!oolidjr
Clemson, SC   \     |\=--------+--------/`