PULSED OSCILLATORS

A sinusoidal (sine-wave) oscillator is one that will produce output pulses at a predetermined frequency for an indefinite period of time; that is, it operates continuously. Many electronic circuits in equipment such as radar require that an oscillator be turned on for a specific period of time and that it remain in an off condition until required at a later time. These circuits are referred to as PULSED OSCILLATORS or RINGING OSCILLATORS. They are nothing more than sine-wave oscillators that are turned on and off at specific times.

Figure 2-25, view (A), shows a pulsed oscillator with the resonant tank in the emitter circuit. A positive input makes Q1 conduct heavily and current flow through L1; therefore no oscillations can take place. A negative-going input pulse (referred to as a gate) cuts off Q1, and the tank oscillates until the gate ends or until the ringing stops, whichever comes first.

Figure 2-25A. - Pulsed oscillator.

Figure 2-25B. - Pulsed oscillator.

The waveforms in view (B) show the relationship of the input gate and the output signal from the pulsed oscillator. To see how this circuit operates, assume that the Q of the LC tank circuit is high enough to prevent damping. An output from the circuit is obtained when the input gate goes negative (T0 to T1 and T2 to T3). The remainder of the time (T1 to T2) the transistor conducts heavily and there is no output from the circuit. The width of the input gate controls the time for the output signal. Making the gate wider causes the output to be present (or ring) for a longer time.

Frequency of a Pulsed Oscillator

The frequency of a pulsed oscillator is determined by both the input gating signal and the resonant frequency of the tank circuit. When a sinusoidal oscillator is resonant at 1 megahertz, the output is 1 million cycles per second. In the case of a pulsed oscillator, the number of cycles present in the output is determined by the gating pulse width.

If a 1-megahertz oscillator is cut off for 1/2 second, or 50 percent of the time, then the output is 500,000 cycles at the 1 -megahertz rate. In other words, the frequency of the tank circuit is still 1 megahertz, but the oscillator is only allowed to produce 500,000 cycles each second.

The output frequency can be determined by controlling how long the tank circuit will oscillate. For example, suppose a negative input gate of 500 microseconds and a positive input gate of 999,500 microseconds (total of 1 second) are applied. The transistor will be cut off for 500 microseconds and the tank circuit will oscillate for that 500 microseconds, producing an output signal. The transistor will then conduct for 999,500 microseconds and the tank circuit will not oscillate during that time period. The 500 microseconds that the tank circuit is allowed to oscillate will allow only 500 cycles of the 1-megahertz tank frequency.

You can easily check this frequency by using the following formula:

One cycle of the 1-megahertz resonant frequency is equal to 1 microsecond.

Then, by dividing the time for 1 cycle (1 microsecond) into gate length (500 microseconds), you will get the number of cycles (500).

There are several different varieties of pulsed oscillators for different applications. The schematic diagram shown in figure 2-25, view (A), is an emitter-loaded pulsed oscillator. The tank circuit can be placed in the collector circuit, in which case it is referred to as a collector-loaded pulsed oscillator. The difference between the emitter-loaded and the collector-loaded oscillator is in the output signal. The first alternation of an emitter-loaded npn pulsed oscillator is negative. The first alternation of the collector-loaded pulsed oscillator is positive. If a pnp is used, the oscillator will reverse the first alternation of both the emitter-loaded and the collector-loaded oscillator.

You probably have noticed by now that feedback has not been mentioned in this discussion. Remember that regenerative feedback was a requirement for sustained oscillations. In the case of the pulsed oscillator, oscillations are only required for a very short period of time. You should understand, however, that as the width of the input gate (which cuts off the transistor) is increased, the amplitude of the sine wave begins to decrease (dampen) near the end of the gate period because of the lack of feedback. If a long period of oscillation is required for a particular application, a pulsed oscillator with regenerative feedback is used. The principle of operation remains the same except that the feedback network sustains the oscillation period for the desired amount of time.

Q.20 Oscillators that are turned on and off at a specific time are known as what type of oscillators?
Q.21 What is the polarity of the first alternation of the tank circuit in an emitter-loaded npn pulsed oscillator?