Acquisition Time of Tracking Loops Operating in the Frequency-Search Mode

This paper presents a theory for computing the signal acquisition time of a second-order tracing system operating in the frequency-search mode. In particular, a closed-form expression is obtained which relates the acquisition time to the relevant system parameters, to the initial loop detuning, and to the slope of the ramp that sweeps the voltage-controlled oscillator. Although the theory is only approximate and the resulting formula is exact only in the limit when the initial loop detuning ?F goes to infinity, it has been found that it gives quite accurate results as soon as ?F is some times greater than the equivalent noise bandwidth of the loop.     

Spectres auroraux

Summary The paper presents a review of the main spectroscopic studies of polar aurora accomplished during the past eight years.In a first part, the few new results concerning knowledge of the spectrum itself are examined. They concern detailed spectrum analysis, a few spectral features (sodium doublet, helium lines) and the extension of spectral observations to very low wavelengths (3000 to 1000 Å). The main features discovered in this region are the Vegard-Kaplan and Lyman-Birge-Hopfield systems as well as the 1304 oxygen line. A comparison of observed and theoretical intensities shows serious discrepancies, not all of which may be attributed to difficulties of observation. Next is given classification, from a spectral point of view, of the various kinds of auroral phenomena, with respect to altitude and latitude. Particular attention is given to high altitude and sunlit aurorae, and to low intensity, non discrete aurorae observed around the 70th degree (geomagnetic) and around the polar cap.A second part underlines the influence of two important parameters, time and location, mainly as a possible means of detection of different mechanisms.As far as the time parameter is concerned, a few pages are devoted to statistical analysis of the great wealth of observational data accumulated over twenty or thirty years.It is shown that important conclusions emerge from such studies. Very small scale time variations are mainly concerned with the study of metastable states, their lifetimes and de-excitation due to shocks between particles. Differences of spectra with the location of the observed emitting volume is a much more recent subject, which has, however, produced important results. These concern mainly observations made from rockets, although a few results have been obtained from the ground. All these indicate significant differences that may shed some light on the difficult problem of mechanisms. The latter has not been developed, since a recent review has been written on the subject. The same is true for the very important problem of hydrogen emissions.The last pages are concerned with the latest developments of experimental methods, with some stress on image tubes, which will probably be one of the main detecting devices for observing auroral spectra in the near future.     

Advantageous Properties of Frequency Division

The performance of a wideband frequency divider with two independent sinusoidal input signals present is analyzed. Both the case of a relative low-level spurious signal and the case of a relative high-level spurious signal are considered. It is ascertained that a considerable reduction of the spurious signal is achieved and the exact nature of the improvement is dependent on the relative strength of the spurious signal.     

A State-Trajectory Control Law for DC-to-DC Converters

Mathematical representations of a state-plane switching boundary employed in a state-trajectory control law for dc-to-dc converters are derived. Several levels of approximation to the switching boundary equations are presented, together with an evaluation of the effects of nonideal operating characteristics of converter power stage components on the shape and location of the boundary and the behavior of a system controlled by it. Digital computer simulations ions of d-to-dc converters operating in conjunction with each of these levels of control are presented and evaluated with respect to changes in transient and steady-state performance.     

Two-dimensional adaptive array for spatially separating andtracking uncorrelated sources

A new structure for the separation and tracking of uncorrelated sources through the use of a 2-dimensional adaptive array is proposed and investigated. The structure consists of a matrix preprocessing beamformer designed to result in outputs which are due to individual sources in the steady state. The preprocessing weights of the beamformer are calculated using the estimated locations of the sources and are updated periodically. Continuous estimation of the source locations is accomplished by using the beamformer outputs to adaptively eliminate correlated components in a reference element of the array while the structure proposed may have rather erratic initial convergence behavior, it has the advantages of being simple to be implemented, fast in tracking, and well suited for applications in mobile communication systems for increasing system capacity     

Acquisition Time of Second-Order Aided PLL

The analysis of a second-order tracking loop operating in the frequency-search mode is carried out by the quasi-stationary approach. An arbitrary phase detector characteristic is assumed and perfect or imperfect integrating filters are considered. The theory leads to a closed-form expression of the acquisition time versus the relevant system parameters, the initial detuning, and the search rate. The limitations of this analysis concern the absence of noise and the hypothesis of large initial detuning.