New Product Developments
Filtration Industry Analyst · 2011
This chapter describes nonlinear circuits that contain elements in which the response to a signal depends not only on the shape of the signal but also on its amplitude. All electronic circuits are more or less nonlinear. In many cases, this characteristic is an annoyance and amplitudes must be restricted to obtain a sufficiently close approximation to linearity. The differential equations, representing ideal performance in such circuits, may be solved and permit a mathematical analysis that is sometimes useful. The chapter discusses circuits in which nonlinearity in one or more components is essential to their operation. Since the differential equations, describing the performance of these circuits, do not have constant coefficients, they usually cannot be solved and mathematical rote is not applicable. An ability to understand and develop these circuits requires sufficient experience to recognize the proper approach in each specific case. The techniques involved are illustrated by the examples given in the chapter. Many of these examples are intended also to represent well-designed building blocks for the construction of specific instrumentation.