Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~466 RCA 70,7l7
This invention relates to sync separator circuits.
Composite video signals obtained from the IF
stages of a television receiver are composed of two parts,
a video portion which contains picture information to ~e
coupled to the electron guns of the cathode ray tube, and
a sync portion having sync pulses superimposed upon a
blanking level. A sync separator circuit clips the sync
pulses from the video signal portion. The sync pulses
are then used to synchronize horizontal and vertical
scanning with the incoming video information.
Certain television transmitting systems, such
as community antenna television systems (CATV) which
include amplifiers and/or remodulators, place increasing
demands on the sync separator. Because such amplifier
systems tend to compress the sync pulses, the sync
~ .
separator must be able to operate properly with only a -~
fraction of the normal sync pulse amplitude.
If adequate composite video amplitude is
available, typical conventional sync separators can operate ~ ;
properly with 25% of the normal sync amplitude. However,
with modern integrated circuits, the composite video ;~
available is often only 2-3 volts. The sync separator
must be able to operate with sync pulse amplitudes of 200
2S millivolts or less. It is, therefore, desirable to
provide a sync separator that can be incorporated as part ~ -
of an integrated circuit and can operate with relatively
low relative and absolute sync pulse amplitudes.
In accordance with a preferred emkodiment of the
invention,a first circuit provides a bias current through a
- 2 -
~J~
:,~
1~90466 RCA 70,717
I plurality of series coupled diodes and establishes a
first voltage at a terminal coupled to the diodes. A
second circuit, responsive to a source of video signals,
the video signals including synchrohizing signals,
introduces to the plurality of series coupled diodes
during the occurrence of the synchronizing signals a
current in addition to the bias current for establishing
a second voltage at the terminal. A third circuit
develops an output signal when the second voltage and a
reference voltage differ by a predetermined value.
FIGURE 1 lS a schematlc clrcult of an
embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a schematic circuit of another
embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 3 is a schematic circuit of still another
embodiment of the invention; and
FIGIJRES 4a - 4c illustrate waveforms associated
with the circuits of FIGURES 1 - 3.
In FIGURE 1, AC signals comprising composite
video signals 20, obtained from conventional IF stages of
a television receiver, are coupled to a terminal 10 of a
sync separator circuit 50. The signals are then coupled
through a capacitor 21 t~ a first input terminal 30
at the base of a transistor 22. A resistor 23 couples the
base of transistor 22 to a source of B+ voltage. The
collector of transistor 22 is coupled to a constant
current source 24. The emitter is coupled to ground
through a pair of diodes 31 and 32, forming a first diode
-- 3 --
- ~ . ' ' ': :
- RCA 70,717
10~0466
1 ^hain 25 comprising diodes 31 and 32 and the base-emitter
junction of transistor 22.
Capacitor 21, resistor 23 and transistor 22
form a DC restorer circuit 40 to provide a DC restoration
voltage to the video sync portion 20a of the AC composite
video signals 20. During the sync interval, transistor 22 ~ ~-
is forward biased into saturation by the sync pulses 20a
of composite video signals 20, and a DC restoration voltage
equal to the difference between the DC voltage at
terminal 30 and the effective DC appearing at terminal 10
during the sync period is developed across the capacitor.
The resistor 23 provides current to charge capacitor 21
during the video picture interval to replace charge
removed during the sync interval.
lS When transistor 22 conducts during the sync
interval, current flows through diode chain 25. A major
portion of this current comprises a biasing current -
originating from constant current source 24. This
biasing current establishes a reference potential at
2~ terminal 30. Capacitor 21 of the DC restorer circuit
40 then provides the remaining additional current through
diode chain 40. The additional current increases the
voltage at terminal 30 by an incremental amount, providing
a voltage level Vb at terminal 30 during the sync interval.
Coupled between the B+ voltage source and
ground are a constant current source 28, a transistor 27,
and a pair of diodes 33 and 34. The collector and base
of transistor 27 are coupled together forming a diode
structure. A second diode chain 26 comprises diodes 33
and 34 and the base-emitter junction of transistor 27.
-- 4 --
109046~ RCA 70,7l7
1 Diode chains 2S and 26 are illustratively constructed from
identical npn transistors, and for identical constant
current sources 24 and 28, the voltage at a second input
terminal 29 coupled to the base of transistor 27 is equal
to a reference voltage Va.
Input terminals 29 and 30 are coupled to a
, , ,
voltage comparator 37. During the picture interval, the
negative-going video signals 20b reverse bias transistor
22, and the voltage at input terminal 30 of comparator
37 is lower than the voltage at input terminal 29. The
. .~
voltage at an output terminal 36 is at a first output -~
voltage level. During the sync interval, because of the `
.
additional current from capacitor 21, the voltage at
terminal 30 is at a value Vb which is greater than the
voltage Va at terminal 29. The voltage at output terminal
36 of comparator 37 then shifts to a second output voltage
level, thereby providing repetitive output signals 35 ~-~
in synchronization with the incoming sync pulses 20a.
The output signals 35 are coupled to horizontal and
vertical deflection circuits~ not shown, for obtaining
synchronized deflection scanning. ,
Comparator 37, depending upon its gain, will
require a certain voltage change to shift completely from
one output voltage level to another. As illustrated in
FIGURE 4a, at the start of the sync pulse, the voltage ~ `
increases from black level towards sync level at a rate
limited by the system bandwidth and any noise filtering,
not shown, included between the video section and the input
to the sync separator. When the input voltage Vb at ~ -~
terminal 30 is equal to the lower threshold level VQ of
... . . . .
. :,
RCA 70,717
10904~6i
1 comparator 37, the waveform 35 at output terminal 36
begins to move from the low state to the high state. When
the input voltage Vb is equal to Va, comparator 37 is in
the balanced state, and the output voltage at terminal 36
is half-way between the low and high levels. When the
input voltage Vb exceeds the upper threshold level Vh of
comparator 37, the voltage at output terminal 36 is in
the high state. No further change now takes place in the
voltage at terminal 36 until the negative-going edge of the
sync pulse when the reverse of the above occurs.
The switching thresholds V0 and Vh of comparator
37 can be made to approach Va by increasing the gain of
comparator 37. In practice, V~ and Vh will differ by less
than five millivolts.
The circuit of FIGURE 1 can readily be fabricated -~
as an integrated circuit, and comparator reference level
Va may be varied, as illustrated in FIGURE 4b, over a
wide range ~V by such conventional techniques as geometrical
device ratioing or by including a small resistor in diode
chain 25. If the reference level Va is placed too close
to the sync level then the circuit will be sensitive to
noise pulses superimposed on the sync level. By setting
the reference level Va closer to the black level, improved
noise immunity results, but in the presence of small
amplitude sync pulses, such as would result from weak
signals or some remodulated cable distribution systems,
the sync separator would actually be operating on video,
as illustrated in FIGURE 4c. A compromise in the voltage
level of Va with respect to DC restoring level Vb has
to be established to provide correct operation of the
-- 6
RCA 70,717
1090466 ~:
I circuit in the presence of composite video waveforms with
~,
compressed syncs and normal composite video waveforms
having a high noise content.
The circuit of FIGURE 2 is another embodiment ;
of a sync separator circuit and includes a noise
elimination circuit. Circuit elements of FIGURE 2
corresponding to those of FIGURE 1 are identically marked.
Capacitor 21 is now coupled to input terminal 30 at the ~ -
base of transistor 22 through a resistor 39, and the
collector of transistor 27 is coupled to constant current
source 28 through a resistor 38. The junction of resistors
23 and 39 is coupled to a first differential amplifier
input terminal 60 of a differential amplifying pair of
transistors 41 and 42. A second input terminal 43 is
coupled to resistor 38. Constant current sources 44 and 45
are coupled, respectively, to the collector of transistor
41 and the emitters of transistors 41 and 42. Constant .
current source 44 is coupled to ground through serially ~-
coupled diodes 46-48 and a resistor 49. A transistor 51
has its collector coupled to the cathodes of diodes 32 and
34, its base coupled to resistor 49, and its emitter
coupled to ground.
In the absence of noise, when sync pulses 20a
bias transistor 22 into conduction, the voltage drop
across resistor 39 establishes a certain reference voltage
at differential amplifier input terminal 60. The voltage
drop across resistor 38 is selected to be larger than that ~¦
across resistor 39. Transistor 42 will conduct, and
transistor 41 will be cut off. Current from source 44
will flow through elements 46-49, causing transistor 51
_ 7 _
, ,, ,:
RCA 70,717
~9046~;
I to saturate.
In the presence of noise which exceeds the
normal sync pulse height, a higher than normal current
flows through resistor 39, and the added voltage drop,
due to the noise, turns transistor 41 on, thereby sinking
the current from source 44 away from elements 46-49. In
this condition, transistor 51 cuts off, cutting off
transistor 22 and disabling operation of sync separator 50.
The current flow through resistor 39 from capacitor 21
is reduced to a value which will just maintain transistor
41 conducting. The discharge rate of capacitor 21 is
greatly reduced, thus ensuring a rapid recovery time of
sync separator circuit 50 after the noise interference
has ceased.
A modification of the circuit of FIGURE 2 iS
illustrated in FIGURE 3. Comparator 37 comprises a pair
of differentially coupled transistors 52 and 53 and a
constant current source 54; output terminal 36 is coupled
to the collector of transistor 53. Constant current
sources 24 and 28 of FIGURE 2 are replaced, respectively,
by resistors 55 and 56. The reference voltage at an
input terminal 64 is obtained from a voltage divider
across transistor 27 at the junction of a resistor 57
and a resistor 58.
The amplification capability of transistor 22
can be used to advantage by coupling an input terminal 63
to the collector of transistor 22. Because, in saturation,
the collector voltage of transistor 22 approaches the
emitter voltage~ the clipping point for sync pulses 20a
can be accurately determined.
~; ,,
RCA 70,717
~090466
I ~he noise threshold level is determined by use
of a voltage divider comprising resistors 61 and 62
coupled across a diode coupled transistor 59 in series with
transistor 27. Such an arrangement results in the noise
threshold level remaining virtually constant over a wide
range of supply voltages.
With the component values of FIGURE 3, as
indicated, and with a nominal 3 volt peak-to-peak composite
video signal 20, correct sync separator operation was
obtained with as little as 15~ relative sync pulse
amplitude (approximately 150 millivolts), while maintaining
full noise immunity performance.
~ ;
.: .
~ ~
.-- .
:
.. . . .. : ... . .. , . ' ., ~ . . '' : .
