Multi-speed ramp for a varactor tuning system

Abstract

An electronic all channel television tuning system has a presettable counter for deriving the number of the receivable television channel by counting, on a continuing sample basis, the varactor diode tuner local oscillator frequency. The derived channel number is supplied as an input of a comparator which includes separate tens and units channel number comparison sections. A channel number selector supplies an encoded desired channel number to another input of the comparator and to a frequency band decoder which establishes appropriate preset information for the counter. The system local oscillator frequency is varied by a voltage ramp circuit having two pairs of matched current sources and sinks of different capacity for supplying current, through respective transmission gates, to charge or discharge a tuning capacitor at different rates. A difference in the tens section of the comparator activates the transmission gates for both the larger and smaller capacity source-sink pairs, producing the high ramp speed. After equality in the tens digits only one of the small capacity source-sink pair is activated, under control of the units section of the comparator, to produce the low ramp speed.