The determination of the amplitude-response characteristic is an important means of checking a network design. However, this measurement is usually a time-consuming procedure and at best does not yield a continuous curve. A device which would produce a continuous curve corresponding to the amplitude-response characteristic would be extremely useful in network design and development. It is shown that the system response to a frequency-modulated signal can be made to approximate the amplitude-response characteristic if the frequency is varied slowly enough so that the "quasi-stationary" conditions exist. The physical realization of this slowly varying frequency requires an oscillator with an extremely large frequency range, controllable by one circuit parameter. The greatest difficulties involved in the design of this oscillator were the development of a simple and stable subtractor and the synthesis of the frequency-determining networks. A mathematical analysis was made to determine the characteristics of the network necessary to produce a logarithmic relation between the oscillator frequency and the control position. The audio-frequency sweep generator was constructed using networks designed to approximate the required characteristics and when tested proved to have a satisfactory output waveform. Any improvement in the oscillator performance would require a better approximation to the specified network characteristics. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (D.Sc.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Science, 1959.