A simple gigacycle correlator

Abstract A gigacycle (beyond 2000 Mc) correlator has been developed with commerically available components. The basic components comprise two sampling oscilloscopes, a pulse generator, an analogue multiplier, a waveform averager, and a display oscilloscope. The oscilloscope output permits ‘real time’ display of the correlation functions as they are computed over 100 sampling points. The device can correlate over a time interval that is adjustable from 2 nsec to 100 μsec. The instrument offers an improvement in frequency response of three orders of magnitude over any of the automatic correlators presently in the literature. Its maximum sensitivity without preamplification is about 2 mV. Its particular advantage is that it needs no alterations of its commercially available components, leaving them free for individual conventional use. Use of a single sampling oscilloscope for correlation studies is also discussed.