Importance

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Abstract

Tracing and identifying electrical conductors in a power distribution network is achieved by use of a transmitter operating on a duty cycle of delivering or absorbing current pulses at a predetermined frequency from the power distribution network, and by use of a remotely located receiver which detects the electromagnetic field signals resulting from the current pulses in a predetermined cyclic manner of operation defined by a sample period and a reset period. During the sample period the receiver supplies an indication of the maximum received strength of the transmitter signal. The relationship of the duty cycle of the transmitter and the sampling and reset periods of the receiver reduce the potentially adverse influences of spurious signals on the receiver. The transmitter may include means for delivering constant energy content pulses to the power distribution network, thereby rendering the signals detected by the receiver insensitive to variations in voltage on the power distribution network. Improved signal filtering is achieved in the receiver by connecting a plurality of relatively low Q filters in series to reduce the effects of ringing and increase the damping factor, or by employing a digital capacitive filter switching technique for precise filtering by phase discrimination.

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First Claim