Patent attributes
An oscillator is described. The oscillator includes segments of two-conductor transmission line being connected together by an odd number of connection means to form a closed loop. A plurality of current switches is connected to the conductors of the segments and a high impedance element, such as an inductor or transmission line, is connected to a conductor of at least one segment. The high impedance element sources current into the closed loop and the current switches sink current from one or the other of the conductors of the loop depending on the state of the switch. The switches cause a wave to be established and maintained on the loop and the wave changes the state of the switches as it oscillates. One embodiment of the switches employs npn transistors whose emitters are connected to a current source and another uses NMOS transistors.
