The Theory of the Super-Regenerative Receiver Operated in the Linear Mode

A general theory is developed of the super-regenerative receiver in the linear, as distinct from the logarithmic, mode. Two states of operation are distinguished, corresponding roughly to sinusoidal and rectangular wavequench. Formulae are derived for the properties of the receiver in both states when receiving a signal much greater than noise. The theory of the slope-controlled state predicts that the frequency response and the envelope of the output oscillations of such a receiver will each have the shape of a Gaussian error curve. This is amply confirmed by experiment. A theory of noise in the super-regenerative receiver is given according to which the whole of the noise energy collected by the r.f. acceptance band of the receiver goes to produce noise in a bandwidth equal to half the quench frequency in the receiver output. The effect of further decreasing the post-detector bandwidth is also dealt with, and the origin of noise in the super-regenerative receiver itself is briefly discussed. Considerable attention is given to the output spectrum due to signal and noise as an aid to understanding the operation of the receiver.