N-Decade Count-Rate-Meter with Automatic Scale Change Feature and Resolution of One Decade

The most efficient use of telemetry channels is always a paramount problem of space flight projects. Monitoring radiation fields in space often requires coverage of large ranges of count rate which, if count rate meters are to be used, means either a decrease in resolution due to coverage of the entire range with one rate meter or use of several telemetry channels if several different rate meters are used. This paper describes a unique method permitting the desired resolution to be obtained by use of as many count rate meters as required while limiting the number of telemetry channels needed to two. A circuit switches one telemetry channel from one rate meter to the next as the input rate changes, while the other telemetry channel is used to monitor which rate meter is being read out.