Microwave Parametric Subharmonic Oscillators for Digital Computing

In a digital information handling system, a binary one can be represented by an RF signal of a given phase, frequency, and amplitude, and a binary zero by RF of the same frequency and amplitude but with opposite phase. The use of subharmonic oscillators to switch, store, and amplify binary information coded in this manner is reviewed. A variable capacitance subharmonic oscillator having an output frequency of 2000 mc is described, and the use of this oscillator in circuits for amplifying, scaling, and performing logic functions is discussed. The circuits described operate at pulse repetition rates exceeding 100 mc. By raising the carrier frequency to X-band, it should be possible to increase the maximum rate to a few hundred megacycles.