Microprocessor Control of Quarter Watt Linear Cooler

The purpose of the program was to conduct studies of microcontroller digital VLSI technologies for possible future use in cryogenic coolers. A necessary condition that any electronic approach must satisfy in order to be considered for linear cooler electronics is the ability to work in the real time environment of 100 kHz or higher switching speeds. In the case of the existing analog design, this prerequisite has long been established to achieve practically sized line filters. Heretofore this speed was out of reach of microprocessor based, controllers since the state-of-the-art was somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 to 10 kHz. However, a new device on the market has provided the necessary interface hardware to bridge this gap. This advancement combined with the advances of microcontrollers in terms of cost, size, and performance suggested that an investigation of the microcontrollerdigital approach for the Magnavox quarter watt cooler electronics be performed.