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01:06 Oct 8, 2005 |
English language (monolingual) [PRO] Tech/Engineering - Computers: Hardware | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Ken Cox Local time: 19:33 | ||||||
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SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED | ||||
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3 +4 | See below. |
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4 +1 | further comment |
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Discussion entries: 7 | |
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further comment Explanation: I suspect this has to do with a sort of differential measurement mode, in which the instrument senses and converts the difference between the external voltage and a stable internal reference voltage, but outputs a value equal to the sum of the two. The native resolution of the internal conversion is thus applied to the difference value, so a higher 'effective' resolution is obtained if that resolution is extrapolated over the total value. That fits with the one of the meanings of 'floating' in the electronics sense: referenced to a potential other than ground. |
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See below. Explanation: Floating point numbers are ubiquitous in computers, but I cannot make sense of it in this context. Has anyone ever heard of a 20.5 bit floating point number? In digital systems there is no such thing as half a bit. The QUADAC device referenced in the question is an analogue to digital device. The half bit makes sense in this context, but what does that mean in terms of floating point numbers? The answer is that the "floating" refers to a "floating" voltage signal as opposed to a "ground referenced" signal voltage. See reference. :-) -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 15 hrs 41 mins (2005-10-08 16:48:21 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- I wish to change this answer. "Floating" refers to "floating resolution". See the company's own press release: http://www.unimeter.com/unimeter_news/unimeter_news.htm -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 19 hrs 8 mins (2005-10-08 20:14:40 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- It appears that the floating resolution and the floating voltage are related as Kenneth has noted. See reference in notes from the asker. Reference: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/physics/px4508/hndt-1 |
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