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Claim 1

A DIGITALLY OPERATED POTENTIOMETER FOR PROVIDING DIGITALLY WEIGHTED OUTPUT VOLTAGES, SAID POTENTIOMETER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF DECADES EACH OF WHICH HAS A PAIR OF INPUT TERMINALS AND A PAIR OF OUTPUT TERMINALS, THE INPUT TERMINALS OF THE FIRST OF SAID DECADES BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SOURCE OF REFERENCE VOLTAGE, ONE OF SAID INPUT TERMINALS OF THE FIRST OF SAID DECADES AND ONE OF THE OUTPUT TERMINALS OF THE LAST OF SAID DECADES SERVING ASS THE OUTPUT TERMINALS OF THE POTENTIOMETER FOR PROVIDING THE DIGITALLY WEIGHTED OUTPUT VOLTAGES, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING EACH OF SAID DECADES INCLUDING A FIRST PLURALITY OF RESISTANCES OF EQUAL OHMIC VALUE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE FIRST INPUT AND OUTPUT TERMINALS THEREOF, EACH OF SAID DECADES INCLUDING A SECOND PLURALITY OF RESISTANCES OF EQUAL OHMIC VALUE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE SECOND INPUT AND OUTPUT TERMINALS THEREOF, THE RESISTANCES CONNECTED BETWEEN THE FIRST INPUT AND OUTPUT TERMINALS RESPECTIVELY BEING EQUAL TO THE RESISTANCES CONNECTED BETWEEN THE SECOND INPUT AND OUTPUT TERMINALS OF EACH DECADE, SHUNTING SWITCHES CONNECTED ACROSS EACH OF SAID RETANCES IN EACH DECADE, WITH THE SHUNTING SWITCHES CONNECTED ACROSS EACH OF THE RESISTANCES BETWEEN THE FIRST INPUT AND OUTPUT TERMINALS OF EACH DECADE RESPECTIVELY OPERATING IN A COMPLEMENTARY FASHION WITH RESPECT TO THE SHUNTING SWITCHES CONNECTED ACROSS EACH OF THE RESISTANCES BETWEEN THE SECOND INPUT AND OUTPUT TERMINALS OF EACH DECADE, A TERMINATING RESISTANCE CONNECTED ACROSS THE FIRST AND SECOND OUTPUT TERMINALS OF EACH OF SAID DECADES, AND SHUNT RESISTANCES RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED FROM THE JUNCTIONS OF CERTAIN, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE RESISTANCES OF THE FIRST PLURALITY OF RESISTANCES OF EACH DECADE TO RESSPECTIVE CORRESPONDING JUNCTIONS BETWEEN THE RESISTANCES OF THE SECOND PLURALITY OF RESISTANCES OF EACH DECADE, SAID SHUNT RESISTANCES FUNCTIONING TO SELECT THE INCREMENTAL OUTPUT VOLTAGE WEIGTHS PROVIDED BY THE POTENTIOMETER.