Abstract: A battery reconnect scheme is provided to permit battery replacement in a power reserve system without requiring the manual switching of the battery terminals into and out of the circuitry. A battery reconnect circuit is provided to perform the functions normally performed manually during the replacement of a discharged battery with a fresh battery. These functions also include checking the operability of circuitry to be powered by the newly inserted battery.

Abstract: A battery plant system is comprised of an array of unit battery cells designed to interlock with each other. The interlocked unit cells are electrically connected to create battery cell assembly modules of the desired voltages. The interlocked unit battery cells are mounted on a multiple unit battery cell support member to form a battery cell assembly module. A stratum of battery cell assembly modules are installed on an assembly support tray. Pluralities of assembly support trays are stacked vertically and the battery cell assembly modules are interconnected into an interlocked spatial array to form the battery plant with ready accessibility provided to each battery cell assembly module for monitoring, maintenance and replacement.

Abstract: A sub-band speech coding arrangement divides the speech spectrum into sub-bands and allocates bits to encode the time frame interval samples of each sub-band responsive to the speech energies of the sub-bands. The sub-band samples are quantized according to the sub-band energy bit allocation and the time frame quantized samples and speech energy signals are coded. A signal representative of the residual difference between the each time frame interval speech sample of the sub-band and the corresponding quantized speech sample of the sub-band is generated. The quality of the sub-band coded signal is improved by selecting the sub-bands with the largest residual differences, producing a vector signal from the sequence of residual difference signals of each selected sub-band, and matching the sub-band vector signal to one of a set of stored Gaussian codebook entries to generate a reduced bit code for the selected vector signal.

Abstract: An arrangement for improving the power factor at the input of an off-line switching type power supply is operative to extend the duration of the pulse current conducted by the diode rectifiers. A parallel LC ringing circuit is introduced between the AC line and the rectifier of the switching type power supply to enhance the voltage enabling conduction of the rectifying diodes and hence initiate current flow through the rectifying diodes earlier in each half cycle. This extends the conduction interval of the rectifying diodes significantly and enhances the power factor at the input to the switching type power supply.

Abstract: A method for substantially improving the throughput of circuit simulators is disclosed for arriving at the steady-state of closed-loop self-regulated piecewise-linear or periodically driven piecewise-linear systems. The disclosed method is based on the Newton-Raphson procedure, which enables it to outperform brute-force methods by an order of magnitude in speed, and a special algorithm for the determination of the system sensitivity, which directs it to converge to the solution of systems with high sensitivity with respect to the subinterval timing, where most of the existing methods fail. The method is an iterative procedure with each iteration starting out with the determination of the sensitivity of the final state vector in a switching cycle with respect to the initial state vector of the same switching cycle. This is followed by a Newton-Raphson iteration to predict the initial state vector of a steady-state operation.

Abstract: A hollow cathode type inverted cylindrical magnetron apparatus construction comprises two separate units each having a rectangular C shape cross section. The two C shaped units are positioned together to form a hollow rectangular parallelpiped like cavity and articles to be sputtered are passed through this cavity.Bolted construction of simple elements having simple geometry are used to produce a very inexpensive structure which is easily serviceable. This magnetron construction uses permanent magnets all having the same north south pole orientation located behind the target material and surrounded on three sides by magnetic permeable material to confine the magnetic flux path. Hence the lines of force tend to be parallel to the substrate surface of the article very near to that surface and heating of the substrate is minimized. Cooling is provided by coolant carrying tubes interspersed between the magnets and the target material.

Abstract: Efficient high frequency operation of magnetic devices is achieved by utilizing ferrites that have a low power dissipation hysteresis characteristic and by designing these magnetic devices to operate within an operational range where all applied magnetic forces to the magnetic core have a substantially linear constant permeability response. Within this operational range the hysteresis loop of the selected ferrite material approximates an ellipse with very little area encompassed between the increasing and decreasing B-H locus of the hysteresis loop. The cyclic energy dissipation is significantly reduced as compared to conventional magnetic operations and high frequency operation can be achieved with very high efficiencies.

Abstract: A self oscillating converter with regenerative switching includes circuitry to enhance the gain of circuity to turn off a MOSFET power switch and enhance the regenerative action culminating in turn off in order to eliminate bursting at low loads. The MOSFET power switching device turn off circuitry includes the addition of a supplementary drive transistor operative for counteracting the effects of the parasitic capacitances of the MOSFET power switching device. This permits the converter to operate with the shorter on times and to provide a low ripple output at very low load.

Abstract: A power converter includes an input primary switching system with its output connected to phase shift or impedance inversion circuit. These two circuits cooperate to function as a current source at the output of the impedance inversion circuit. A secondary switching system is connected in parallel with the output of the impedance inversion circuit and is switched synchronously with a controlled phase delay to the input primary switching system to synchronously charge a charge storage capacitor. The phase delay determines the voltage of the charge storage capacitor. An output load circuit is connected in parallel with both the output of the impedance inversion circuit and the input to the secondary switching system so that the capacitor voltage determined by the phase delay is controlling of the output voltage of the output load circuit.

Abstract: An insulation system and method utilizes multiple helically wound insulating tape windings wound on a wire. Each individual insulating tape winding is wound so that each wrap overlaps a specified area of the preceding wrap of the winding.

Abstract: A solder joint assembly technique applies controlled volumes of solder to pads of both package and substrate. The two units are positioned adjacent each other with the pads and solder deposits mechanically maintained in registration with each other. The assembly is reflowed and the final separation between package and substrate at which the resulting solder joint solidifies is mechanically controlled in order to control a geometry of the resultant solidified joint. The solder volume deposits may assume various forms including spherical bumps and solder paste deposits.

Abstract: A switching mode converter with current mode regulation includes a passive network operative to waveshape a ramp signal in order to attenuate the leading edge spike of the sensed switch current. A passive pulse generating network generates a pulse in response to the generated ramp with the proper timing and polarity such that when superimposed on the sensed current waveform effectively cancels the leading edge spike of that waveform.

Abstract: A switching power amplifier circuit has the functions of a power inverter and a switching amplifier embodied into one integral circuit. Two high frequency switching inverter circuits are connected back to back sharing the same inverter power transformer. One switching inverter circuit processes power from an input rail to an output capacitor while the other switching inverter circuit processes power from the output capacitor to the input rail. The output capacitor voltage is regulated with respect to a signal input in order to obtain the desired output signal waveform. A blocking capacitor in the output absorbs the DC component of the output capacitor voltage and allows a pure AC ringing signal to be applied to the load. In an application as a ringing generator circuit the signal input is supplied by a ringing signal oscillator circuit.

Abstract: A rectifier plant controller is combined with a continuously operating feeder monitor option in order to provide feeder line data on demand. The feeder monitor option continuously monitor feeder lines selected by the rectifier plant controller and stores the data acquired in a memory accessible to both the feeder monitor option and the rectifier plant controller. The rectifier plant controller can recover the data upon request at any time.

Abstract: A local area data distribution system includes a plurality of data processing stations connected to a common bus. Individual data processing stations contend with each other for access to the bus while the bus is held at a predetermined and controlled but overridable logic state by applying their priority code bit by bit to the bus and comparing the logic state of the bus with the bit they are applying thereto. A biasing arrangement holds the bus at the predetermined and controlled logic state during the contention interval at a signal level that may be easily overridden by an output of any one of the individual data processing stations.

Abstract: A high frequency DC to DC converter having at least two phase differentiated pulsed voltage sources, utilizes two phase differentiated unidirectional power flow resonant circuits to permit multiple quasi resonant operation of the converter and thereby gain the benefit of lowered EMI, high efficiency, lowered component stress and increased power throughput.

Abstract: A DC to DC converter combines a half-bridge inverter with a resonant rectifier through a series LC circuit which conducts power at substantially a single frequency. Energy stored in the parasitic capacitors of the two power switches are transferred from one parasitic capacitor to the other in order to enhance efficiency of operation. The transfer is controlled by controlling the relative phase between the voltage and current in the inverter section.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cleaning then coating articles such as circuit board panels with a metallic coating encompasses an enclosed evacuated chamber having a controlled low pressure gaseous process environment. The articles to be cleaned, then coated with a metallic deposit are continuously fed into the enclosed chamber through an air lock mechanism that permits the evacuated chamber to remain at its predetermined pressure and gaseous composition. Included within the chamber are a plurality of transport paths or panel carrying tracks. The articles to be cleaned, then coated are continuously transported along the various tracks while being coated.The plurality of tracks are positioned to be substantially parallel with each other so that articles on each track follow paths similar in direction and substantially equidistant from one another. A plurality of bidirectional coating sources are sequentially positioned on both sides of each article transport track so that both sides of the panels are coated.

Abstract: A latch/switch mechanism is attached to and operative for inserting and securing circuit modules into a housing while at the same time creating differing electrical connections during the insertion process. The latch/switch mechanism includes a latch lever with a cam and also included means to engage a support housing such as a notch or clip in the lever. The cam portion sequentially engages a plurality of conductive leaf springs and as the lever is rotated, the cam forces the making and breaking of certain connections of the conductive leaf springs to effect the various desired circuit connections and disconnections.