Abstract: An Ytrium Barium Copper Oxide-based thick-film paste is disclosed, which when deposited on an alumina substrate is superconducting above the termperature of liquid nitrogen and substantially free of mechanical defects such as cracking or peeling. A method of applying the paste, including the curing process, insures that the YBC superconductor is boned to the substrate.

Abstract: A microwave cavity filter using resonators of superconducting coatings, one-half wavelength long on quartz tubes mounted within the cavity that carry refrigerant to cool the superconductor substantially reduces ohmic losses and permits shrinking the size of conventional cavity filters.

Abstract: In a communication system that comprises a plurality of communication resources, a plurality of consoles, a communication resource allocator, and a plurality of subscriber units arranged into a plurality of communication groups, the communication resource allocator comprises memory for storing presented and unpresented communication groups. By storing unpresented communication groups, a console, via an associated operator MUX interface module, may automatically utilize the unpresented communication groups without intervention from an operator of the console.

Abstract: A PLZT wafer modulates a laser light beam while dissipating heat into a heat sink. The rear side of the wafer is coated to act as a mirror to reflect incoming light and to transfer heat from the wafer. The front side of the wafer has electrodes, separated by a gap through which a laser light beam can pass. An incoming light beam is modulated by the PLZT when it is energized by an electric field on the two front side electrodes. The mirrored side reflects the beam so that it exits the front side.

Abstract: An improved communication control console center wherein the volume level for a selected communication resource will be set to a predetermined initial volume level, which level may be changed thereafter by appropriate adjustment of a multi-level switch.

Abstract: A low current CMOS translator arrangement is disclosed that utilizes a low current inverting stage, having a peak current requirement, fed by a constant current source at a supply node that also has a capacitor coupled to it. This low current inverter is useful for a number of applications, including generating a sinusoidal signal when it is coupled to a crystal. When one or more are cascaded and coupled to a square wave input signal, the arrangement becomes a low current translator that level-shifts, or translates, the input signal having a first voltage range to a translated square wave output signal having a second voltage range. In another embodiment called a low current squaring translator, a squaring stage is coupled between the low current inverter and a low current translator that includes one or more inverting stages. This arrangement is able to achieve an output signal that maintains a precise duty cycle with low noise at a very low current.

Abstract: An antenna switch using two low-cost relays substantially improves isolation of signals from a transmitter to a receiver by connecting an impedance across the input of a receiver during transmit. During receive, the transmitter is disconnected from the antenna while the receiver is connected.

Abstract: A method of joining surface mount components includes screen printing a single layer of solder paste or other adhesive onto a substrate, positioning a component with a planar lead with a hole through the planar lead over the solder and mounting a second component over the hole in the first lead. The assembly is heated or otherwise processed until the solder or adhesive flows by capillary action through the hole and into the space between the components such that it forms solder joint between the stacked components.

Abstract: A soft logic cryptographic circuit that can be reprogrammed with various cipher algorithms. The cryptographic circuit can be manufactured in a non-secure environment because a security sensitive cipher algorithm can be programmed after the manufacturing process.

Abstract: An improved high powered power amplifier, where the improvement comprises an improved grounding technique by decreasing the contact resistance, and an improved thermal transfer and dissipating technique. The heat generated by a power amplifier device is transferred and dissipated substantialy outside a chassis and is in direct contact with a heat sinking device located outside the chassis. By having the heat transfer and heat dissipation occurring outside the chassis and by having the power amplifier device in direct contact with the heat sinking device, the power amplifier is capable of reliably operating at higher power levels.

Abstract: A crystal oscillator circuit for use with overtone crystals restricts its resonant frequency to either fundamental or overtone frequencies. An inverting amplifier, which provides 180 degrees of phase shift by inverting an input signal, includes components which effectively provide another 180 degree phase shift at a particular frequency by adding a time delay. The 180 degree phase shift by a signal inverting amplifier, with the included 180 degree phase shift provided by the time delay comprises an oscillator by the addition of a crystal with a resonant frequency equal to the particular frequency determined by the time delay. Suppression of unwanted oscillation frequencies is accomplished by adjusting a current source, which changes time delay, without using inductors or other reactive components.

Abstract: A radio transceiver is disclosed for use in an SSB communication system having FM data capability. The dual-mode radio transceiver of the present invention includes a receiver capable of demodulating and deriving AFC from either (a) the voice channel having voice messages transmitted via single sideband amplitude modulation with a pilot carrier, or (b) the data channel having high speed data messages transmitted via narrowband frequency modulation in the same channel bandwidth. Furthermore, the dual-mode radio transceiver includes a transmitter capable of transmitting one of either of the above types of modulation on the appropriate channel, as determined by information received from the high speed data messages transmitted on the control channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the sound pressure levels of a substantially capacitive speaker. The controlling element is substantially capacitive and may be either fixed or variable.

Abstract: An electrical joint using spheroidal tipped leads improves the strength of a connection regardless of the material used to bond the connections. Axial leads of a component are formed into spheroids using an appropriate heat source to melt a small portion of the lead tip. Melting a portion of the lead alloys the lead with any non-wettable solder mask rendering a wettable spheroid. Surface tension in the molten metal forms the spheroid. The spheroid increases the area to which solder or other bonding agent adheres to. Solder mask remaining on the lead decreases solder wicking further up the lead. Reduced solder wicking retains the compliance of the lead. Controlled melting of the lead maintains planarity for multileaded components.

Abstract: A bonding verification process which incorporates bonding test patterns and verifies the integrity of bonds by inspecting the bonding test patterns. For a bonding agent of solder, the bonding verification process verifies the integrity of solder connections by inspecting the bonding test patterns. The bonding test patterns can be implemented in a variety of configurations which verify several properties of the soldering process.

Abstract: A radio communication system having the capability of providing acknowledgement messages to incoming messages while compensating for failed components that have the duty of acknowledging messages or redistributing the acknowledgment duties evenly among the components when there is a change in acknowledgment responsibilities. There is also disclosed a method for cooperatively reassigning certain tasks to certain users within a communication system.

Abstract: A regulation technique for regulating at least one auxiliary output of a power supply having a regulated main output. When the auxiliary output reaches a first or a second predetermined value, the feedback circuit of the power supply is adjusted such that the auxiliary output is substantially maintained within the first and second predetermined values.

Abstract: A single-transistor frequency doubler uses an elliptical filter on the collector of the transistor to improve the bandwidth of the doubler. Bandwidths in excess of thirty five percent having relatively constant output power levels at frequencies over 200 MHz can be realized.

Abstract: An encryption key, required to encrypt and decrypt data according to a predefined algorithm is usually retained in a volatile memory device. Detection of loss of the key or corruption of the key is frequently possible only be means of the encryption circuit itself testing the key. Automated and repetitive testing of encryption keys by means of a processor or a control circuit periodically requesting the encryption circuit to test an encryption key minimizes data loss and system down time due to corrupted or lost keys.

Abstract: An arrangement for a superconducting resonator suitable for use in electronic filters is disclosed, in which a resonator exhibits an increased amount of internal inductance without a lengthening of the resonator. By utilizing a relatively thin dielectric material, a significant amount of magnetic field is made to exist in a layer of the superconductors nearest to the dielectric. This magnetic field induces a non-negligible internal inductance within the layer. The net result of having this extra inductance is that the wave velocity is no longer a constant, independent of dielectric thickness. Thus the resonator can be constructed to be significantly shorter than the conventional wave velocity equation would imply. Hence, the present invention provides a reduction in the length as well as in the cross-sectional area of a resonator, which means that one or more of such resonators may then be advantageously utilized to achieve significantly reduced filter size.