Abstract: A test circuit performs fault detection tests on a motor branch circuit, to detect pre-existing faults before a motor start-up to pre-empt potential damage to the motor branch circuit therefrom. The test circuit is configured to be coupled to the phase lines of a motor branch circuit at a set of test points strategically located on the phase lines. The test circuit includes test lines that are each coupled to a different one of the phase lines at one of the set of test points. The test circuit includes a test controller that, during a test mode, sequentially presents a low voltage supply to each phase line through the test line coupled thereto, to test for ground faults then sequentially couples the low voltage supply across each possible pairing of the phase lines to test for line-to-line faults. The test mode can be initiated manually or automatically.

Abstract: An embodiment of a capacitance sensing circuit includes a set of bridge switches coupled with a reference cell and a sensor cell. The set of bridge switches is configured to, over a first phase, increase a voltage difference between a first modulation capacitor and a second modulation capacitor, and over a second phase, decrease the voltage difference at a rate corresponding to a difference between a capacitance of the sensor cell and a capacitance of the reference cell. The capacitance sensing circuit also includes a comparator configured to generate an output based on comparing a first voltage of the first modulation capacitor with a second voltage of the second modulation capacitor, and initiate a transition between the first phase and the second phase in response to the comparing.

Abstract: Technologies applicable to noise canceling in-situ NMR detection and imaging are disclosed. An example noise canceling in-situ NMR detection apparatus may comprise one or more of a static magnetic field generator, an alternating magnetic field generator, an in-situ NMR detection device, an auxiliary noise detection device, and a computer.

Abstract: A circuit for measuring a gain of an amplifier includes a first node coupled to an output of the amplifier, a second node, a first circuit coupled to an input and the output of the amplifier, and a second circuit coupled between the first circuit and the second node. The first circuit is configured to cause a first gain drop in a gain to be measured between the first node and the second node. The second circuit configured to cause a second gain drop in the gain to be measured between the first node and the second node.

Abstract: An energy storage system may include one or more battery packs, wherein one terminal of the one or more battery packs is electrically coupled to a resistor representative of an isolation resistance of the energy storage system, a semiconductor relay switch, a plurality of resistors configured to electrically couple to the one or more battery packs via the semiconductor relay switch, a gain field-effect transistor (FET) configured to electrically short at least one resistor of the plurality of resistors, one or more capacitors electrically couples to a system ground of a vehicle and the one or more battery packs, and a control system configured to control the semiconductor switch and the gain FET.

Abstract: A solenoid is determined abnormal if a current flowing therethrough at a certain duty ratio falls within an abnormal range. After the abnormal determination, a first duty ratio is used to cause a current to flow through the solenoid at such a current value within a first range as to not drive the solenoid valve. The solenoid is determined provisionally normal if the current at the first duty ratio falls within the first range. After the provisionally normal determination, a second duty ratio is used to cause a current to flow through the solenoid at such a current value within a second range including a current value range greater than the first range as to drive the solenoid valve. The solenoid is determined normal if the current at the second duty ratio falls within the second range.

Abstract: Methods of extracting complex impedance from selected subsurface volumes of a material under test (MUT) using various embodiments of electrode sensor pairs are provided. The electrode pairs can penetrate into a subsurface of the MUT, and operate below the surface of the MUT. Configurations of electrode pair sensors provide measured data of complex impedance of selected subsurface volumes of the MUT using electromagnetic spectrographic signals over a frequency range. The complex impedance characteristics of the subsurface volumes may be used to identify variations in the properties of the MUT, or be correlated to physical properties of the MUT.

Abstract: An A/D conversion device acquires an inter-terminal signal of one or more battery cells when detecting a voltage across the battery cells. The A/D conversion device acquires a failure diagnosis signal during a failure diagnosis. A control unit causes the A/D conversion device to perform A/D conversion processing in a ?? mode or a hybrid mode, in which acquiring remaining bits of higher bits after subjecting the higher bits to a ?? type A/D conversion processing, when detecting the inter-terminal signal of the battery cells. The control unit causes the A/D conversion device to perform the A/D conversion processing in a cyclic mode or a hybrid mode, when detecting the failure diagnosis signal during the failure diagnosis.

Abstract: A digital multimeter receives a primary signal including a small amplitude DC component and an induced AC noise component with a magnitude exceeding a magnitude of the DC component. A 100 M? input resistor may couple an primary signal to signal processing circuitry that attenuates and filters the primary signal, convert a unipolar signal to a differential signal, and provide the differential output signal to an analog to digital converter. The multimeter may be configurable to couple any one or more of multiple available feedback paths to provide a plurality of available gain-bandwidth configurations. The multimeter may include a second input configurable with two or more feedback path impedances. The multimeter may include a second stage filter, shared by the primary and shunt inputs, that provides additional filtering and converts the signal to a differential signal. The second stage filter may support two or more available impedance configurations.

Abstract: A capacitive switch includes a drive circuit, a detection circuit, a reference circuit and an identification unit. The drive circuit outputs a drive signal and a switching signal, wherein the drive signal is outputted to a first node and a second node. The detection circuit is sequentially coupled to the first node and the second node according to the switching signal and generates a first detection signal according to the drive signal. The reference circuit is sequentially coupled to the second node and the first node according to the switching signal and generates a second detection signal according to the drive signal. The identification unit includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal respectively coupled to the first node and the second node, and identifies a phase shift between inputted detection signals received by the first input terminal and the second input terminal.

Abstract: An imaging system and methods including a gantry defining a bore and an imaging axis extending through the bore, and at least one support member that supports the gantry such that the imaging axis has a generally vertical orientation, where the gantry is displaceable with respect to the at least one support member in a generally vertical direction. The imaging system may be configured to obtain a vertical imaging scan (e.g., a helical x-ray CT scan), of a patient in a weight-bearing position. The gantry may be rotatable between a first position, in which the gantry is supported such that the imaging axis has a generally vertical orientation, and a second position, such that the imaging axis has a generally horizontal orientation. The gantry may be displaceable in a horizontal direction and the system may perform a horizontal scan of a patient or object positioned within the bore.

Abstract: The calculation of the speed of a moving train is critical to being able to capture high speed resolution images of the undercarriage of a moving train using a camera in an associated application. The measurement must be extremely accurate and in real time so that an appropriately placed camera can capture images and transmit those images to a remote location.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring resistor (1), in particular a low-resistance current-measuring resistor, comprising two terminal parts (2, 3) that consist of a conductor material for introducing and discharging a current, and a resistor element (4) that consists of a resistor material, wherein the resistor element (4) is arranged between the two terminal parts (2, 3) in the direction of the current and current flows through the resistor element (4). According to one variant of the invention, the measuring resistor (1) has several pairs of voltage-measuring contacts (7) for measuring the voltage falling across the resistor element (4) in order to be able to compensate metrologically for inhomogeneities in the current density.

Abstract: Technologies applicable to SNMR pulse sequencing are disclosed, including SNMR acquisition apparatus and methods, SNMR processing apparatus and methods, and combinations thereof. SNMR acquisition may include transmitting SNMR pulse sequences according to any of a variety of techniques. SNMR processing may include combining SNMR from a plurality of pulse sequences.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor for sensing an external magnetic field along a sensing direction oriented perpendicular to a plane of the magnetic field sensor comprises a sensor bridge. The sensor bridge has a first sensor leg that includes a first magnetoresistive sense element and a second sensor leg that includes a second magnetoresistive sense element. The first and second sense elements include respective first and second pinned layers having corresponding first and second reference magnetizations within the plane and oriented in the same direction. The first and second sense elements further include respective first and second sense layers, each having an indeterminate magnetization state. A permanent magnet layer is proximate the magnetoresistive sense elements. In the absence of an external magnetic field, the permanent magnet layer magnetically biases the indeterminate magnetization state of each sense layer to produce a sense magnetization of the first and second sense layers.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a diffusion-weighted image acquiring method form a radial k-space through a radial sampling and acquire a diffusion-weighted image from the radial k-space, with the diffusion-weighted image acquiring including receiving an echo signal generated from the subject, and forming a k-space having a plurality of sampling lines by sampling the echo signal that is received, wherein the directions of the diffusion gradient magnetic fields applied at the time of forming the sampling lines that compose the k-space to cross each other at two adjacent sampling lines.

Abstract: An imaging system comprises determination of a charge block for each building block of an MRI pulse sequence and for each readout event of the MRI pulse sequence, determination, for each charge block, of a charge per request associated with the charge block, determination, for each charge block, of an associated charge reduction based on a charge per request associated with the charge block and on a charge available to the charge block after execution of a previous charge block of the MRI pulse sequence, determination, for each charge block associated with a non-zero charge reduction, of a flip angle of a corresponding building block of the MRI pulse sequence based on a charge per request and a charge reduction associated with the charge block, and control of a radio frequency system to deliver the MRI pulse sequence based on the determined flip angles of each building block of the MRI pulse sequence corresponding to a charge block associated with a non-zero charge reduction.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method which use a programmable reliability aging timer are provided. The apparatus includes a performance circuit configured to perform a function of an integrated circuit (IC), a memory unit configured to store a lifetime of the IC, a controller configured to set an aging target condition according to the lifetime stored in the memory unit, and a reliability aging timer (RAT) configured to apply stress to a test pattern according to the aging target condition and sense a result of the stress to determine the degradation of the IC. The RAT refreshes an operation of the performance circuit if it is determined that the IC degraded before the lifetime of the IC.

Abstract: A system activates a switch between a disengaged state and an engaged state, receives, via the second optical excitation source, a light signal includes a high intensity signal provided by the second optical excitation source, and causes at least one of the photocomponent or the optical detection circuit to operate in a non-saturated state responsive to the activation of the switch.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic sensor for measuring flux density. The sensor comprises at least one tunnelling magnetoresistor, supporting circuitry and an output for outputting a signal from the tunnelling magnetoresistor. In another aspect, there is also provided a sensor probe comprising at least one magnetic sensor. A magnetic probe system is also described, comprising the probe sensor and processing circuitry. Methods of processing the output signal from the magnetic sensor are also described. In one application, the system and method allow for detection of tissue such as lymph nodes that have taken up small quantities of magnetic particles upon injection of a magnetic tracer containing the magnetic particles into a patient, and can be used to identify such tissue that could be affected by certain forms of cancer.