Abstract: An electronic switch with very low dynamic "on" resistance includes an operational transconductance amplifier including a non-inverting input adapted for connection to a reference potential and an inverting input interconnected with the amplifier output; and control means for enabling the amplifier output to provide a low-impedance virtual potential at the inverting input approximately the same as that of the reference potential and for disabling the amplifier output to promote a high impedance at the inverting input.

Abstract: A precision rectifier system with differential input and differential output includes an input differential V/I converter responsive to a bipolar input signal voltage with respect to an input reference potential for providing a differential current representative of the magnitude of the input signal; a matching output differential V/I converter responsive to an output voltage signal with respect to an output reference potential for providing a differential current representative of the magnitude of the output voltage signal; amplifier means, responsive to a difference between the differential currents of the input and output V/I converters for adjusting the output voltage signal to null the differences between the differential currents; and switching means, responsive to the polarity of the bipolar input signal, for switching the polarity of the differential current representative of the magnitude of the input signal for maintaining a single polarity rectified output voltage signal.

Abstract: A magnetometer having only a single coil winding for sensing the magnetic field along a single axis. Functionally, the invention comprises an oscillator, an integrator, and a voltage-controlled current source. The oscillator uses a saturating inductor which also serves as the magnetic-field-sensing element. The inductor is driven with a positive voltage and when the current through the inductor exceeds a value which indicates that the core is saturated, the driving voltage switches to an equal-magnitude negative value. This negative drive is maintained until the current again indicates the core to be saturated, at which point the driving voltages switches back to the positive value. With no externally applied field, the inductor current averages to a zero value. An externally applied field helps the core saturate in one direction and hinders it in the other, resulting in a change in average inductor current.

Abstract: A termination circuit for an R-2R ladder network for producing weighted currents, the 2R terminating resistor of the ladder being connected to an excitation source voltage which is 2(kT/q)ln 2 closer to the supply voltage than the emitter of the current source in the last (i.e., least significant) leg of the ladder. The excitation source is fabricated with just one type of bipolar transistor and does not require anamplifier or frequency compensation capacitor(s). The excitation source is a simple circuit requiring only five transistors, at least one of which has an emitter area which is a multiple of the emitter areas of the current source transistors. The base-emitter voltages of the transistors in the excitation source are connected in a voltage loop that goes from a voltage V.sub.LSB at the emitter of the current source transistor connected to the least significant ladder network shunt resistor to a voltage, Vt, which would be equal to V.sub.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring current through a lamp circuit that uses a series resistance shunt in the circuit with one end being connected to a current source and the second end being connected to the lamp. The circuitry includes a comparator that is connected across the shunt and has a threshold switching voltage such that a voltage across the shunt that is larger than the threshold voltage will switch the comparator on (as in the case where the lamp is not functioning) and a voltage across the shunt that is smaller than the threshold voltage (as in the case where the lamp is in the circuit and functioning) will switch the comparator off. In a preferred embodiment, the shunt is actually a portion of the printed circuit board trace.

Abstract: A monolithic interface circuit for use with a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) position transducer. The interface circuit includes a drive circuit for providing an excitation signal of selectable frequency and amplitude to the LVDT primary winding. The interface circuit further includes a decoder responsive to signals induced in the LVDT secondary windings for computing the position p of the LVDT core as a solution to the equation p=K(A-B)/(A+B), where A and B represent the signals induced in the primary winding and K is a constant scale factor. The decoder includes circuitry for rectifying and filtering the secondary signals, a charge balance loop responsive to the detected signals for providing a binary signal having a duty cycle representative of b/(A+B), and an output circuit responsive to the binary signal for providing the position output. The decoder provides excellent scale factor stability and linearity and is relatively insensitive to variations in primary drive amplitude.

Abstract: A signal conditioning circuit for an RTD includes feedback means to correct for the non-linear temperature characteristic of the RTD. The feedback means applies to the RTD a voltage which is a linear function of temperature, plus a fixed offset. The output signal from the circuit is proportional both to the RTD temperature and to the supply voltage. The resistors in the feedback system can be trimmed easily at a single temperature to calibrate the output. It can be combined with a metal film RTD on a single chip. The trimming can compensate for wide differences in RTD resistances.

Abstract: A monlithic interface circuit for use with a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) position transducer. The interface circuit includes a drive circuit for providing an excitation signal of selectable frequency and amplitude to the LVDT primary winding. The interface circuit further includes a decoder responsive to signals induced in the LVDT secondary windings for computing the position p of the LVDT core as a solution to the equation p=K(A-B)/(A+B), where A and B represent the signals induced in the primary winding and K is a constant scale factor. The decoder includes circuitry for rectifying and filtering the secondary signals, a charge balance loop responsive to the detected signals for providing a binary signal having a duty cycle representative of B/(A+B), and an output circuit responsive to the binary signal for providing the position output. The decoder provides excellent scale factor stability and linearity and is relatively insensitive to variations in primary drive amplitude.

Abstract: A circuit which employs a pair of MOS transistors operating at equal gate and sources voltages, and nearly equal drain voltages, to produce an accurately ratioed current mirror. The gate voltage of the transistor pair is controlled by a simple current mirror operating at a small fraction of the total output. The latter current mirror also functions as a wideband negative impedance converter. A comparable bipolar circuit is also discussed.

Abstract: A bipolar bandgap reference circuit employing three resistors of selected nominal resistance values and a method of trimming the values of two of the resistors to cancel the slope and curvature of output voltage due to thermal drift. One of the resistors provides a positive temperature coefficient to counter the temperature dependency of bipolar base-emitter characteristics; this resistor is not trimmed. The other two resistors are thin-film, low TC devices and are "trimmed" (i.e., adjusted) sequentially, to match calculated values intended to minimize the first and second derivatives of the bandgap cell output, as a function of temperature.

Abstract: A cartridge for simultaneously dispensing at least two different materials includes an elongated hollow housing having at least one partition extending laterally and longitudinally thereof to provide at least two chambers for holding the respective materials. A plunger sliding within the housing severs or slits the partition so that it can be stored during operation outside of the respective chambers. The partition may be coiled up or it may be directed laterally around the plunger so that it is stored adjacent an internal wall of the housing.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter of the type formed with a plurality of current source transistors arranged to carry different levels of current according to a predetermined weighting pattern, e.g., a binary weighting pattern. In the converter, a plurality of identically sized current source transistors carry the different levels of current and thus operate at different current densities with different base-to-emitter voltages subject to temperature drift. Stable emitter voltages, providing accurate levels of weighted current, are developed by means of resistances between the bases of successive current source transistors and a current source for developing across the interbase resistances a voltage linearly varying with absolute temperature, corresponding to the difference between base-to-emitter voltages of the successive current source transistors.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter of the type formed with a plurality of current source transistors arranged to carry different levels of current according to a predetermined weighting pattern, e.g., a binary weighting pattern. In the converter, a plurality of identically sized current source transistors carry the different levels of current and thus operate at different current densities with different base-to-emitter voltages subject to temperature drift. Stable emitter voltages, providing accurate levels of weighted current, are developed by means of resistances between the bases of successive current source transistors and a current source for developing across the interbase resistances a voltage linearly varying with absolute temperature, corresponding to the difference between base-to-emitter voltages of the successive current source transistors.