Abstract: A solid electrolytic capacitor that is capable of withstanding laser welding without a significant deterioration in its electrical performance is provided. The capacitor contains an anode body, dielectric layer overlying the anode body, and a solid organic electrolyte layer overlying the dielectric layer. Furthermore, the capacitor of the present invention also employs a light reflective layer that overlies the solid organic electrolyte layer. The present inventors have discovered that such a light reflective layer may help reflect any light that inadvertently travels toward the capacitor element during laser welding. This results in reduced contact of the solid organic electrolyte with the laser and thus minimizes defects in the electrolyte that would have otherwise been formed by carbonization. The resultant laser-welded capacitor is therefore characterized by such performance characteristics as relatively low ESR and low leakage currents.

Abstract: A solid electrolytic capacitor that is capable of withstanding laser welding without a significant deterioration in its electrical performance is provided. The capacitor contains an anode body, dielectric layer overlying the anode body, and a solid organic electrolyte layer overlying the dielectric layer. Furthermore, the capacitor of the present invention also employs a light reflective layer that overlies the solid organic electrolyte layer. The present inventors have discovered that such a light reflective layer may help reflect any light that inadvertently travels toward the capacitor element during laser welding. This results in reduced contact of the solid organic electrolyte with the laser and thus minimizes defects in the electrolyte that would have otherwise been formed by carbonization. The resultant laser-welded capacitor is therefore characterized by such performance characteristics as relatively low ESR and low leakage currents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit configuration for compensating for the changes in a transfer ratio of a magnetic field sensor arrangement. According to one embodiment of the invention, a control loop for effecting this compensation is provided in the form of an integrated circuit whereby the change in transfer ratio is compensated by means of a control signal variation. This circuit configuration includes a series configuration of an A/D converter, a digital controller and a D/A converter exhibiting high precision and high control speed. A control that is significantly more precise and faster than that of the prior art is achieved by virtue of the fact that only a variable portion of regulating variables is fed through the digital controller after which a constant portion of regulating variables for the actual regulating variable used for compensation is added.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit configuration for compensating for the changes in a transfer ratio of a magnetic field sensor arrangement. According to one embodiment of the invention, a control loop for effecting this compensation is provided in the form of an integrated circuit whereby the change in transfer ratio is compensated by means of a control signal variation. This circuit configuration includes a series configuration of an A/D converter, a digital controller and a D/A converter exhibiting high precision and high control speed. A control that is significantly more precise and faster than that of the prior art is achieved by virtue of the fact that only a variable portion of regulating variables is fed through the digital controller after which a constant portion of regulating variables for the actual regulating variable used for compensation is added.

Abstract: A system for measuring the energy output from one or more electrical energy sources first makes an analog power measurement, and converts the resultant output into digital form. The A/D converter includes a sigma-delta modulator in series with a digital filter. Then, the output from the A/D converter is inputted to a digital quantizer via a serial interface. A programmable calibration value is also inputted into the digital quantizer from a computer via a non-volatile memory, such that the operating level/calibration of the digital quantizer is controllable by the computer.

Abstract: A temperature compensation circuit for a power measurement device includes an input sensor, with a temperature-dependent transmission factor (K.sub.H,T), connected to a signal processor with a temperature-dependent transmission factor (K.sub.S,T). Transmission factor (K.sub.S,T) of the signal processor is inversely proportional to a temperature-dependent reference voltage (U.sub.R,N,T), which is inputted to the signal processor in order to render the combined transmission factor (K.sub.H,T .multidot.K.sub.S,T) temperature independent. To accomplish this, a temperature coefficient value of reference voltage (U.sub.R,N,T) must be equal to the sum of a temperature coefficient value of transmission factor (K.sub.H,T) and a temperature coefficient value of transmission factor (K.sub.S,T). The desired temperature coefficient value of reference voltage (U.sub.

Abstract: A circuit which compensates for fluctuations in the transfer characteristic of a magnetic field sensor is disclosed. More particularly, an auxiliary magnetic field is generated preferably by a coil which is connected to a voltage generator by way of a voltage/current transducer. The auxiliary magnetic field along with the magnetic field to be measured is detected by the magnetic field sensor. The portion of the sensor output signal due to the auxiliary magnetic field is correlated with the voltage produced by the voltage generator by means of a correlator circuit. If the portion of the magnetic field sensor output due to the auxiliary magnetic field is not properly correlated with the signal from the voltage generator a feedback signal is sent to the magnetic field sensor to adjust the transfer characteristic.

Abstract: The present invention is an arrangement for measuring electrical power. The arrangement comprises a conductor traversed by an electrical current i and a voltage-to-current converter for transforming an electrical voltage u.sub.N into a proportional supply current i.sub.N for a Hall element. The Hall element is adapted to produce an intelligence containing output signal .+-.u.sub.H proportional to the product (.+-.i.u.sub.N) of the current i and the voltage .+-.u.sub.N. The Hall element is arranged in an air-gap of a ferromagnetic core that is excited by the current i. A voltage-to-frequency converter transforms the Hall element output voltage .+-.u.sub.H into a proportional output frequency. The voltage-to-frequency converter includes a capacitor for integration purposes and at least two signal sources. The power measuring device also includes a switch for periodically switching a signal proportional to the signal .+-.u.sub.H and for switching said signal sources to compensate for an offset voltage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting an electrical signal into a proportional frequency is disclosed. Modulation of the output frequency resulting from polarity switching cycles having half-periods of unequal duration and capacitor voltages which might be non-zero at the time of polarity reversal are substantially avoided. This permits faster and more precise calibration.

Abstract: The present invention is an electrical circuit for use with a four-pole device. The four-pole device has two input connections and two output connections. The output of the four-pole device is measured at one output relative to a base potential present at the other output.The electrical circuit comprises a two-poled switch, which is connected in such a manner, that in its first position a signal source is connected with the first input of the four-pole device and the output of an amplifier is connected with the second input of the four-pole device. In the switch's second position, the signal source is connected with the second input of the four-pole device and the output of the amplifier is connected with the first input of the four-pole device. The output of the four-pole device, which is at the base potential, is connected to an inverting input of the amplifier, while the non-inverting input of the amplifier is connected to a constant reference voltage (U.sub.R).

Abstract: A compensated measurement transducer for measuring a first current generates a first magnetic field of a predetermined direction which flows in a first circuit including a first conductor; a second current substantially similar to the first current is generated in a second circuit and the first current is measured by obtaining the value of the second current. The second circuit includes a compensating current conductor, which generates a second magnetic field, compensating the first magnetic field, a Wheatstone bridge to which both magnetic fields are applied, and an amplifier connected to the output of the Wheatstone bridge, and coupled to the compensating current conductor. An auxiliary magnetic field is applied to the Wheatstone bridge, which is connected to a current- or voltage-source, and includes four ferromagnetic and magnetoresistive thin film.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the measurement of electrical power, including a multiplier which receives on an input thereof an electrical signal proportional to the voltage component of the electrical power, and which is subjected to an external magnetic field proportional to the current component of the electrical power, an auxiliary magnetic field is applied to the multiplier. The multiplier is a Wheatstone bridge including four ferromagnetic and magnetoresistive thin films, and the magnetic fields have a direction along the direction of the hard magnetic axes of each of the thin films. The thin films are so positioned that the magnetization of two electrically oppositely disposed thin films resulting from the application of the external magnetic field thereto is rotated in a direction opposite to that of the correspondingly resulting magnetization of the remaining thin films, following application of the auxiliary magnetic field to the films.

Abstract: A current to pulse-sequence transducer for transforming a current to be measured into a sequence of pulses which has a certain mark-to-space ratio, includes a first transforming device for transforming the current to be measured into a measurement magnetic field, a second transforming device for generating a reference magnetic field, and magnetic field comparison device including a magnetoresistive thin film comparator normally providing a zero output when the fields are equal, but generating an impulse when the strength of one magnetic field exceeds that of the other, and an impulse processing device. The impulse processing device includes a differentiator amplifier connected to the output of the magnetoresistive thin film comparator and a Schmitt trigger circuit postcoupled to the differentiator amplifier.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive current detector, which includes a conductor carrying a current to be measured, which in turn generates an external magnetic field, four bridge elements are connected to one another so as to constitute a Wheatstone bridge. The Wheatstone bridge is adapted to be fed by a supply current from a current- or voltage-source and includes two pairs of ferromagnetic and magnetoresistive thin films which have hard and easy axes, respectively, and each thin film constitutes a respective bridge element. The thin films of each pair are magnetostatically coupled to one another, so that the portion of the supply current flowing in each thin film of each pair generates an auxiliary magnetic field, which has a direction along the hard magnetic axis of the other thin film of the same pair.

Abstract: An analog to frequency convertor for developing an output signal of frequency proportional to a measuring current or voltage by the charge quantity compensation method, comprising an integrator, a threshold switch downstream thereof, a compensating charge transmitter which supplies a constant compensating charge to a capacitor of the integrator each time the threshold switch responds, and a control circuit to generate a periodic digital polarity signal which controls the polarity of the measuring current or voltage and of the compensating charge transmitter and always changes its logic value at the same level of the output voltage of the integrator.