Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving device using FET's as a positive element in a bias current supply circuit and a pulse current supply circuit, and having compensating circuits for compensating differences in the characteristics of the FET's and a laser diode used in the driving device. Also a pulse amplifier suitable for use as the pulse current supply circuit in the semiconductor driving device, which circuit cuts off a pulse top side portion and a pulse base side portion of an input pulse with respect to a mesial point of the input pulse to obtain an output pulse having a desired pulse amplitude in response to a control signal, without varying a pulse width.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for measuring a mode partition characteristics of laser diode with so-called a k-value (k factor), in which the PN (Pseudo Noise) pulse pattern is used for modulation of laser diode to be measured on the occasion of measuring various parameters required for calculation of the k value.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a modified surface, consisting essentially of (a) a substrate, (b) a ferromagnetic metal thin film formed on one side of the substrate by a vacuum deposition method, an ion plating method, a sputtering method or a plating method and (c) a lubricating coating layer formed on the thin film or on the back of the substrate or on both of them. The recording medium has an improved running stability, durability and corrosion resistance.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter arranged to accept an analog input signal and to convert it into an output having digital form. The converter is characterized by a reference random noise source which generates random noise signals with uniform amplitude occurrence probability density in a given range, and by an amplitude comparator arranged to repeatedly compare the amplitude of the random noise signal with the amplitude of a signal varying with the analog signal to be converted. The amplitude comparator supplies output pulses in accordance with the comparisons, e.g., whenever the analog signal amplitude is greater than the random noise amplitude, and the number of pulses from the amplitude comparator in a measurement interval then digitally corresponds to the value of the analog signal and may be utilized, as in a display.