Abstract: Disclosed herein are some examples of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that can perform auto-zeroing with amplifying a signal for improvement of a signal-to-noise ratio. The ADCs may produce a first digital code to represent an analog input signal and a second digital code based on a residue from the first digital code, and may combine the first digital code and the second digital code to produce a digital output code to represent the analog input signal. The ADC may utilize a first observation and a second observation of an analog residue value representing the residue to produce the second digital code.

Abstract: A sounding system is provided. The sounding system comprising a sound producing device, disposed at a sound producing location, receiving a sounding sequence, configured to produce a sounding pulse array according to the sounding sequence; and a sounding circuit, comprising a sensor, disposed at a sound constructing location, receiving a received sounding pulse array corresponding to the sounding pulse array; a filtering circuit, configured to perform a filtering operation on the received sounding pulse array according to the sounding sequence and the sounding pulse waveform, and generate an overall filtering result; and a spike detection circuit, configured to perform a spike detection operation on the overall filtering result and obtain a channel impulse response corresponding to a channel between the sound producing location and the sound constructing location.

Abstract: A valve device comprises an opening degree detection section and a control section. The control section performs, according to the pressure value and the opening degree detected by the opening degree detection unit, either one of open control for performing rough adjustment of the opening degree of the valve body or close control for performing fine adjustment of the opening degree of the valve body, in the open control, a predictive pressure estimation value at a preset future prediction target time from a current point is estimated, and the rough adjustment is performed based on the predictive pressure estimation value and the target pressure value, and in the close control, the fine adjustment is performed based on the target pressure value and the pressure value.

Abstract: An operable membrane device is provided, including a plate, a plurality of membranes suspended from the plate and being a seat of residual mechanical constraints, at least a first actuator configured to deform the plate outside its plane, second actuators, each second actuator being configured to deform a membrane outside its plane, and control electronics configured to generate second control signals at the second actuators in order to vibrate the membranes and configured to generate first control signals at the first actuator to cause a deformation of the plate so that the plate is found in the deformed state, wherein a mechanical constraint is applied to the membranes that at least reduces the residual constraints of the membranes.

Abstract: A chopping technique, and associated structure, is implemented to cancel the magnetic 1/f noise contribution in a Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) field sensor. The TMR field sensor includes a first bridge circuit including multiple TMR elements to sense a magnetic field and a second circuit to apply a bipolar current pulse adjacent to each TMR element. The current lines are serially or sequentially connected to a current source to receive the bipolar current pulse. The field sensor provides a high output and a low output in response to the bipolar pulse. This asymmetric response allows a chopping technique for 1/f noise reduction in the field sensor.

Abstract: A flow control system in an apparatus for treating a work piece controls a flow rate of treatment liquid dispensed from a liquid dispenser. The system includes a flow meter that measures a flow rate of liquid being supplied to the liquid dispenser, a controller that receives signals indicative of a flow rate measured by the flow meter, and a pressure regulator that regulates pressure of the liquid supply downstream of the flow meter based on control signals from the controller. At least two alternative liquid supply paths are provided downstream of the pressure regulator and upstream of an outlet of the liquid dispenser. Each supply path is equipped with a respective shutoff valve and provides a respectively different pressure drop to the treatment liquid.

Abstract: The invention relates to an absolute position magnetic sensor for measuring the angular position, on a theta course, of a shaft passing through said sensor and comprising at least two systems for detecting the position of the shaft. Said invention is characterised in that: at least one of the detection systems generates a signal according to a “periodical” function of the theta/n period giving the periodical angular position of said shaft; at least one of the detection systems generates an absolute signal on a theta course of the shaft; and theta and n fit the equation: *theta/n=360*n>1.

Abstract: A switched capacitor type D/A converter receives m-bit (m represents an integer) input data, and outputs an analog signal that corresponds to the input data value. Switch circuits are provided to respective bits of the input data, and are classified into two groups: a first group configured to turn on when the corresponding input data bit is 1, and to turn off when the corresponding input data bit is 0; and a second group configured to turn on when the corresponding input data bit is 0, and to turn off when the corresponding input data bit is 1. Each switch of the first and second switch groups is configured as a P-channel MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor). The ground voltage 0 V is applied to the lower power supply terminal of each of the first and second inverters configured to supply a gate signal to each switch.

Abstract: An efficient baseband predistortion linearization method for reducing the spectral regrowth and compensating memory effects in wideband communication systems using effective multiplexing modulation technique such as wideband code division multiple access and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is disclosed. The present invention is based on the method of piecewise pre-equalized lookup table based predistortion, which is a cascade of a lookup table predistortion and piecewise pre-equalizers, to reduce the computational complexity and numerical instability for desired linearity performance with memory effects compensation for wideband transmitter systems.

Abstract: A compression engine starts compressing data by a preset first compression rule, compresses the following data by a second compression rule when the characteristics of the data satisfy a predetermined switching condition, and returns to the first compression rule when the characteristics of the data do not satisfy the switching condition to compress the data and the following data. A decompression engine starts decompressing compressed data by a first decompression rule corresponding to the first compression rule, decompresses the following compressed data by a second decompression rule corresponding to the second compression rule when the characteristics of the data after decompression satisfy the switching condition, and returns to the first decompression rule when the characteristics of the data after decompression do not satisfy the switching condition to decompress the data and the following compressed data.

Abstract: In a wireless transmitter and receiver, a background calibration type analog-to-digital converter generally occupies a large area because of the phase compensating capacity of an op-amp included in a reference analog-to-digital conversion unit. Further, the calibration type analog-to-digital converter generally requires a sample and hold circuit to exclude influence of parasitic capacitance of wirings, thereby increasing power consumption. Digital calibration is performed by using, as a signal for calibration, an input signal of a digital-to-analog converter in a transmitter circuit of the wireless transmitter and receiver and inputting an output signal from the digital-to-analog converter to the analog-to-digital converter in the receiver circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a Gigabit Ethernet transceiver that has a Class-B amplifier in a main transmitter for higher efficiency and power handling capabilities. The output current of the main transmitter is produced by a reference voltage applied across a resistor, where the reference voltage generator, resistor and amplifier are fabricated on the same substrate, such that the output current is constant across process voltage and temperature. The transceiver also has a replica transmitter whose signal is used to cancel the main transmitter signal at the input of the receiver section of the transceiver. The replica transmitter is fabricated on the same substrate as the main transmitter, such that its output signal reflects non-linearities in the main transmitter across process voltage and temperature.

Abstract: An improved capacitive load driving device that provides increased signal voltage gain, over-voltage, over-current, and over-temperature protections, over-modulation prevention, output level control, minimized harmonic generation, and compensation for propagation medium distortion. The device includes driver/amplifier circuitry, protection circuitry, and an output stage. The driver/amplifier circuitry simultaneously modulates and discretizes an analog input signal by comparing it with a specified digitally-synthesized modulation waveform, which is a repeating series of approximately parabolic waveforms. The resulting PWM waveform is processed to generate a discrete low-harmonic sine wave approximation used to produce gate drive signals for the output stage. The protection circuitry monitors the device for fault conditions, and, in the event a fault condition is detected, controls startup and automatic shutdown.

Abstract: In a high-fidelity digital modulator, a mapper is provided to minimize quantization noise, jitter, and cross-talk between multiple digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital converters. The mapper receives a quantized level from a quantizer and maps the quantized level to an output sequence. The mapper includes a table defining multiple sequences corresponding to each quantized level. Each sequence includes two or more symbols, having one of multiple values. The mapper also includes a generator that selects one of the multiple sequences as the output sequence. The last symbol of a first output sequence is equal to the first symbol of the next output sequence and so on. The generator selects the output sequence by alternating between a first and a second sequence for each quantized level received. The generator selects the output sequence by alternating between sequences having a positive and a negative common mode energy for each odd valued quantized level received.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter having an input for receiving a digital input signal during each time period. A plurality of elements are each adapted to produce an analog output in response to an input, and an encoder selects a number of the elements and applies inputs to the selected elements. An analog output signal is then formed by summing outputs of the plurality of elements. The encoder selects the number of elements based on a value of the digital input signal, and selects the elements in a predetermined order from the plurality of elements, starting from an element determined by the elements selected in an immediately preceding time period, and excluding a temporarily omitted one of the plurality of elements.

Abstract: The invention concerns a control system for a servomechanism comprising a control member that can move between first and second positions defining a variable electric quantity respectively between a minimum quantity and a maximum quantity, characterized in that the control system further comprises low voltage powering means, voltage increase means connected to the terminals of the low voltage powering means and delivering a high voltage at output, means for measuring a value of the variable electric quantity, powered by the low voltage powering means when the high voltage is being generated, and means for regulating the voltage increase means arranged to increase the high voltage delivered for a variation in the measured electric quantity value lower than a variation threshold determined by the servomechanism, respectively to decrease the high voltage delivered for a variation in the measured electric quantity values higher than the determined variation threshold.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for reducing and canceling 1/f noise, offset voltage, and charge injection introduced in pipeline ADCs in conventional op-amp sharing techniques. The polarity of the residue signals is changed at each phase. During phase one, the residue signal of the operational amplifier is sampled on the capacitors with inverse polarity. During phase 2 the residue signal of the operational amplifier is sampled on the capacitors with the inverse polarity of phase one.

Abstract: A method of converting an analog signal to a digital signal includes (a) filtering the analog signal to the range 0≦fx≦fB; (b) sampling the filtered signal at a rate fS>>fN, where fS is the sampling frequency, fN=2fx is the Nyquist frequency of the sampled signal, and fB≦fS/2 is the constrained signal bandwidth; (c) converting the sampled signal to an optical sampled signal: (d) converting the optical sampled signal from a temporal signal to a spatial signal; (e) illuminating a smart pixel array with the spatial signal; (f) processing the spatial signal with an error diffusion neural network to produce a 2-D binary image; and (g) averaging rows and columns of the 2-D binary image using a digital low pass filter and a decimation circuit.

Abstract: There is provided a measuring apparatus that is constructed such that an analog signal indicative of the difference between a target value and a measured value obtained by a gauge is outputted to an external device via a single signal line, while securing a required resolution over the whole measuring range of the gauge. A counter as the measuring apparatus stores target values set in advance to respective different values covering the whole measuring range of the gauge, in a plurality of target value-setting registers, selects a target value-setting register from the plurality of target value-setting registers by a selector, calculates the difference between a target value stored in the selected target value-setting register and a count value measured by a pulse signal from the gauge, by a calculation circuit, and converts the calculated difference (digital output data) to an analog voltage signal by a D/A converter in a data output circuit, followed by outputting the analog voltage signal.

Abstract: Processing circuitry is provided for processing signals received from, for example, sense coils forming part of a position encoder used to encode the relative positions of two relatively moveable members. The position encoder is such that each of the plurality of signals from the sense coils varies sinusoidally with the relative position of the members but out of phase with respect to each other. The processing circuitry comprises mixers for multiplying each of the received signals with one of a corresponding plurality of periodic time varying signals, each having the same predetermined period and a different predetermined phase, and an adder for adding the signals from the mixers. The phase of the mixing signals are chosen so that the output signals from the adder contains a single periodic component having the predetermined period whose phase varies with the relative position of the two members.

Abstract: A method is provided for defining programmed values of the boost and cut-off frequency parameters of a low pass filter of pre-equalization, of a read channel for a magnetic medium mass memory device, to ensure optimal functioning conditions of the adaptive filter of final equalization. The method includes pre-programming instantaneous digital values of the boost and cut-off frequency parameters of the low pass filter of pre-equalization for each magnetic medium, as a function of purposely sensed instantaneous operating parameters of the adaptive filter that carries out the definitive equalization of the signal during a trim scanning of the magnetic medium.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting digital input signal to analog voltage are disclosed herein. The converting apparatus includes the following devices device. One of the pair of reference voltage selecting means is used to select a first voltage level as a first power source. Similarly, a second voltage level is selected as a second power source. The pair of controlled selectively coupling devices couples the first power source or the second power source as the charge power source responding to voltage level of every bit of the second portion of the digital input signal. The voltage cumulating device is used to generate the analog voltage by alternatively charging and redistributing the output capacitor with the first and the second capacitor. The foregoing method includes the following steps. At first, divide reference voltage levels into a first set and a second set of reference voltage levels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic circuit and a method for the monitoring of the driving force of a drive mechanism. To reduce the costs for such a circuit by simple technical circuit measures it is provided that the comparator unit used for monitoring is designed as an analog component, while the set-point adjuster is still integrated into the digital control unit of the drive mechanism. The set points stored in the set-point adjuster are fed to a digital-analog converter in such a manner that an analog reference signal can be generated which can be compared with the analog measuring signal of a power pick-up via the comparator unit.

Abstract: A converter for producing the function V.sub.out =V.sub.bias =V.sub.swing (1-2D), in which a DAC is combined with an operational amplifier and (typically) three or four resistors. A function of the voltage V.sub.swing, or a current corresponding thereto, is applied to the reference voltage input terminal of the DAC. The variable D is the DAC's digital input code, expressed as a decimal or fraction in the range between 0 and 1. The DAC output provides a suitably scaled and signed signal which is added to or subtracted from the offset signal V.sub.bias to produce V.sub.out.