Abstract: A drawing apparatus according to the embodiment includes a chamber configured to house a processing target; a drawing part configured to draw a predetermined pattern on the processing target with a charged particle beam; a resistance measuring part configured to measure a resistance value of the processing target via a grounding member grounding the processing target in the chamber; a receiver configured to receive earthquake information; a controller configured to stop a drawing process in the chamber when the receiver receives the earthquake information; and an arithmetic processor configured to determine whether the processing target is grounded on a basis of the resistance value from the resistance measuring part, wherein the controller resumes the drawing process when the arithmetic processor determines that the processing target is grounded after the drawing process is stopped.

Abstract: A lamp for a vehicle includes a laser diode configured to output light, an interface configured to communicate with a brake device of the vehicle, and at least one processor coupled to the interface and configured to receive brake operation information from the brake device via the interface, and control a light output of the laser diode based on the brake operation information.

Abstract: A method for managing throughput in a distributed storage network includes encoding data to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices. According to the method, one or more write slice requests are generated corresponding to one or more sets of encoded data slices, and write slice requests are then output to a set of distributed storage and task execution units. For each distributed storage and task execution unit, a data ingest rate is generated and a write threshold number of distributed storage and task execution units is determined. A transmit data rate is determined and write slice requests are determined, followed by the generation write slice requests to the distributed storage and task execution units. A write threshold number of write slice requests is then input to the distributed storage and task execution units.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head, a sensor, and a controller. The HAMR head is configured to interact with a magnetic storage medium. The sensor is configured to produce a signal indicating the occurrence of head-medium contact. The controller is configured to receive the signal and concurrently determine from the signal if the occurrence of head-medium contact is caused by a first contact detection parameter, a second contact detection parameter, or both the first and second contact detection parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of adaptive management of a device. The adaptive management includes, e.g., power management, energy management, and diagnostics. In one embodiment, a device including a power management unit (PMU) communicatively coupled to a processor is configured to transmit a status notification to the processor in response to an interrupt signal; obtain a high level state command from the processor in response to the status notification, and modify power operation of the device in response to the high level state command. In another embodiment, a method for charging a power source includes obtaining, by a PMU of a device, operational characteristics of a power supply in communication with the device; determining a power supply type based at least in part upon the operational characteristics; and controlling charging of the power source based at least in part upon the power supply type.

Abstract: A method for designing a control apparatus includes: determining first, second and third threshold values; setting a first weighting function for calculating a first controlled variable by being multiplied by a difference between a control target value and an output value of a storage battery, a second weighting function for calculating a second controlled variable by being multiplied by the output value of the storage battery, and a third weighting function for calculating a third controlled variable by being multiplied by an integrated value of the output value of the storage battery; and determining a transfer function of the control apparatus in accordance with an H-infinity control theory such that the first controlled variable, the second controlled variable and the third controlled variable are respectively smaller than the first, second and third threshold values.

Abstract: A server device includes a communicating portion that sends content data through a communication network to a client machine and a controlling portion that acquires processing capability information of the client machine that plays back the content data, and generates a playback format list that includes playback format information corresponding to the content data, based on, at least, the processing capability information acquired for the client machine. The content data is converted into a playback format based on playback format information selected by the client machine side from the playback format list, and is sent through the communicating portion to the client machine.

Abstract: Structures and protocols are presented for configuring an unmanned aerial device to perform a task, alone or in combination with other entities, or for using data resulting from such a configuration or performance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing device that records data on a double-sided recordable optical disk for storage and management purposes. The device includes a unit which stores a plurality of optical disks, a unit which records data onto and reproduces data from an upper side of an optical disk, a unit which records data onto and reproduces data from a lower side of an optical disk, a unit which conveys an optical disk between the disk storage unit and each recording/reproducing unit. When a request for reading data recorded on the lower side of the disk is received while the upper side is being written onto, a control unit interrupts a data recording process on the upper side, reproduces data recorded on the lower side, and after completion of reproducing the recorded data, resumes the interrupted data recording process.

Abstract: A tape drive configured to accurately position a head actuator in the presence of physical disturbances is disclosed. The tape drive includes a track-follow controller to position a head actuator over data tracks on magnetic tape. The tape drive further includes a disturbance observer configured to estimate a vibration disturbance and output a compensation signal to assist the track-follow controller to accurately position the head actuator over the data tracks in the presence of vibration. When estimating the vibration disturbance, the disturbance observer takes into account vibration frequency characteristics, such as frequency characteristics derived from a vibration specification associated with the tape drive, or frequency characteristics derived from known vibration disturbances experienced by the tape drive. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for recording information in form of a hologram. The method can generate a displacement signal by detecting a displacement of a holographic recording medium. The method can perform an exposure control operation that, if the sampling value of the displacement signal falls within an allowable displacement range, records the information item in the holographic recording medium, and if the sampling value of the displacement signal falls outside the allowable displacement range, blocks or reduces at least one of the information light and the reference light to a light intensity with which the information item is not recorded in the holographic recording medium.

Abstract: When applying an electron beam to a master substrate of disk-shaped recording medium placed on a rotation stage, while rotating the master substrate by rotating the rotation stage, to write a master pattern of disk-shaped recording medium on the master substrate, causing the writing to be suspended based on abnormality information of environment and storing a rotation angle of the master substrate when the writing is suspended and causing, thereafter, the writing to be resumed from a suspended position of the writing on the master substrate based on the rotation angle.

Abstract: An electronic device that can reduce a noise caused by a signal or data being always output. A vehicle-mounted device includes: a player that reads out and outputs data recorded in a CD or a DVD (i.e., a TBCK signal, a TSD0 signal, and a TWS signal); a controller that receives the data (i.e., the TBCK signal, the TSD0 signal, and the TWS signal) output from the player, and executes various controls based on the received data; and an interrupt unit that interrupts transmission of the data recorded in the CD or the DVD to the controller until the CD or the DVD is inserted into the player.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing device that records data on a double-sided recordable optical disk for storage and management purposes. The device includes a unit which stores a plurality of optical disks, a unit which records data onto and reproduces data from an upper side of an optical disk, a unit which records data onto and reproduces data from a lower side of an optical disk, a unit which conveys an optical disk between the disk storage unit and each recording/reproducing unit. When a request for reading data recorded on the lower side of the disk is received while the upper side is being written onto, a control unit interrupts a data recording process on the upper side, reproduces data recorded on the lower side, and after completion of reproducing the recorded data, resumes the interrupted data recording process.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes the performance of a disk drive at frequencies in a set of frequencies in a frequency range. First, the disk drive is vibrated at each frequency in the set of frequencies, one frequency at a time. During this process, a disk drive performance metric is monitored. Next, the performance of the disk drive is characterized by determining the parameter related to acceleration due to the vibrations for each frequency at which a disk drive performance metric degrades by a predetermined amount from a baseline.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus includes a rotary driving unit rotating an optical disk which is flexible, an optical pickup irradiating light upon a recording surface of the optical disk on which writing/reading of information is performed, a stabilizing unit stabilizing vibration of the optical disk in a rotary axial direction by using pressure difference of air flow at least on a portion where writing/reading is performed, and being disposed on a side of the optical disk opposite to a side on which the recording surface is provided, and a control-adjustment unit analyzing a value of a tracking error signal of the optical disk obtained by scanning along a groove of the optical disk with use of the optical pickup, comparing the analyzed value of the tracking error signal of the optical disk and a value priorly obtained by scanning along a groove of a standard disk prepared beforehand, and adjusting a positional relation between the optical disk and the stabilizing member in a three dimensional space according to t

Abstract: An optical disc drive apparatus which is mounted on a mobile apparatus, which at least reads information from a disc surface of an optical disc disposed in a predetermined position by using a pickup, which is robust against vibration, and which is capable of preventing collision between the disc surface of the optical disc and the pickup. The apparatus judges a road surface condition associated with location information on the basis of the location information concerning a location on a road on which the mobile apparatus is traveling, acquired externally and road surface condition information depending upon a road surface condition of a road on which the mobile apparatus travels. Servo characteristics of the optical drive apparatus are controlled according to control information associated with the judged road surface condition.

Abstract: A data recording apparatus for recording data on a recording medium includes an acceleration detector configured to detect an acceleration which the apparatus is undergoing; a use mode detector configured to detect which one of fixed and non-fixed modes the apparatus is used in; a fall state determination unit configured to determine a fall state of the apparatus by switching fall detection algorithms for detecting a fall of the apparatus on the basis of an acceleration detected by the acceleration detector and the history of acceleration changes in accordance with the detection result by the use mode detector; and a preventive operation controller configured to cause an operation for preventing damage to the recording medium to be performed in accordance with the determination result of the fall state of the apparatus by the fall state determination unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording data on an optical disk calculates an optical power at a first recording speed, compares the calculated optical power to a predetermined value, and then determines whether to apply the first recording speed based on a result of the comparison. The optical power at the first recording speed is calculated based on a reference optical power and a measured optical power, and the predetermined value may correspond to the maximum allowable power of a laser pickup. The method and apparatus may be used to control the speeding, timing, and/power of a data recording operation, as well as to compensate for temperature variations and/or power margins of one or more circuits in an optical disk device.

Abstract: In an optical pickup driving mechanism using a stepping motor, a feeding operation of an optical pickup can be stabilized even in a broad operating temperature environment. In executing an optical axis correction feeding operation in response to an amount of lens shift of an objective lens of an optical pickup, a stepping motor controlling portion drives a stepping motor in a microstep drive mode to move a base of the optical pickup in a radial direction of an optical disk.

Abstract: An optical disk device capable of increasing access speed and an image pickup device having such an optical disk device. In a region at the inside of an optical disk where the rotational speed of the spindle motor reaches its limit, a CAV mode is used for access, while in a region at the outside of the optical disk where a frequency band of an RF signal processor reaches its limit, a CLV mode is used for access. High-speed access to a maximum extent in a range of performance limits of the spindle motor and the RF signal processor is achieved. A retry feature retries failed access attempts to the optical disk when access failure is determined and a controller judges whether or not a defect of the optical disk has caused the access failure. The controller further judges if the predetermined cause of the access failure repeatedly occurs in a predetermined nearby range on the optical disk.

Abstract: A method and system for removing periodic disturbances pertaining to turntable and spindle motor errors during recording of a blank optical information carrier. The periodic disturbances are determined in advance and removed only during recording by a repetitive control/learning feedforward control circuit (88).

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide an optical disc apparatus and an optical disc reproducing method that can realize an excellent reproducing operation by suppressing noise in the optical disc apparatus using an optical attenuator. In order to solve this object, a control voltage of the optical attenuator is changed according to reproduction power when reproducing the optical disc and an ambient temperature of the optical attenuator. In addition, the amplitude of a high frequency current for driving a laser diode is changed according to an attenuation factor of the optical attenuator.

Abstract: A stabilization part stabilizes surface vibration of a flexible optical disk along a rotation axis direction of the optical disk by means of pressure difference of air flow created according to Bernoulli's law at a portion on which information writing/reading is performed, provided on a side of the optical disk opposite to a side on which information recording/reproducing is performed. In this case, areas are provide on the upstream side and down stream side along the disk rotation direction of the portion of the optical disk which is stabilized by said stabilization part, said areas of the optical disk not having pressure difference created thereon by the air flow.

Abstract: A system controller of an optical disk recording and reproducing device makes a display portion display a precaution message for recommending a user to back up data recorded on the optical disk when it is determined that one or more values including a jitter value, a variation quantity of the jitter value, a block error rate and a block error rate at a particular position have exceeded precaution reference values. In addition, it makes a display portion display an urgent message for instructing a user to back up data recorded on the optical disk quickly when it is determined that one or more of the values have exceeded limit reference values.

Abstract: An optical disk unit, for reading signals stored on an optical disk medium, is provided with an optical pickup 23 selectively irradiating light of one wavelength, from several mutually different wavelengths, to an optical disk medium by means of a single objective lens and outputting signals based on light reflected by the optical disk medium, a drive section for causing relative movement of the objective lens of the optical pickup with respect to a surface of the optical disk medium, wherein a peak level of a fake signal generated in the received light signal based on surface reflection at the optical disk surface while the objective lens is being moved relative to the optical disk medium surface by the drive section is detected, and the received light signal is compared with a threshold value that is set based on the detected peak level, to detect reflected light of a data storage layer.

Abstract: A reproducing position control circuit has a reading part for reading data stored in a recording medium, a position information detecting part for detecting the position information of data read by said reading part within said recording medium, and a control part for storing said position information detected by said position information detecting part in a volatile memory, and retrieving said position information within said volatile memory to store it in a writable non-volatile memory when the power is turned off or after a predetermined time passes since the power is turned off.

Abstract: A disc apparatus which enables an optical pickup to move swiftly to a target track is provided. A disc apparatus (1) includes an optical pickup (4) which irradiates an optical disc (2) with a laser light, a motor (6) which moves the optical pickup (4) to a target track in a radial direction of the optical disc (2), and a controller (7) which controls the motor (6). The controller 7 includes a calculating means (7a) which calculates a voltage level applied to the motor (6) and a recording unit (7b) which records a reference voltage level, a corrected number of tracks, and a coefficient. The calculating means (7a) calculates a voltage level based on the number of tracks between a track which the optical pickup is positioned over and the target track, the reference voltage level, the corrected number of tracks, and the coefficient.

Abstract: An optical disc device includes: a spindle motor for rotating a disc; a motor driving circuit for applying a voltage to the spindle motor to drive the spindle motor; an optical pickup for irradiating the disc with an optical beam; and a detector for, after the motor driving circuit starts voltage application to the spindle motor, measuring a pit length based on reflection light, on the disc, of the optical beam irradiated by the optical pickup and then detecting based on a result of the measurement that the spindle motor is in short condition. In the optical disc device, upon detection by the detector that the spindle motor is in short condition, the motor driving circuit stops the voltage application to the spindle motor.

Abstract: In an optical disk apparatus and a disk rotation speed control method thereof, enabling to rotate a disk at high speed, with stability and certainty, irrespective of mass eccentricity thereof, detection is made on the greatest value and the smallest value on the signal after conducting a process of a band pass filter 511 on a lens error signal in a step response of a pickup, with using a wobble signal in the place of a tracking error signal and chaining an offset, when controlling the rotation speed of the apparatus by loading an optical disk therein, and thereafter, determination is made on whether the disk rotation speed be shifted to the high speed or not, upon basis of a value obtained through comparison of the maximum value (Max_spnup) and the minimum value (Min_spnup) obtained with the greatest value (Max_step) and said smallest value (Min_step) memorized, when shifting the disk rotation to the high speed.

Abstract: This invention provides an optical disc device that can prevent the occurrence of an error in a starting position of a write operation due to off-tracking, and to avoid an unnecessary stop of the write operation during writing. A tracking error signal generator generates a tracking error signal from a signal which has been detected by an optical pickup, and a system controller detects off-tracking by comparing the tracking error signal with a threshold level, and turns control operation of a tracking servo controller off if the threshold level is exceeded. The off-tracking detection threshold level applied during a time period from completion of seek operation to a start of movement of the optical pickup to the starting position of the write operation is set to be lower than a threshold level applied during a time period of data recording.

Abstract: Spherical aberration correction is provided for CD writing in a double (CD+DVD), triple (CD+DVD+BD) or quadruple (CD+DVD+BD+HD-DVD) writer, which use the same light path for CD and DVD. In an optical drive that uses numerous laser wavelengths combined into one light path each wavelength having a different numerical apertures a correction for spherical aberration is made to correct for effective numerical apertures of the light path that becomes shifted up from the original value to higher values. The correction in spherical aberration removes that effect of the higher effective NA and defects, particularly in writing, are corrected.

Abstract: A method of determining a recording power used to record information to an optical disc, includes carrying out test recording which records predetermined data to a predetermined area of the optical disc to determine the recording power, and recording predetermined data with a power equal to or more than the determined recording power to an area adjacent to the predetermined area.

Abstract: An optical recording system and a control method thereof. The method includes detecting a target signal level. If the change level of the target signal exceeds a tolerant range, it represents that a shock has occurred. The shock frequency is recorded according to the shock, and the tolerant range is adjusted according to the recorded shock frequency. If the change level of the target signal exceeds the tolerant range, a pick-up head stops writing data into the optical storage medium. If the change level of the target signal is less than or equal to the tolerant range, the pick-up head writes data into the optical storage medium.

Abstract: In response to the trend toward the increase in the number of data layers of optical discs, the invention provides a data erasure method and its optical disc apparatus that enable faster data erasures with a simpler configuration. Test erasures are performed on the test areas T of data layers of an optical disc while the power level Pe of data erasure laser light and the defocus amount ?f of the data erasure laser light from a target data layer are changed. Based on the results of the test erasures, the optimal erasure condition that enables a simultaneous data erasure from the greatest number of data layers is determined. Based on the determined optimal erasure condition, then, the optimal erasure sequence that enables data erasure from all of the data layers with the fewest number of times is determined.

Abstract: In a conventional method for preventing a collision between a lens and an optical disc which uses a control system similar to the servo control of the optical disc, it is feared that, when there is no need to apply the servo, the collision prevention method may not perform its function satisfactorily. In an optical disc device that operates with a part of its functions suspended for reduced power consumption, the conventional method is not enough to avoid the collision between the lens and the optical disc. By arranging the lens/disc collision prevention mechanism independently operable, it is possible to prevent the collision between the lens and the disc even during the operation with limited functions.

Abstract: A system and methods for evaluating the response of an optical digital disk player to vibration encountered during playback of optical digital disks are provided. The system includes a simulator configured to provide digital simulated output signals simulating the output of an optical digital disk player encountering vibration during playback of an optical digital disk. The system also includes digital-to-analog converter circuitry to convert the digital simulated output signals to analog simulated output signals and provide the analog simulated output signals to processing circuitry. The processing circuitry generates control signals based on the value of the analog simulated output signals, and provides the control signals as outputs.

Abstract: An optical recording apparatus uses a method of searching for a recording power, where the method includes: searching for a first optimum recording power; recording data on an optical disc at the first optimum recording power; determining whether recording environments are changed when a user desires to re-record the data after recording the data in the optical recording apparatus; re-searching for the optimum recording power when the recording environments are changed, and determining the researched optimum recording power to be a second optimum recording power; and recording the data at the second optimum recording power.

Abstract: A motor drive control unit includes a chip in which everything about a control system is provided and controls a spindle motor which rotates magnetic disks at a constant speed. When a measurement instruction is received from a disturbance generating unit and the upper-level device, sine wave disturbance is generated in the revolution speed of the spindle motor which depends on the motor drive control unit. A speed detecting unit detects the revolution speed of the spindle motor as measured data while the disturbance is being generated by the disturbance generating unit. A measured data transferring unit transfers the detected measured data detected by the speed detecting unit to the upper-level device, wherein control characteristics such as gains and phases with respect to frequencies of the motor control unit are computed.

Abstract: A vibration measuring system is used for measuring vibration characteristics of an optical disk drive. The vibration measuring system includes a command setting unit, a command sending unit, and a signal receiving unit. The command setting unit is used for setting a measure command. The command sending unit is used for sending the measure command to the optical disk drive. The signal receiving unit is used for receiving a feedback signal from the optical disk drive, and extracting measured information on the vibration characteristics from the feedback signal. A vibration measuring method is also disclosed.

Abstract: HDD boxes 831 to 83n are each incorporated with a secondary battery box 87, a non-isolated DC/DC converter 89, and an HDD 91. Logical circuit boards 851 to 85n are each incorporated with the secondary battery box 87, fast-transient-response-type non-isolated DC/DC converters 931 to 933, and a plurality of loads 951 to 953. Every secondary battery box 87 is provided with a charge/discharge circuit 97, and a plurality of in-line secondary batteries 99. In the HDD box, the output voltage from the secondary battery box 87 goes to an HDD 91 via the DC/DC converter 89. In the logical circuit board, the output voltage from the secondary battery box 87 goes to the corresponding loads 951 to 953 via the DC/DC converters 931 to 933. With such a structure, in a disk array apparatus, realized are higher energy efficiency and less space occupation through reducing power loss and optimizing power capacity setting for a backup power.

Abstract: In a state where vibration is constantly detected, a protection function by a vibration detection circuit loses effectiveness, and thereby there may possibly arise a malfunction of an off-track detection circuit due to a pseudo-generated off-track signal. An off-track detection circuit which is capable of preventing malfunction due to a pseudo-generated off-track signal and of maintaining stable reproduction even when being under vibration, is provided by constructing the circuit not to judge as off-track when a reproduction synchronization signal is detected.

Abstract: A drive for data storage includes a first component and a second component movable with respect to the first component. The drive also includes a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is in connection with the first component and is configured to detect movement of the first component. The second sensor is in connection with the second component and is configured to detect movement of the second component.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tilt controlling method and apparatus in which an FE signal track at a point where an RF signal is the maximum or an RE signal track at a point where a jitter is the minimum is detected as a tilt control signal to induct a DC component according to the disk shape and an AC component according to the surface vibration of the disk. Further, the fact is used that an RF envelope has a maximum value when the disk is parallel to an object lens or there is no tilt. Thus, in a tilt initialization step, a tilt track as the RF Max. is obtained for one rotation and the central potential of this track is set as a tilt control reference voltage, and when the RF envelope becomes a phase corresponding to a condition of a controller or a differential value of the RF envelope in the tilt window signal becomes a desired phase, tilt control is started so that the RF envelope always has the maximum value.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a disk drive that ensures quieter rotational acceleration of a recording disk. Certain embodiments relate to a hard disk drive that detects the vibration of an enclosure by monitoring, via a driver, a counter electromotive voltage generated in a voice coil motor. If the hard disk drive detects a predetermined level of vibration or higher in the enclosure, it switches the status of a drive signal applied to a spindle motor so as to reduce the current level or smooth the waveform. This ensures reduced vibration of the enclosure.

Abstract: A hologram apparatus comprises a vibration detection beam generation unit to apply a vibration detection beam, incoherent to the data and reference beams and to detect the presence/absence of vibrations, to the hologram recording medium; a light reception/determination unit to receive the vibration detection beam emitted from the medium after the beam is applied to and propagates through the medium and to determine whether the beam receiving position is within a preset range; and an interruption unit to interrupt at least one of the data and reference beams from being applied to the medium, when this unit has determined that the position of beam reception is not within the preset range.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control method and system (90) for a disc drive apparatus (1) in which, if the temperature of, for example, the laser is determined to be too high, the control unit (90) is arranged to either: 1) first cause the disc drive apparatus (1) to enter a duty cycle mode, in which the apparatus is alternately operative in a normal mode and an energy saving mode, and then, if the temperature is determined some predetermined time later to still be too high, cause the write speed of the apparatus to drop to the next available write speed, e.g. 16× to 12× or 10× to 8×, etc . . . , or 2) first cause the write speed of the apparatus to drop to the next available write speed, and then, if the temperature is determined some predetermined time later to still be too high, cause the disc drive apparatus 1 to enter a duty cycle mode as defined above.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus includes a rotary driving unit rotating an optical disk which is flexible, an optical pickup irradiating light upon a recording surface of the optical disk on which writing/reading of information is performed, a stabilizing unit stabilizing vibration of the optical disk in a rotary axial direction by using pressure difference of air flow at least on a portion where writing/reading is performed, and being disposed on a side of the optical disk opposite to a side on which the recording surface is provided, and a control-adjustment unit analyzing a value of a tracking error signal of the optical disk obtained by scanning along a groove of the optical disk with use of the optical pickup, comparing the analyzed value of the tracking error signal of the optical disk and a value priorly obtained by scanning along a groove of a standard disk prepared beforehand, and adjusting a positional relation between the optical disk and the stabilizing member in a three dimensional space according to t

Abstract: A method for determining an optimum writing power of a compact disc drive includes representing the relationship between a target read-back signal parameter and writing power as a polynomial function, which is stored in a database. The optimum writing power is obtained after at least one iteration of a writing test procedure. The test procedure includes utilizing a constant writing power.

Abstract: A system and methods for evaluating the response of an optical digital disk player to vibration encountered during playback of optical digital disks are provided. The system includes a simulator configured to provide digital simulated output signals simulating the output of an optical digital disk player encountering vibration during playback of an optical digital disk. The system also includes digital-to-analog converter circuitry to convert the digital simulated output signals to analog simulated output signals and provide the analog simulated output signals to processing circuitry. The processing circuitry generates control signals based on the value of the analog simulated output signals, and provides the control signals as outputs.