Abstract: An additive plating bath and process are described for use in printed circuit manufacturing for applying copper to thick film patterns, said bath includes a low concentration of sulfuric acid, copper sulfate, urea, glycerin and a surface active agent in an aqueous solution.

Abstract: A technique for one step solder application through a mask to a printed circuit board (PCB) having pads for surface mountable components and through holes for a leaded components is disclosed wherein the amount of solder deposited on the pads and in the holes is simultaneously, independently controlled as a function of mask thickness, blade hardness and blade to mask angle.

Abstract: Improved tape automated bonding (TAB) packaging technology is disclosed having particular utility with semiconductor integrated circuit chips having high gate count and I/O requirements, utilizing a polymer layer of the package to support decoupling capacitor(s) mounted across power and ground leads connecting the chip and internal planes of a printed circuit board to which the TAB package is attached.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed for automatically applying uniform amounts of oily lubricant to electrical contact tabs on one or more edges on one or both sides of a printed circuit card, simultaneously, by conveying the card past one or more lubrication stations in wiping contact with free rolling rollers adapted for contacting a wick continuously supplied with lubricant.

Abstract: A process for preparing aluminum alloy substrates for use in electrical packaging includes anodizing in an aqueous bath solution containing sulfuric acid, citric acid, urea, and ammoniated colloidal silica; the latter three components being a complexing agent, a leveling agent and a stabilizing agent, respectively, so as to result in an oxide layer having an amorphous structure which eliminates the necessity of sealing thick anodic coating.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for excising and forming tape mounted electronic devices in an automated fashion so that as the tape bearing the components is fed past a punch and die set, each frame bearing an electronic component is precisely aligned and the electronic component has its leads simultaneously excised from the tape and formed in a predetermined configuration, in a self aligning zero clearance punch and die set, the device so excised being then transferred to a presentation area for pickup for subsequent assembly operations.

Abstract: Alignment of leaded surface mount components to solder pads is enhanced by providing at least two soldered areas per lead, separated by a space of non-wettable material so that during component placement on the soldered areas there is a tendency for the components to self center as the leads fall between the raised soldered areas where they are retained during a reflow operation.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed for use in a computer controlled factory environment which includes workstations and automated vehicles servicing those workstations for monitoring the status of a plurality of system devices and reporting same, on demand, to the control computer in a predetermined sequence manner which minimizes control computer involvement in polling and buffering operations and optimizes vehicle movement.

Abstract: There is disclosed a technique for improving user perceived quality of an LCD device comprising optimizing the electrode width and inter-electrode spacing, and simultaneously causing inter-electrode spaces and information to appear dark while the background appears bright.

Abstract: A solder preform and technique for making same is disclosed for use in a one time flux process for attaching electronic modules to printed circuit substrates via plated through holes or surface mount pads.

Abstract: A packaging technique for finely leaded electronic devices for attachment by surface methods to printed circuit boards is disclosed wherein the leads are imbedded in solder foil prior to the completion of lead forming operations so as to maintain planarity of the leads and to prevent damage thereto during handling, placement and attachment processes.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed for attaching a variety of device types to the same side of a printed circuit board including a single solder application step for both surface mountable and leaded components, placement of the devices, drying of the solder and solder reflow.

Abstract: A process for making printed circuit cards is disclosed wherein a copper clad, insulating substrate having a layer of copper from which circuitry lines and patterns will be fabricated, is coated with a thin layer of nickel prior to forming any circuit patterns.

Abstract: A composite substrate suitable for use as substrates for printed circuitry to which surface mountable components may be attached is disclosed. The substrate material comprises an alloy having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, to which aluminum is laminated and which is subsequently surface treated to produce a dielectric layer suitable to receive printed circuitry.

Abstract: In a word processing system, a text stream is stored on a direct access storage device (DASD) for recall and editing. The text stream is organized into a document that is stored on the DASD as a data set. The data set comprises an index portion and a portion containing text records. The index portion is divided into nodes, of which the primary node is called the root node. A method called shadowing is introduced to protect index nodes from the loss of significant data. Status indicators are defined and maintained so that access to a data set for normal system operation may be prevented where there is significant chance that the data set index has errors or is inconsistent to the extent that the normal high performance access method routines may not be able to use the index or may cause inadvertent loss of valid text data.

Abstract: An application programming interface enables system hardware resources to interact with application programs to provide a plurality of signal processing functions. Conflicting resource requirements by the application programs are detected. An application may preempt a currently executing application by claiming the hardware resources currently in use. The application from which resources have been claimed is identified so that it may be resumed when the required resources become once again available. Before the resources from a given application are claimed by another application, the user is provided a warning so that he may alter the order in which the applications are run.

Abstract: A memory array associated with a display can be accessed in either one of two substantially orthogonal directions. The memory array is structured so that it may be accessed, such as for reading or writing, in either the horizontal or vertical direction. Pel position representations in the array are arranged so that vertically sequential pel positions in a given column are represented by data in sequential memory modules rather than by data in the same memory module. Likewise, horizontally sequential pels in a given row are represented by data in sequential modules rather than in the same module. The memory array is comprised of a plurality of separate memory modules and is structured so that both x and y directional accessing into and out of the array is accomplished on a bit addressable x,y field. This enables any bit string in the array to be addressed and to be read from or written into the array in either the x or y direction.

Abstract: An improved thermal management technique is disclosed for use in semiconductor device packaging utilizing ultrasonic welding to attach aluminum wires of predetermined diameter at one end directly to preselected hot spots on the device and at the other end to thermally conductive package elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for phase and frequency locking a reference oscillator to an incoming modulated signal. The method and apparatus enable the carrier recovery of the incoming modulated signal. Phase and frequency locking devices are connected in feedback loops with a coherent detector that determine the amount of phase and frequency error between the reference oscillator of the coherent detector and the incoming modulated signal. The feedback loops correct such frequency and phase error so as to enable the reference oscillator to be in phase and frequency step with the modulated signal.