Abstract: An improved Wire-Ion-Plasma Electron-gun (WIP E-gun) is disclosed, having a very rapid electron beam current interruption capability. An auxiliary grid is employed to provide a potential barrier to the reservoir of plasma ions in the ionization chamber, thereby containing these ions in the chamber after the wire anode is turned "OFF". The E-gun current fall time is reduced to the time required for the plasma potential to fall in the ionization chamber after the wire anode is turned "OFF". The WIP E-gun current fall time is reduced, from greater than fifteen microseconds for devices not employing the invention, to less than two microseconds.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter system for converting a digital input signal having parallel words, each word including multi-bit groups of weighted significance, and which is provided at an input word rate of W Hz, is disclosed. The digital-to-analog converter system (10, 100, 200) includes pulse generating circuitry (11, 13, 111, 113, 211, 213) responsive to a first multi-bit group and a second multi-bit group of the digital input words for providing (a) a first pulse modulated signal as a function of the value of the first multi-bit group and (b) a second pulse modulated signal as a function of the value of the second multi-bit group; weighting elements (15, 19, 115, 119, 215, 219) for weighting the first and second pulse modulated signals as a function of the relative weighted significance of the first and second multi-bit groups; and output circuitry (20, 120, 220) for summing and filtering the weighted signals to provide an analog output signal that is representative of the digital input signal.

Abstract: A phase-locked frequency synthesizer (10) having a voltage controlled oscillator (40), a divider circuit (60), and a sample-and-hold phase detector (30, 80, 90, 100, 110) which includes sample-and-hold circuitry (FIG. 6) having variable efficiency. Specifically, the sample-and-hold circuitry provides a sampling pulse of variable width which is controlled to be wider during acquisition and narrower during steady-state operation.

Abstract: A transverse discharge excitation laser is disclosed which includes a dielectric structure (11, 13, 111, 113, 211, 213) for defining an elongated laser excitation cavity (27, 127, 231) suitable for containing a laser gas and maintaining a laser exciting discharge in the laser gas, and further includes opposing conductive electrodes (33, 41, 129, 133, 237, 245) adjacent the laser cavity. The electrodes are sufficiently small to produce a laser exciting discharge within a predetermined region of the laser cavity and to provide optimum efficiency for the desired mode of operation. The electrodes are particularly adjacent opposing walls of the cavity which have a width W, and at least one of the electrodes has a width which is less than the wall width W.

Abstract: A dual band array antenna is disclosed having interleaved waveguide and dipole arrays, each operating in a different frequency band. The orientation of the waveguides and dipoles is such that polarization of the signals of the two frequency bands is perpendicular to each other, thus reducing mutual coupling. The waveguides are used for the higher frequency band and their cutoff frequency is selected to be above the lower frequency band at which the dipoles operate, in order to reduce mutual coupling into the waveguides. In one embodiment the dipoles are printed on a substrate having a dielectric constant selected so that dipole spacing is the same as the waveguide spacing. This eliminates grating lobe formation in the radiation pattern of the waveguide array. A low pass filter is included in the dipole feed circuit to reject the frequencies at which the waveguides operate.

Abstract: A device is disclosed which simultaneously performs sync preamble correlation detection and frequency offset estimation functions for a spread spectrum receiver. The device performs a parallel frequency search, executed by a plurality of frequency sensitive circuit channels connected in parallel. These parallel circuit channels first apply phase corrections to the subcorrelator outputs and then linearly reintegrate the corrected outputs. In each channel the phase corrections applied to each successive subcorrelator output vary with the frequency offset subregions to which the channel is designed to match. By applying approximated phase corrections of 0.degree., 90.degree., 180.degree. or 270.degree. in lieu of the exact phase corrections required to remove the phase shift, the need for multiplication operations in the reintegration process is eliminated, as well as the need for storing large numbers of weighting coefficients.

Abstract: A bonding tool and clamp assembly is disclosed and includes an upper wire guide (23,51) and a bonding tool (17,75) having a short guide hole (45) adjacent the heel of the bonding tool foot (41). The bonding tool tip (17a) includes a clamping surface (47) adjacent the guide hole (45); and a clamp (21b,49b) is selectively forced toward the clamping surface (47) to clamp the bonding wire (39,77). The clamp (21b,49b) is biased toward the clamping surface by a spring (37,73), and is released from the clamping surface by an electromagnet (29,57).

Abstract: A flexural pivot structure useful in a wire bonding machine bonding head (10) is disclosed and includes first and second leaf spring assemblies (39,41) which provide a pivot axis (PA) displaced from the pivoting structure. Each leaf spring assembly includes leaf spring arms (39a,39b,41a,41b) extending outwardly from a central mounting position (39c,41c) so that each assembly forms a truncated vee. The center portions of the leaf springs are secured to a transducer bridge (25) in which a transducer (59) is mounted. The ends of the leaf springs are secured in a bracket (11) with respect to which the transducer (59) pivots about an axis located at the intersection of converging lines along the leaf springs (39a,39b,41a,41b) of each leaf spring assembly (39,41).

Abstract: A limiter amplifier having a pair of transistors connected in a common emitter, balanced push-pull amplifier type of circuit arrangement is disclosed. The transistors are interconnected by a series tuning capacitor at their emitters. A separate constant current source is connected to each of the emitters of the transistor pair. By selecting the value of the tuning capacitor to resonate with the inherent inductive component of the emitter source impedances in a particular frequency band, the limiter amplifier acts as a differential amplifier in the particular frequency band. The ac coupling of the emitters gives the limiter amplifier a bandpass filter type feature as well as high gain and low phase variation over large dynamic ranges of input signal amplitude. Impedance matching/buffer circuitry and isolation circuitry are also disclosed which permit the cascading of limiter amplifier gain stages.

Abstract: A thermally actuated rocket motor safety system has a fire temperature pyrotechnic sensor which ignites a gas generator (30) which drives piston (38) to the left. Firing pin (40) strikes the primer in transfer booster assembly (42). The transfer booster assembly transmits explosive energy through window (54) in now open block ring (50) to initiate charge (62) which lies adjacent the rocket motor case. This stresses the rocket motor case by producing a stress raising notch in the case wall. Subsequent grain burning opens the case to vent the rocket motor pressure. Inertia mass (70) slides to the right upon acceleration due to normal rocket motor firing and locks in the rightmost position by means of latch (82). In the locked position, inertia mass (70) prevents leftward motion of the firing pin (40).

Abstract: A connector 13 is provided with a rotationally spring-loaded coupling ring 21 having a set of thread segments 139 distributed around its front end. A pair of identical such connectors 13 may be quickly interlocked by pressing the connectors together and twisting their coupling rings in mutually opposite directions.Also disclosed is an alignment tube segment 47 which when interfitted with its identical counterpart forms an alignment tube for precisely maintaining a pair of contact bushings 111 on a single axis. A tool 211 designed to install such an alignment tube segment into the disclosed connector is also disclosed.

Abstract: A particular plastic material is formed into the desired component shape and then is plated by a process comprising; a particular surface preparation step, electroless deposition and electrolytic deposition which results in excellent plating adhesion. The plated component is then assembled with other components manufactured in the same manner or with compatible metal components such as aluminum and soldered together in a disclosed hot oil dip soldering process. In the soldering process, the plated plastic substrate is completely immersed in a hot oil medium at a temperature of approximately 243.degree. C. (470.degree. F.) for a time of approximately 60 seconds for solder reflow.

Abstract: A circuit for reducing noise and increasing the reliability of touch panels involves the use of a supplemental noise or electromagnetic interference pickup lead which extends generally coextensively with the parallel connected outputs from a series of successively coupled photodetectors and a high pass filter for substantially reducing the noise signals created by variations in the level of ambient light. When the photodetectors output is connected to one of the inputs of a differential operational amplifier, and the compensating pickup lead is connected to the opposite polarity other input, the noise is substantially cancelled out, and a cleaned-up photodetector pulse is provided. A pulse forming circuit squares up the photodetector output signal pulse; and a hysteresis type storage or buffer 15 circuit is employed to indicate the presence or absence of photodetector output signals, from successive photodectors, thereby indicating whether or not the light beams are interrupted either fully or partially.

Abstract: A pair of fiber optic termini is held securely in axially-aligned engagement by snapping it into the bifurcated arms of a U-shaped spring clip from which it can be readily removed for rapid disconnection.

Abstract: A solid state microwave power combiner is disclosed having a central combining cavity with a plurality of coaxial oscillator circuits disposed about and coupled to the cavity. The oscillator circuits are oriented such that their longitudinal axes are parallel with the central axis of the combining cavity. They alternate in configuration about the cavity such that adjacent oscillator circuits have their power generating diodes located on opposite sides of the cavity. In one embodiment, the coaxial lines used in the oscillator circuits have two parts of different sizes. The oscillator circuits are oriented about the cavity so that the smaller sized coaxial line part of one is adjacent the larger sized coaxial line part of the next. Both rectangular and circular combining cavities are disclosed.

Abstract: A self-calibration technique which provides detector responsivity normalization for a charge-coupled device, hereinafter referred to as CCD, area imager. The CCD area imager is designed such that the detectors can be electrically decoupled from CCD multiplex register inputs. Calibration reference and gain normalization are provided by a pulsed light source and an analog divider circuit. This technique is applicable to both CCD visible imagers which are fabricated on an intrinsic semiconductor substrate and CCD infrared imagers which can be fabricated on an extrinsic or intrinsic substrate. The technique is applied to a visible imager for illustration of its self-calibration capability.

Abstract: An analog phase interpolator for use in Fractional-N frequency synthesis is disclosed. The interpolator employs a precision gating circuit adapted to generate analog signals indicative of a precisely determined time interval. The signals switch a precision correction current to precisely compensate for the phase detector "beat note" to reduce the magnitude of FM spurious signals. The time interval is inversely proportional to the synthesizer output frequency and the gating circuit automatically compensates for changes in the output frequency. The precision gating circuit includes a prescaler circuit for prescaling the output signal frequency to provide a clock signal, and is responsive to an "initiate" pulse to provide two pulses delayed by a predetermined number of clock signal periods. A very high degree of time integrity exists in the relation of the edges of the two pulses.

Abstract: A method for preparing ultra-pure metal tetrafluorides in which 3d such as Fe impurities are separated from impure material by a combined vaporization-electrolytic separation procedure. Sublimation and distillation methods are disclosed in combination with electrolytic separation by both emf-series displacement (ESD) and direct melt electrolysis (DME).

Abstract: A generally rectangular waveguide antenna has two narrow side walls connected to two broad walls. One of the broad walls takes the form of a conventional rectangular ridged wall. The other broad wall is curved with the arc of the curve extending substantially the full width of the wall. The antenna has an open end and a closed end. The end of the curved broad wall extends beyond the end of the rectangular ridge wall at the open end of the antenna. The two narrow sidewalls are cut at an angle, at the open end, to join the shorter ridged wall and the extended curved wall.

Abstract: A hand held tool 211 for inserting or removing a fiber optic contact alignment tube segment 47 into a fiber optic connector 13. The tool includes a hollow shaft 215 anchored in a knob 213 and extending coaxially through a cylindrical chamber in the knob. A core 225 having an axial bore extending therethrough resides rotatably in the chamber, with the post acting as its shaft. A shroud 235 extends from the core 225 and has an arcuate slot 237 near its tip. When an alignment tube segment 47 is inserted in the hollow post 221 and the shaft 215 is turned 180.degree. relative to the core 225, an enlarged portion 48-2 of the base of the tube segment 47 enters into and is captured by the slot 237. The tool may then be inserted into a connector whose front end mirrors the front end of the tool 211. When the knob 213 is again turned 180.degree.