Abstract: An oscillator assembly includes a substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of side surfaces. At least one of the side surfaces has at least one castellation which is covered with conductive material and includes a lower end spaced from the bottom surface of the substrate. The space is defined by an elongate groove in the side surface which is devoid of conductive material and extends between the lower end of the castellation and the bottom surface of the substrate to eliminate the risk of a short circuit with any of the connection pads on a customer's motherboard. The oscillator assembly further incorporates an oscillator circuit in which a current limiting resistor is located in series between the power supply and the heater control circuit.

Abstract: A duplex filter includes a core of dielectric material with top, bottom, and side surfaces, and first and second spaced-apart sets of through-holes extending therethrough. A wall extends outwardly from the top surface to define a peripheral rim and cavity. A pattern of metallized and unmetallized areas are defined on selected core surfaces including strips of metallization on the top surface that extend onto the wall and the peripheral rim thereof to define respective transmit, receive, and antenna connection posts. In one embodiment, the core is made from two separate blocks which have been coupled together to define an interior metallized layer which separates the first and second sets of through-holes and an exterior wall on the top surface separates the respective transmit and receive conductive patterns thereon.

Abstract: An RF filter assembly comprising a monoblock of dielectric material defining a first RF filter and a lid of dielectric material defining a second RF filter. In one embodiment, the monoblock defines a peripheral wall of dielectric material extending upwardly from a top surface thereof and first and second posts of dielectric material also extending upwardly from the top surface of the monoblock including regions of metallization thereon defining respective conductive input/output pads. The lid is seated against the top of the wall of the monoblock in a relationship spaced from the top surface of the monoblock and defines at least one region of metallization on one of the surfaces thereof defining a filter and a conductive input/output pad in coupling relationship with the input/output pad defined on one of the first and second posts on the monoblock.

Abstract: An electrical signal filter defined by a block of dielectric material with a top surface, a bottom surface, side surfaces, and through-holes extending between the top and bottom surfaces. In one embodiment, a plurality of walls extend outwardly from the top surface to define a peripheral rim and filter cavity. A pattern of metallized and unmetallized areas is defined on selected surfaces of the block including an area of metallization that covers at least a portion of the top surface and at least one of the walls to define at least one input/output electrode on the wall. In one embodiment, a pair of input/output electrodes are formed on a pair of posts defined on one of the walls and the filter is adapted for mounting to a printed circuit board with the rim of the walls against the board and the posts coupled to respective input and output pads on the board.

Abstract: An assembly for retaining a board such as a printed circuit board in the groove of a plate such as a cold plate. The retaining assembly includes an elongate open bracket or sleeve defining an interior channel which houses an elongate rod and an elongate cradle for the rod. In one embodiment, the cradle is defined by a separate beam which is seated in the channel and the open bracket is a generally U-shaped unitary strip of material which includes a flexible wall which is deflected outwardly in response to rotation of the rod into engagement with an interior wall of the cold plate for locking the board in the groove of the cold plate. The open bracket also includes a securement wall opposite the flexible wall which, in one embodiment, is secured to the cold plate.

Abstract: A method of making a ceramic waveguide delay line includes the step of providing several slices or slabs of dielectric material, each including a layer of metal material applied to respective opposed side surfaces thereof. The slices are then fired in an oven to fuse the layers of metal material to the slices. The slices are then stacked together to form a core which is then dried and subsequently fired. An area of metal material is applied to the outer surface of the core. The core is subsequently dried and fired in an oven.

Abstract: A ceramic monoblock filter including a direct signal path defined by at least four spaced-apart through-hole resonators in combination with ground bars extending between the through-hole resonators and a separate quadruplet cross-coupling alternate signal path defined by two conductive pads located adjacent the first and fourth ones of the through-hole resonators respectively and a separate external bridge member which interconnects and couples the two pads. The bridge member is preferably made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than the block of the filter. In one embodiment, the filter is a monoblock duplexer filter comprising respective transmit and receive sections each including at least four of the through-hole resonators, the ground bars, the two pads, and the bridge member. In the duplexer embodiment, additional through-hole resonators may define shunt zeros.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing the position of an object includes a magnet and a magnetic flux sensor. The magnet has dimensions that include a length, a width and a height. The magnet is adapted to generate a flux field. The flux field has a magnitude of flux and a flux direction. The flux direction changes along at least one of the dimensions. The magnetic flux sensor is mounted adjacent the magnet. The magnet provides a rotating magnetic field vector. A method for magnetizing a magnet to create the rotating magnetic field vector is also disclosed.

Abstract: An oscillator assembly including an oscillator seated on a pad of thermally conductive material formed on the surface of a printed circuit board and covered by a lid defining an oven for the oscillator. In one embodiment, a plurality of heaters are located on different sides of the oscillator and at least partially seated on the pad for evenly transferring heat to the pad and the oscillator. In one embodiment, the oscillator is a temperature compensated crystal oscillator and an integrated amplifier controller circuit on the printed circuit board integrates at least one operational amplifier for controlling the heater(s) and one or more transistors for providing heat to the oven. A canopy seated on the pad and covering the oscillator can be used for transferring heat more evenly to the oscillator. A cavity in the bottom of the printed circuit board defines an insulative air pocket.

Abstract: An RF module adapted for direct surface mounting to the top surface of the front end of the motherboard of a picocell. The module comprises a printed circuit board having a plurality of direct surface mounted electrical components defining respective signal transmit and receive sections for RF signals. The signal transmit section is defined by at least a transmit bandpass filter, a power amplifier, an isolator, a coupler, and a duplexer. The signal receive section is defined by at least the duplexer, a receive low pass filter, a low-noise amplifier, and a receive bandpass filter. A lid covers selected ones of the electrical components except for at least the power amplifier. A plurality of through-holes defined in the printed circuit board below the amplifier allow for the dissipation of heat created by the amplifier. At least one aperture in the board is adapted to accept a screw or the like for securing the module to the motherboard of the picocell.

Abstract: A filter including at least two resonator through-holes defining apertures in the top surface surrounded by respective plates which in combination with associated through-holes define primary and secondary shunt zeros providing low ripple and high rejection adjacent the bandpass. In one embodiment, the through-hole of the primary shunt zero is coupled directly to an input/output pad, while the through-hole of the secondary shunt zero is indirectly coupled to the input/output pad via a coupling bar extending between the input/output pad and the secondary shunt zero. In another embodiment, the secondary shunt zero may be coupled directly to the input/output pad. In a further embodiment, additional resonator through-holes in combination with associated plates define additional shunt zeros coupled directly or indirectly to the input/output pad.

Abstract: A ball grid array ceramic resonator including a substrate having one or more strips of conductive material on opposed first and second surfaces of the substrate. One or more conductive vias extend through the substrate and define termination ends in the respective substrate surfaces. In one embodiment, a plurality of conductive spheres/balls defining respective ground pads are disposed over the ends of said vias terminating in said one or more strips of conductive material on said first or second surface and another conductive sphere is disposed over one of the strips of conductive material to define an RF signal input pad.

Abstract: A delay filter module comprising at least one dielectric boneblack ceramic band pass filter and a circuit for compensating/equalizing the signal delay produced by the delay filter. In one embodiment, the circuit is defined by a hybrid coupler defining at least two ports coupled to a dielectric ceramic reactive termination block defining at least a pair of reactive termination resonators and coupling capacitors. The delay can be adjusted by tuning the dielectric boneblack band pass filter and/or the reactive termination resonators and/or the coupling capacitors defined by the dielectric ceramic reactive termination block.

Abstract: An accelerator pedal assembly that provides a hysteresis in pedal force-response upon actuation is provided. The accelerator pedal assembly includes a housing, an elongated pedal arm terminating at one end in a rotatable drum defining a curved braking surface, a brake pad having a curved contact surface substantially complementary to the braking surface and a bias spring device operably situated between the pedal arm and the brake pad. The pedal arm is rotatably mounted to the housing such that the curved braking surface rotates as the pedal moves. The brake pad defines a primary pivot axis and is pivotably mounted for frictional engagement with the braking surface. The bias spring serves to urge the contact surface of the brake pad into frictional engagement with the braking surface of the drum.

Abstract: A ceramic monoblock filter incorporating a top face input/output port metallization pattern defining an input/output transmission line, a power load distribution bar, and a ground plate. The transmission line, power load distribution bar, and ground plate are all positioned and oriented relative to each other and two of the resonators defining the filter to define load splitting capacitors providing increased power load handling characteristics.

Abstract: An RF module adapted for direct surface mounting to the top surface of the front end of the motherboard of a wireless base station such as, for example, a femtocell. The module comprises a printed circuit board having a plurality of direct surface mounted electrical components defining respective signal transmit and receive sections for RF signals. The signal transmit section is defined by at least a power amplifier, a coupler, and a lowpass filter. The signal receive section is defined by at least a receive bandpass filter and a low-noise amplifier. A lid covers selected ones of the electrical components except for at least the power amplifier. An RF switch is located between and interconnects the respective transmit and receive sections to an antenna pin.

Abstract: An ovenized oscillator package including at least a heater and a crystal package mounted on opposite sides of a circuit board. Vias extend through the body of the circuit board to transfer heat from the heater to the crystal package. Layers of thermally conductive material extend through the body of the circuit board and are in thermally coupled relationship with the vias for spreading heat throughout the circuit board and other elements mounted thereon.

Abstract: An oscillator having improved frequency stability which includes an oscillator circuit and an SC-cut resonator connected with the oscillator circuit. The SC-cut resonator has a first turning point. A temperature compensation circuit is connected with the oscillator circuit. The temperature compensation circuit is adapted to adjust a reference frequency generated by the oscillator circuit according to a frequency response associated with a second turning point of an AT-cut resonator.

Abstract: A ball grid array ceramic filter including a substrate having a ground layer of conductive material disposed over one of the surfaces thereof and a plurality of strips of conductive material on the other of the substrate surfaces defining resonators adapted to receive and pass RF signals. A plurality of vias extend through the substrate and define opposed ends terminating in the respective substrate surfaces. In one embodiment, a plurality of conductive spheres defining respective ground and RF signal input/output pads are disposed on the substrate surface with the ground layer thereon. Certain of the vias couple the resonators to the ground layer while others of the vias couple the resonators to respective spheres adapted for coupling to the respective RF signal input/output contacts on the top surface of a printed circuit board to which the filter is adapted to be direct surface mounted.

Abstract: A ceramic monoblock filter including a direct signal path defined by at least four spaced-apart through-hole resonators in combination with ground bars extending between the through-hole resonators and a separate quadruplet cross-coupling alternate signal path defined by two conductive pads located adjacent the first and fourth ones of the through-hole resonators respectively and a separate external bridge member which interconnects and couples the two pads. The bridge member is preferably made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than the block of the filter. In one embodiment, the filter is a monoblock duplexer filter comprising respective transmit and receive sections each including at least four of the through-hole resonators, the ground bars, the two pads, and the bridge member. In the duplexer embodiment, additional through-hole resonators may define shunt zeros.