Abstract: A pad configuration for surface mounted components having contact pads along the periphery thereof includes a plurality of interior pads distributed in a grid with the period of interior pads being three quarters of the period of the peripheral pads multiplied by an integer greater than 1.

Abstract: Switched line phase shifters are provided with an increased operating frequency range for a given level of phase setting accuracy by providing increased-resolution phase shifters and by translating phase commands in accordance with the center frequency of the signal to be phase shifted.

Abstract: Microwave couplers such as power splitters and combiners for coupling a common terminal to two branch terminals are disclosed which are compact and provide gain. Each leg of the branching circuit comprises a dual gate FET device. The dual gate FET device has its first gate connected to receive an input signal, its second gate biased and terminated in accordance with the phase shift desired from that FET device and its drain coupled to provide an output signal. Where equal phases are desired from both legs, the second gates of all of the FET devices are capacitively terminated. Where a differential phase shift is desired over the two legs, the second gate of the FET device in one leg is capacitively terminated and the second gate of the FET device in the other leg is inductively terminated. The bias voltages on the second gates are preferably selected to produce the same gain for both.

Abstract: The inclusion of split power buses in standard cells enables the modification of IC performance through separate control over the width of the power bus and the size of active devices within the cell. This allows problems such as excessive voltage drop on power buses, insufficient power handling capability within the cell, excessive current consumption within the cell and so forth, to be corrected without major redesign of the cells or the IC.

Abstract: A universal array of the type designed for automatic computer aided design of its customizing conductive layer is easily scaled to change the number of devices in the array. The array comprises an inner region having first direction extending rows of originally uncommitted device cells. Each row of cells is powered from first direction extending row power buses. These rows of cells are spaced apart in a second, perpendicular, direction by interleaved first type wiring corridors. The inner region is surrounded by an outer region including second type wiring corridors and peripheral cells. The second type wiring corridors space at least some peripheral cells from the inner region. The second type corridors include second-direction-extending inner-region-supplying power buses which connect to cell row power buses and wiring roadways spaced from the inner region by the inner buses. The wiring roadways are free of row power buses.

Abstract: A millimeter wave reflection phase shifter employs a fin-line structure within a waveguide network which has a central leg and four arms which together form two symmetric Y-junctions. The fin-line forms a septum within the waveguide and includes a conductive layer having a central gap or slot therein which extends along the leg and into each of the arms. Means for shorting the slot arms disposed at one end of the leg controls the phase shift experienced by a signal propagating through the phase shifter. This phase shifter may provide multiple selectable phase shifts.

Abstract: The configuration of a waveguide antenna feed is determined by a shaped body of solid dielectric material which is coated with a conductive material. The conductive material functions as a waveguide wall for constraining electromagnetic wave propagation within the dielectric body. The body includes a mode converter and a coupler to a lead-in structure. A polarization converter, if desired, can be integral with the dielectric body.

Abstract: A toll for melting solder on the contacts of a surface mounted electronic component and on the corresponding contacts of a printed circuit substrate to which it is to be soldered or from which it is to be de-soldered. The tool includes a conduit for conducting hot gas to the contacts. A diverter located in the interior of the conduit deflects hot gas away from the top of the surface mounted component and confines the hot gas to the periphery of the component.

Abstract: A gate controlled semiconductor device comprises a cathode region having a current defocusing region associated therewith. The defocusing region is unmetallized but substantially completely surrounded by cathode metallization. The defocusing region comprises only a relatively small percentage of the total cathode region and conducts current during the on-state of the device. However, during turn-off of the device substantially all of the conducting plasma is forced to flow in the defocusing region.

Abstract: An N-way, lumped element, matched, isolated branch power divider in planar form is disclosed. Lumped inductors are disposed on the top surface of a dielectric substrate, an isolation resistor network is disposed on the bottom surface of the substrate and the substrate is suspended above a ground conductor by lumped element capacitors. The capacitance values of the capacitors and the inductance values of the inductors are selected to provide between the common terminal and each branch terminal a lumped element .pi. network transmission line having a phase shift of about 90.degree. at frequencies within an operating range of frequencies.

Abstract: A one-piece array antenna dipole radiating element is formed from a wide, thin conductor. This element is suitable for attachment to a microstrip or other feed circuit. The radiation element includes a dipole portion, a balanced transmission line portion and a balun portion. These various portions are formed by providing an appropriately shaped slot in the thin conductor.

Abstract: A mode converter is disclosed which selectively generates a predetermined higher order mode(s) from an incident fundamental mode. This mode converter comprises a dielectric region having an effective-dielectric-constant/thickness profile which is the same as the amplitude profile of the desired higher order mode(s).

Abstract: A one-piece array antenna folded dipole radiating element is formed from a wide, thin conductor. This element is suitable for attachment to a microstrip or other feed circuit. The radiation element includes a folded dipole portion, a balanced transmission line portion and may include a balun portion. These various portions are formed by providing an appropriately shaped slot or aperture in the thin conductor.

Abstract: A self-calibrated neutron radiation monitor includes a flux responsive element comprised of intrinsic silicon neutron detectors and self-calibration resistors in a single structure. As the resistance of the flux responsive element increases to the value of successive calibration resistors, known increments of flux have been encountered.

Abstract: Leadless chip carriers (LCCs) are pretinned using wave soldering equipment. A magnetic fixture having a coating of material which is non-solderable provides a plurality of LCC retention locations. The LCC retention locations are configured to ensure free solder-wave access to all edges of the chip carriers disposed thereon and to substantially prevent the dislodging of the chip carriers by the forces of the solder wave.

Abstract: A three-horn microwave feed produces a near ideal aperture width ratio of 2:1 for the difference and sum modes of aperture illumination. Three horns are utilized, each of which supports propagation of at least two modes. Sum and difference components are present in all three horns in response to signals applied to both sum and difference ports of the feed and sum illumination components are present in all three horns in response to signals applied to only the sum port of the feed.

Abstract: A high optical quality corner is produced on a cleaved crystal which may include a stripe or surface optical waveguide by making a fracture initiation mark along only a portion of the surface intercept of the desired cleavage plane with a first of two major surfaces of the crystal and then tensioning the first major surface of the crystal to fracture the crystal along the desired cleavage plane beginning at the fracture initiation mark. This produces a high optical quality corner along a portion of the intersection of the newly cleaved surface with the major surface of the crystal. This high optical quality corner is located where no fracture initiation mark was made and enables the crystal to be used in as-cleaved form for end-fire coupling between its waveguide and an external waveguide such as an optical fiber.

Abstract: A sensor circuit includes a measurement signal generator which includes a sensing element having an impedance which varies in response to changes in a sensed parameter. The sensor circuit also includes a reference signal generator, a comparator and a variable impedance connected in circuit with the measurement signal generator for loading the measurement signal generator. The comparator produces a control signal for activating a control system when the measurement signal has a predetermined relationship to the reference signal. The variable impedance renders the sensor circuit fail-safe. An abnormal (failure) operating condition of the sensor element which would cause the measurement signal to have the predetermined relationship to the reference signal, instead causes the variable impedance to load the measurement signal generator to force it to generate an override measurement signal.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling signals between a signal source at a first terminal, a device under test at a second terminal and a metering means at a third terminal where the device under test may be either a source of signals or a load, provides signals at the first terminal to the second terminal and to the third terminal in one condition and in a second condition provides signals from the second terminal to the third terminal and isolates the first terminal from signals at the second terminal.

Abstract: A waveguide dimensioned for fundamental mode operation over a given frequency range is rendered substantially dispersionless by including within the waveguide a thin dielectric slab extending parallel to the E-field of the fundamental mode and having a dielectric constant of at least 4 and a thickness across the E-field ranging between 0.01 and 0.25 guide wavelengths at the center frequency of the given range. Appropriate thicknesses for a dielectric member having a given dielectric constant can be selected to provide overcompensation. The series connection of appropriate lengths of an overcompensated waveguide and uncompensated waveguide yield an overall waveguide having a substantially dispersionless characteristic.