Abstract: A cross-tie random access memory comprising: a thin film magneto-resistive material having spaced memory locations defining memory elements, the thin film being configured for each memory element to include, when the memory element is in one binary state, a plurality of contiguous magnetic domains, each having a direction extending in the plane of the thin film, each memory element being configured, when the memory element is in the other state, to include a reverse path portion within each of the plurality of magnetic domains having a direction extending in the plane of the film, each path portion being bounded on one side by a Bloch-line and on the opposite side by a cross-tie.

Abstract: An apparatus for printed wiring board assembly provides for the populating with components of a printed wiring board having at least one adjacent pair of pad rows onto which solder has been deposited. A curable adhesive strip is applied between the adjacent pair of pad rows. The adhesive strip has a first adhesive side which adheres to the printed wiring board and an opposed, second adhesive side onto which the components are selectively mounted so that the component's leads are aligned with the pad rows. A predetermined constant force is applied to the components and the adhesive strip is cured. The apparatus supports the printed wiring board and maintains a predetermined constant force on the components. A frame defining a generally U-shaped member has an upper and a lower surface. The U-shaped member has a slot therein for receiving the printed wiring board therein. An upper and a lower cover member are removably secured to the U-shaped member to generally enclose the printed wiring board.

Abstract: A cross tie random access memory has spaced binary memory elements of thin film magneto-resistive material. A source, drain, and channel under each memory element forms a transistor with the thin film memory element which acts as the gate of the transistor. Circuitry is provided to write in and read out a data bit in the addressed binary memory element by providing current under only the memory element being addressed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for depositing solder onto component lead pads of a printed wiring board. Solder preforms which are multi-layer, solder containing members are positively biased against the pwb pad which is then introduced into a vapor phase environment defining a temperature gradient between approximately ambient and the temperature of a saturated vapor of a first selected fluid which defines a primary saturated vapor phase with a boiling point which is greater than the melting point of solder. A second fluid having a boiling point which is lower than the first fluid is utilized to generate a secondary vapor blanket in order to prevent excessive loss of the fluid defining the primary vapor phase. The pwb is heated according to a controlled process in which the temperature of the pwb is continuously monitored.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical manifold permitting a single pumping source to be utilized to selectively pump a plurality of laser sources. Switching of the emission from the pumping source to the laser source is accomplished by a plurality of FTIR switches. A second group of FTIR switches is utilized to switch the output beams of the laser sources to a common output path.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a broad spectrum signal provides improved performance on high-noise, sloped, high variation signals by calculating separate low and high frequency average signal levels and determining low and high frequency bandwidth limits referenced to the low and high frequency average signal levels respectively. The method may be practiced using a computer system interfaced to a programmable spectrum analyzer.

Abstract: Coupling module for use with phased-array antenna systems. The module includes separate phase shifters for the transmit and receive paths through the module. The transmit path also includes a power amplifier and the receive path includes a small signal, low noise amplifier. The two paths are coupled to the antenna radiating element by a transmit-receive switch or by a microwave circulator. A conducting septum is located between the devices in the transmit and receive paths to increase the isolation between the two paths. The individual phase shifters are optimized for unidirectional flow of comparatively large or small microwave signals and for the degree of desired phase shift resolution. By using vector modulators for the phase shift devices, the amplitude of the signal in the path can be compensated for temperature and frequency variations in the path.

Abstract: Electroacoustic resonating apparatus capable of generating resonances of tunable frequencies. The apparatus includes two transducers coupled to a ferrimagnetic substrate at opposite ends thereof. The first transducer converts an input signal into a signal that produces bulk acoustic waves in the ferrimagnetic substrate. The second transducer receives the bulk acoustic waves and converts them into electrical signals, or alternatively a single transducer which performs both input and output functions. Variable magnetizing means located proximate to the ferromagnetic substrate induces a magnetic field throughout the substrate wherein the magnetic field alters the frequencies of the resonance of the acoustic waves. By varying the magnitude of the magnetic field, the frequencies of the resonances may be varied, thereby allowing tuning of the apparatus.

Abstract: An end effector, which is adapted to be disposed on a movable industrial manipulator arm, is capable of placing a holed object having an opening therethrough onto a stud member. The end effector includes a tool adapted to centrally releasably support the holed object and a support mount slidingly connected to the tool for mounting the tool to the industrial manipulator arm. A first sensing system is utilized for sensing when the holed object has been aligned with, and is disposed about, the stud member, and a second sensing system is used for sensing when the holed object is misaligned with the stud member. A third sensing system is provided for determining the amount of misalignment between the holed object and the stud member in one of two planar directions, and a fourth sensing system is included for determining the amount of misalignment between the holed object and the stud member in the other of the two planar directions.

Abstract: A method of correcting for focus errors or higher order errors, or various combinations thereof, in the final image effected by the processing of a radar. With regard to correcting focus errors, the method coherently combines the signal focus data from selected target time histories derived by a first stage processor of the radar to form a complex signal representative of the average focus error of the radar image. From the phase of the complex signal is derived a set of focus error compensation signals which are used to compensate for focus errors in the target time histories derived by the first stage processor. With regard to the higher order error correction, the method coherently combines the signal data from selected target time histories derived by the first stage processor by shifting the phase and frequency centroids of each complex signal thereof to a common value. Light filtering may be provided to remove wide band noise with a linear phase filter.

Abstract: A method of tuning a microwave integrated circuit by trimming desired film-type circuit patterns included therein by a cold-pressure bonding technique is disclosed. More specifically, intercoupled circuit patterns are formed on a semi-insulating substrate with some circuit patterns having impedance characteristics of a desired nominal value. Each circuit pattern may comprise a plurality of conductive paths of malleable metal. Gaps are provided at appropriately chosen places in the conductive paths of predetermined circuit patterns. Selected ones of the gaps of the conductive paths are bridged to adjust the impedance characteristics of the associated predetermined circuit pattern by wiping with a probe the malleable metal of the conductive path at one end of the gap, across the gap to make contact with the malleable metal of the conductive path at the other end of the gap.

Abstract: A printed circuit board is described in which an electrically insulating laminate material has first and second sides. An electrically conducting first circuit pattern is embedded in the first side of the laminate material, and an electrically conducting second circuit pattern is embedded in the second side of the laminate material electrically insulated from the first circuit pattern by the laminate material. A solid interconnection member extends through the laminate material and electrically contacts both the first and second circuit patterns at selected locations thereof.The method for fabricating the board includes as a first step the fabrication of a first board panel having a raised electrically conducting first circuit pattern extending from a base layer of conductive material.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package carrier is disclosed which is useful to carry to variety of different sized integrated circuit packages and which is useful for a greater number of flexures. The carrier device comprises a carrier body with an opening extending through the carrier body. A pair of beams are carried by the carrier body and are disposed within the opening, with each of the beams comprising a beam body portion and a connection spring at each end of the beam body portion for connecting the beam body portion to the carrier body and for biasing the beam body portions towards each other. A beam accepting aperture is disposed longitudinally outwardly of each of the beams, and a shaped retainer extends upwardly from each of the beams and inwardly towards the other of the beams.

Abstract: A large scale integrated circuit package and test assembly wherein a chip is mounted on an insulating package substrate, and the package substrate is easily demountably connectable on a circuit test board. An alignment and electrical connector member bridges between the substrate conductors and the printed circuit board conductors. An elastomeric member is aligned over the alignment and electrical connector and compressed by a cover plate to make the electrical connection between the substrate and the printed circuit board. A plurality of such circuit package can be mounted upon a large area test board, and each of the individual circuit packages can be tested during system analysis.

Abstract: An electronically steerable phased array radar antenna system for transmitting and receiving broadband linear FM signals is detailed. The antenna comprises a plurality of subarrays, each of which are connected by circulator means to a transmit-receive module. The highly linearized FM waveform is fed to the transmit-receive module, and a CW waveform is fed to a phase shifter in the module. The phase shifter applies a frequency offset to the CW waveform which is then added to the linear FM wideband signal for each antenna subarray. This frequency offset serves a beam steering function and can be considered a synthetic time delay.

Abstract: Method for determining and using clutter estimates in a radar clutter map. The method does not require synchronization of the transmitted radar pulses with the azimuth coordinates of the map cells. Data inputs close to each map azimuth location are used to estimate the echo amplitude in the map cell which would result if the antenna beam was pointing directly at the clutter when one data sample occurred. A burst of pulses are transmitted and return echoes are processed to produce clutter signals at least twice within the time it takes for the antenna to scan one beamwidth. Clutter echoes received adjacent in azimuth to the map cell for which the value is being calculated are converted by a formula into a value for adjusting the present map cell value. The formula takes into consideration the magnitude of the values, the difference between the values, the antenna beam width, and the azimuth spacing of the samples.

Abstract: A hybrid ring structure 180.degree. phase shifting apparatus or device capable of taking a single electrical input signal of predetermined frequency, splitting said signal into two isolated independent output signals utilizing engraving upon the substrate on one side only wherein said device is fully operable and compatible to operate in hybrid micro-electronic functions.

Abstract: An arrangement for a speech enhancement processor which maintains the processed speech at a constant level regardless of large changes in the associated noise level. The composite speech and noise signal is applied to a first AGC circuit and then to a speech enhancement system which removes tonal, impulse, and wideband noises from the signal. The extracted noise power estimates are subtracted from the constant amplitude signal to provide a gain control signal value to which the gain of a second variable gain amplifier is inversely proportional. The amplifier multiplies the processed speech output from the enhancement system and, because of the variable gain control, provides an output speech signal having short-term amplitude levels which correspond to those of the input speech signal, and having a constant long-term amplitude level.

Abstract: An active radar jamming system using a digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) as the central subsystem in the generation and detection of specific signal characteristics. Associated systems control the operation, data processing, and loading of the DRFM. Signals generated by the jamming system are either repeated replicas of the received radar signal stored in the DRFM, or newly generated signals constructed from data loaded into the DRFM by the associated subsystems. Such associated subsystems generate appropriate data for providing carrier and noise RF signals. Systems are also provided for determining the presence of phase coding and chirp modulation in the received radar signal data contained in the DRFM, and for detecting the angle-of-arrival of the radar signal.

Abstract: A high-voltage FET pulser for a synthetic aperture radar transmitter includes an FET ON switch and a tail biter switch both on the floating deck and coupled to a pulse driver circuit through a transformer having a quartz glass tube isolating the secondary winding from the core and primary winding. An active shunt regulator circuit is connected to the output of the FET ON switch to provide a flat output pulse free of ringing.