Abstract: A device for enabling testing of electrical paths through a circuit assembly is presented. The device may include a test facilitating shipping and handling cover for a socket of the circuit assembly. The test facilitating shipping and handling cover may have a conductive layer for capacitively coupling to an array of pins in the socket during testing. A method for testing continuity of electrical paths through a circuit assembly is presented. In the method, one or more nodes of the circuit assembly are stimulated, contacts of a socket on the circuit assembly are capacitively coupled with a conductive layer of a shipping and handling cover mated with the socket, and an electrical characteristic is measured by a tester coupled to the shipping and handling cover to determine continuity of electrical paths through the circuit assembly.

Abstract: An optical monitor that generates a signal indicative of at least two optical properties of an input optical signal. The monitor utilizes a polarization dependent beam splitter having a signal input port, a mixing signal input, a first output port and a second output port. The signal input port receives an input optical signal having first and second orthogonal polarization components. The mixing signal input receives an optical mixing signal having a first and second polarization component parallel to the first and second polarization components of the optical input signal, respectively. The polarization dependent beam splitter generates first and second output signals on the first and second output ports, respectively. The output signals are the sum of the like polarization components of the input optical signal and the optical mixing signal.

Abstract: An optical phase standard includes a coupler dividing an applied optical signal between a measurement interferometer and a frequency reference branch. Resulting signals at the outputs of the measurement interferometer and the frequency reference branch are sampled. The samples acquired at the output of the frequency reference branch are mapped to optical frequencies that are traceable to a frequency standard provided by an absorption cell. This mapping determines the optical frequencies at which the samples acquired are at the output of the measurement interferometer. From the acquired samples at the output of the measurement interferometer, phase characteristics of a device under test (DUT) are extracted. Aspects of the optical phase standard are alternatively implemented according to an optical phase standardization method.

Abstract: An interposer probe includes a main board having a first side and a second side. A lower riser board mounted to the first side of the main board and in electrical contact therewith is configured to engage an integrated circuit socket on a device to be tested. An upper riser board mounted to the second side of said main board and in electrical contact therewith, is configured to receive an integrated circuit package. A retention frame mounted to the first side of said main board engages the integrated circuit socket on the device to be tested.

Abstract: A vector network analyzer calibration employs measurements of an asymmetric reciprocal device to determine a value of a defining parameter of a calibration standard in a set of calibration standards. A method of determining a parameter value determines and reports the parameter value. A method of compensating a calibration determines the parameter value and employs the determined parameter value to optimize a set of error coefficients of an error model of the vector network analyzer. A vector network analyzer that includes a controller, a test set, and computer program executed by the controller, compensates a calibration using the determined parameter value and a set of optimized error coefficients. A calibration compensation system that includes a vector network analyzer, a computer, and a computer program executed by the computer, determines and reports the parameter value.

Abstract: The invention provides a multipole device for a mass spectrometer system. In general, the multipole device contains a plurality of conductive rods each comprising a conductive layer, a resistive layer, and an insulative layer between the conductive and resistive layers. The invention finds use in a variety of applications, including ion transport, ion fragmentation and ion mass filtration. Accordingly, the invention may be employed in a variety of mass spectrometer systems.

Abstract: The invention concerns a valve (20) for liquid separation, especially for analytical or preparative liquid chromatography, with a valve body (21) that has an inlet (31) and at least two outlets (32, 33) connected to it for a flow of liquid. In the valve body (21), there is a sealing element (45) consisting of shut-off surfaces to alternately shut off the outlets (32, 33) with shut-off surfaces (48, 49) facing away from each other in the shape of a cone segment or spherical segment.

Abstract: A frequency converter is tested. Labels for a plurality of mixing products are displayed. In response to a user selecting a first mixing product from the plurality of mixing products, appropriate frequencies for the first mixing product are calculated. Also, a measurement configuration for the first mixing product is determined.

Abstract: An external cavity laser having a set atmosphere is disclosed. In an embodiment, the laser system includes a gain medium to emit light in response to an applied current, a wavelength selective reflector configured to resonate the light that is emitted from the gain medium, and a chamber containing a set atmosphere, the chamber being optically connected to the gain medium and the wavelength selective reflector such that the light that is emitted from the gain medium passes through the chamber.

Abstract: A method for determining the amount of deterministic jitter and random jitter in a digital signal having transitions between logical levels, the method comprising the steps of: providing said digital signal, determining a plurality of bit error rate values, each bit error rate value being associated with one of a plurality of successive timing points, and each bit error rate value being derived from a comparison of a result of a detection of a transition occurring in the digital signal cumulatively prior to its associated timing point with an expected signal, applying a polynomial fit in time to said plurality of bit error rate values associated with said timing points for determining a number of polynomial coefficients of said polynomial fit, and deriving the amount each of said deterministic and said random jitter from said polynomial coefficients.

Abstract: Array hybridization can be facilitated by agitating a reaction cell subject to centrifugal force greater than 1 G. A two-dimensional hybridization array is preferably oriented generally orthogonal to the centrifugal force. Agitation involves titling the array back and forth about an axis, preferably parallel to a centrifuge axis. The centrifugal force serves, in a sense, as supergravity helping to overcome non-specific binding forces (viscous forces and other forces at the liquidsolid boundary) that limit the rate of liquid flow. Thus, the agitation rate and the related replenishment rate can be increased. The agitation causes the sample liquid to wash back and forth across the array, which remains protected by a thin liquid film. The resulting “tidal” motion, results in thorough mixing of the sample liquid. In addition, since only a thin film is required over much of the array, typically costly sample volume can be reduced. Thus, faster hybridization with lower sample volumes can be achieved.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable media for calibrating a device for which it is not possible to provide another device having a higher degree of precision to be used as a standard against which the device to be calibrated can be compared to perform the calibration. Metrology for interpreting the input and output fields and monitoring and supervising tasks of the device, and having sufficient accuracy, may be used to facilitate calibration.

Abstract: A power calibration method for a multi-port vector network analyzer (VNA) performs a two-port S-parameter calibration between a pair of ports of the multi-port VNA, and performs a power calibration of one of the ports in the pair of ports. From the two-port S-parameter calibration and the power calibration at the one port, power can be determined at one or more ports of a device under test (DUT) coupled to the ports of the multi-port VNA.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel method and apparatus for acquiring multiple capacitively sensed measurements from a circuit under test. Multiple digital sources are respectively connected to stimulate multiple respective first ends of multiple respective nets of interest. Respective second ends of the multiple respective nets of interest are capacitively sensed. The respective capacitively coupled signals are digitally sampled and shift correlated with respective expected digital signatures. If a high level of correlation is found for a given net, the net is electrically intact; otherwise, the net is characterized by either an open or some other fault that prevents it from meeting specification.

Abstract: An electrospray device for a mass spectrometry system is described. The electrospray device comprises a body portion and a tip portion extending from the body portion. The tip portion comprises a polymeric material. The electrospray device also comprises a hydrophobic coating substantially selectively covering the tip portion. The hydrophobic coating is electrically nonconductive.

Abstract: An instrument enclosure apparatus has a housing with a sidewall and a pair of retaining posts disposed within the housing and adjacent the sidewall, the retaining posts in combination with the sidewall defining a pair of opposing channels for slidably receiving a complementarily shaped insert part. Vents may be disposed along the sidewall of the housing, and the insert part assists in providing adaptable air flow management design.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing open defects on non-contacted nodes of an electrical device is presented. Actual and expected signal measurements are collected for various contacted nodes of the electrical device. Nodes whose actual measurements are out of range of their respective expected measurements are deemed abnormal nodes. Non-contacted nodes may then be assessed as having, or as likely to have, open defects based on knowledge of the degree of coupling of the non-contacted node to the abnormal contacted nodes. In the preferred embodiment, abnormal nodes are identified using a linear regression analysis, and the non-contacted nodes indicted as having open defects are identified using a weighting scheme.

Abstract: Data values representing the (I2+Q2) values are converted to floating-point representations and a histogram of the floating-point numbers is generated. The count for each histogram bin in the histogram is stored in a memory. Each floating-point number acts as an address for a corresponding histogram bin in the memory. The accumulated counts in the histogram bins are then grouped into a desired number of CCDF bins, and the CCDF curve is derived from the histogram data. Grouping the histogram bins into the CCDF bins may include combining one or more histogram bins into a single CCDF bin. Linear interpolation is used to divide a count value in a histogram bin between two CCDF bins when the histogram bin does not align with a single CCDF bin.

Abstract: A maximum sensitivity optical scanning system is disclosed. It finds use in a variety of applications, including the reading of biopolymeric arrays. It operates by scanning sample at a setting selected to result in signal saturation for some, but not all available data. Subsequent scans of the same area are taken at lower sensitivity settings (in terms of detector gain and/or excitation light source gain or attenuation) and data from at least the previously saturated regions is obtained. If system sensitivity is set too low to produce useful results, optional features may adjust sensitivity upward and follow with an increased sensitivity scan as a remedial measure. Full signal sensitivity is better preserved as most needed in taking data for the weakest signals first with the high-level scan. Data for sample producing stronger signals that can better tolerate photobleaching is then taken in one way or another.

Abstract: A current/charge-voltage convert circuit having an operational amplifier and a capacitor connected between the input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier, this current/charge-voltage convert circuit characterized in that it comprises a first pair of diodes connected in mutually opposing directions to this input terminal, a second pair of diodes connected in the opposite direction of this first pair of diodes to the respective other terminal of this first pair of diodes, a pair of current sources connected in mutually opposing directions to the respective other terminal of this first pair of diodes, a pair of switches connected to the respective other terminal of this first pair of diodes, and resistors connected between the respective other terminal of this second pair of diodes.