Abstract: A method and electrical circuit corrects a difference in light output at opposite ends of a fluorescent lamp array. An electrical circuit for correcting a difference in light output at the ends of a fluorescent lamp array includes a microcontroller and firmware for generating a first pulse-width modulated inverter switch control signal having a first duty cycle that may be varied by computer program instructions executed by the microcontroller. An inverter bridge driver is coupled to the microcontroller for generating a switching signal for a first inverter bridge from the first pulse-width modulated inverter switch control signal to generate a first inverter voltage having a magnitude determined by the first duty cycle.

Abstract: A method and firmware for controlling voltage and current in an electrical load includes steps of calculating a numerically quantized duty cycle of a pulse-width modulated, digital switch control signal by firmware in an inverter voltage microcontroller as a function of an inverter voltage and controlling the inverter voltage by adjusting the duty cycle of the digital switch control signal to generate a load current in the electrical load.

Abstract: A method and firmware for method of generating a digital dimming waveform for an inverter includes steps of receiving programmable parameters as input to firmware in an inverter voltage microcontroller including a soft start duration, a restrike voltage, a restrike duration, a recovery duration, a sustaining voltage, a dimming duty cycle, and an inverter frequency; and generating by firmware in the inverter voltage microcontroller a first portion of a pulse-width modulated digital switch control signal having a frequency equal to the inverter frequency and a duty cycle that varies from a first value to a second value during a time interval equal to the soft start duration.

Abstract: A method and firmware for controlling an inverter voltage includes steps of receiving as input a digitized feedback signal representative of an inverter voltage that varies with frequency according to a transfer function, calculating a frequency of a digital switch control signal in firmware in an inverter voltage microcontroller by the transfer function from the digitized feedback signal to adjust the inverter voltage to a set point value, and generating the digital switch control signal having the calculated frequency by firmware in the inverter voltage microcontroller as output to generate the inverter voltage at the set point value.

Abstract: A controller for an electroluminescent device includes an internal electroluminescent device system configuration database that includes configuration data stored in the controller for multiple electroluminescent device systems. A processor executes instructions from an application program module stored in the controller to perform a function of the configuration data for an electroluminescent device system selected from the multiple electroluminescent device systems in the internal electroluminescent device system configuration database.

Abstract: A method and firmware for digitally controlling an electro-optical device include steps of receiving as input a first analog signal representative of a measured parameter from an electro-optical device generated by the electro-optical device in response to a second analog signal representative of a set parameter received by the electro-optical device, digitizing the first analog signal to generate a digital feedback value, subtracting the digital feedback value from a digital set point value to calculate a digital error value, calculating a digital cumulative error sum from the digital error value, calculating a digital control value as a function of the cumulative error sum, converting the digital control value to the second analog signal, and driving the electro-optical device toward the digital set point value with the second analog signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method for configuring a laser operating system. More specifically, the system utilizes a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow an operator to interact with an embedded controller and set parameters for an optical communications transceiver. The system adjusts parameters such as laser bias and modulation currents, wavelength, qualification tests, and file management. In other words, the GUI manages configurations of a transceiver operating system. The system provides for an efficient method to design a laser transceiver and to perform and manage qualification tests. The embedded controller may contain a real time operating system that controls multiple functions in the transceiver and an optical channel. The GUI interacts with an operating system to download embedded firmware into an embedded micro controller unit (MCU). Downloading of firmware allows for multiple special programs from different sources to be integrated.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a method and apparatus for visual enhancement of liquid crystal displays. A microprocessor or embedded microcontroller associated with visual enhancement circuit modules allows a single inverter to control the intensity of illumination for an array of multiple CCFLs. The microcontroller continuously senses the operating currents of every lamp and adjusts for variations in illumination of individual lamps by parallel switching of capacitance that ensures an equal current is applied to each lamp. The microcontroller produces the appropriate control signals and executes a digital servo control algorithm to modify the currents for carrying out the luminance adjustments.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a method and apparatus for optimizing power efficiency in liquid crystal displays. A microprocessor or embedded microcontroller associated with circuit control modules eliminates redundancy by allowing a single inverter to equalize the intensity of illumination for an array of multiple CCFLs. The microcontroller optimizes power management by continuously sensing the operating currents of every lamp and automatically adjusts for variations in illumination of individual lamps by parallel switching of capacitance that ensures an equal current is applied to each lamp. The microcontroller produces the appropriate control signals and executes a digital servo control algorithm to modify the currents for carrying out the luminance adjustments.

Abstract: A controller for an electroluminescent device includes an internal electroluminescent device system configuration database that includes configuration data stored in the controller for multiple electroluminescent device systems. A processor executes instructions from an application program module stored in the controller to perform a function of the configuration data for an electroluminescent device system selected from the multiple electroluminescent device systems in the internal electroluminescent device system configuration database.

Abstract: An electrical circuit includes a switch having an on state and an off state for connecting a single drive current power source in series with an electroluminescent device for each electroluminescent device of an electroluminescent device array to conduct a first drive current through the electroluminescent device in the on state. The switch connects an amplitude shift load in series with the electroluminescent device and the drive current power source to conduct a second drive current through the electroluminescent device in the off state. The first drive current and the second drive current constitute an amplitude shift modulated drive current through the electroluminescent device. A control signal generator receives a digital switch command for each electroluminescent device from an electroluminescent device controller and generates an amplitude shift control signal to cause the switch to switch between the on state and the off state for regulating an average of the amplitude shift modulated drive current.

Abstract: Methods for controlling lasers or other light emitting devices to compensate for performance degradations due to temperature changes and aging without disrupting the transmission of information are presented. Disclosed embodiments describe various methods of applying mathematical models and digital signal processing algorithms to continuously calculate and execute precise output power adjustments. A synthesized test signal is injected into the normal data stream is applied to the laser system. The magnitude of the test signal is sufficiently small that it is buried in system noise and will not alter the noise margin of the signal or the transmitted data. Micro-detection, recovery and digital signal processing of the embedded test signal produces precisely monitored output power and modulation amplitude measurements used to accurately adjust performance characteristics regardless of temperature or age.