Abstract: Outgoing light signals from a virtual point source are transmitted to a confronting end of an optical fiber via a microlens, whose diameter approximately equals the fiber diameter, axially traversing a center hole of a large-diameter circular photodetector illuminated by incoming light signals from the same fiber end. A focusing lens or objective may be interposed between that fiber end and the photodetector with its microlens to create a field of parallel rays therebetween. The photodetector may be angularly subdivided into a plurality of sectoral portions which are electrically interconnected in series for producing an increased output voltage.

Abstract: The blocking circuits which, during precharge, inhibit the data passage to the AND and OR planes of a dynamic programmable logic array with NOR-NOR structure, implemented in C-MOS technology, comprise a pair of transistors with complementary channel doping, the first of which controls the signal passage to the AND or the OR plane, respectively, and the second inhibits the gates of the respective plane during precharge.

Abstract: The digital phase-locked loop circuit extracts the clock signal from a serial flow of coded data by operating so as to determine the phase of the received signal and comparing this phase with that of a locally-generated signal. The error signal obtained from the comparison is digitally filtered and used to correct the phase of local signal. The error with respect to the signal extracted from a prior data stream is stored and used to effect corrections even in the absence of the data flow at the input or in presence of long zero sequences.

Abstract: A static interferometric ellipsometer, wherein a source (3) generates a coherent light-beam with two monochromatic radiations at slightly different frequencies. A first photodetector (6) generates a first beat between the two radiations, to be used as reference. A second photodetector (9) generates a second beat between the two radiations, after they have been polarized in perpendicular planes and separated so that one of them is reflected onto the photodetector (9) by the sample under test (1,2). A measuring and computing system (11) determines the optical properties of said sample starting from the intensity of the second beat and from the relative phase between the two beats.

Abstract: Mode field radius in single-mode optical fibers is measured by the modulation of an optical beam by means of a spatial filter with radial-distribution of transmittivity of Gaussian type. Modulated beam intensity is measured in correspondence with the beam axis for different widths of the Gaussian curve, and the mode field radius is derived from both such intensity values and a parameter dependent on the Gaussian width.

Abstract: A constant force perpendicular to the fiber axis is applied to the fiber and is displaced step by step along the fiber axis. The state of polarization of a radiation outgoing from the fiber is determined at each step and the beat-length values are obtained from both the amplitude ratio and the phase difference between the components, along the two birefringence axes, of the electrical field associated with a radiation launched into the fiber.

Abstract: The device obtains several characteristic parameters from a standard sentence said by a speaker and compares them with average parameters of the same speaker stored in an internal memory and previously calculated. According to the comparison, it obtains a probability value that the sentence spoken belongs to that speaker and compares the value with a threshold normalized to the average parameter variance by a threshold calculation circuit. If the threshold is overcome, the device considers the speaker verified. A circuit determines the real instants of sentence beginning and end using a noise-adaptive threshold in order to limit between these two instants the time interval over which characteristic parameters are to be calculated. A circuit aligns as to time the characteristic parameters just calculated to the parameters of a reference sentence, obtaining standard lengths of the sounds composing the sentence spoken.

Abstract: A method of making optical performs from which optical fibers are drawn after collapsing of the preform, which comprises depositing by a vapor-phase reaction a plurality of layers on the inner surface of a support tube and controlling the temperature profile around the perimeter of the support so that the thickness of the deposit varies between at least one maximum and at least one minimum. Upon collapse of the support this gives rise to a core having a noncircular cross section.

Abstract: The method allows the production of silica and dopant with reactions among gaseous chemical compounds. The optical fibers produced do not present dip and exhibit low attenuation. Carbon dioxide is used as the oxidizer and organometallic aluminum compounds are used to obtain the dopant; silica is obtained from organometallic silicon compounds or silicon tetrachloride.

Abstract: The method provides the use, for the determination of the estimation echo-channel pulse response, of digital filtering techniques of the transversal adaptive type, and the subdivision of the pulse-response of the equivalent echo channel into three intervals, the second of which consists of the significant portion of the pulse response and is determined by the iterative search for the value and the position of the coefficient of maximum absolute value; the first interval corresponds to a pure delay and the third corresponds to the contribution given by the lowest frequencies of the base band. To copy the echo-signal, there are only considered the pulse-response coefficients whose indexes are comprised in the second interval, and the samples of the signals to be copied belonging to preceding sampling instants, whose indexes are also comprised in the second interval.

Abstract: The method of surfacing the heater of a furnace for optical fiber drawing allows elimination of defects in the inner heater surface, which defects give rise to particle emission towards the preform. This is achieved by depositing a thin layer of a mixture of oxides compatible with the material composing the heater.

Abstract: The basic element provided by the invention carries out the basic logic functions of storage and/or transfer of the data applied at the input, typical of a latch. Two ways of embodiment of the basic element having active phase at the high and low level of the clock signal are described. The basic element presents a transfer-gate transistor at the input controlled by the clock signal, followed by an inverter at whose signal leads two positive feedback networks are connected, one of which controlled by the clock signal, to stabilize the logic levels (FIG. 1).

Abstract: The process employs solid-state halides heated at high temperature, under pressure conditions necessary to their vaporization, and obtains their condensation to a solid state on the internal surface of a glass tube, which, after collapsing, forms the preform.

Abstract: The broad-band integrator uses bipolar transistors with single low-value integration capacitor, that is why it is easy to integrate. A bias circuit, which can be integrated, allows both the gain-bandwidth product (G*B) and the absolute values of the currents in the transistors to be programmed by two external resistors. A plurality of integrators, typically sixteen, can be connected to the same bias circuit thanks to their small power consumption.

Abstract: A broadband signal broadcasting system comprising a circuit to encode video and audio signals forming a TV channel to be sent to a switching matrix, which is remotely operated by the subscriber; a circuit to multiplex two or more TV channel to be simultaneously transmitted on the subscriber's line, which can be a coaxial cable, a radio link or an optical fiber; and a circuit to receive the signals transmitted on the line, to separate two or more TV channels and to carry out channel decoding by supplying the subscriber's terminals with the corresponding video and audio signals. The system requires a single encoding and a single decoding of the nB.fwdarw.(n+m)B type on broadband signals, respectively at the output from signal sources and at the input of subscriber's terminals.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for measuring the softening point of a vitreous specimen in which the viscosity variation as a temperature function is determined by applying torsion to the specimen and measuring the transmitted torque as a function of temperature.

Abstract: The process for manufacturing halide glasses uses a reaction between organometallic and inter-halide or halide-derived compounds, started at a temperature ranging from the highest melting temperature and the lowest boiling temperature of the compounds used.

Abstract: Speech synthesis is selectable in two modes: "normal" mode in which the synthesis filter is responsive to prestored parameters, and "test" mode which executes a checking procedure based on test words from an outside source. Each mode has corresponding instructions prestored in a memory.

Abstract: The improvements relating to capacitive devices for measuring the diameter of a dielectric fiber are based on a particular shaping of the capacitor plates, such as to allow electric field reductions at the edges to be compensated for and hence capacitance measurements to be unaffected by fibre vibrations.

Abstract: The method allows surface defect reduction in silica optical-fibres by enriching the external layer by silica bonded carbon atoms within the silica network: SiC.SiO.sub.2. Carbon is obtained from chemical reaction directly during the drawing step.Volume defects are reduced by rapidly cooling the fibre structure heated up to vitrous transition temperature.The apparatus allows the method to be carried out during drawing step.