Abstract: An insulative substrate includes a plurality of flexible retaining clips and a plurality of alignment and retaining pins. A metal leadframe includes a plurality of leads. Each lead terminates in a spring contact beam portion. The leadframe is attached to the substrate (for example, by fitting a hole in each lead over a corresponding alignment and retaining pin and then thermally deforming the pin to hold the lead in place). An integrated circuit is press-fit down through the retaining clips such that pads on the face side of the integrated circuit contact and compress the spring contact beams of the leads. After the press-fit step, the retaining clips hold the integrated circuit in place. The resulting assembly is encapsulated. In a cutting and bending step, the leads are singulated and formed to have a desired shape. The resulting low-cost package involves no wire-bonding and no flip-chip bond bump forming steps.

Abstract: An Improved Method and System for Electronic Data Sales and Distribution over Wide Area Networks is disclosed. The preferred system and method divides the software or other data to be distributed into a separate licensing module and a program module, with each module being distributed separately. The preferred licensing module can be distributed by an e-commerce server over a wide-area network, while the program module is distributed by a separate server computer over the wide-area network (or other method). Furthermore, the software or other electronic data can be updated easily by simply updating the single repository of the program module, while leaving the licensing module(s) at each e-commerce server unchanged.

Abstract: A database of codesets for a remote control device includes codeset information blocks for derivative codesets and codeset information blocks for nonderivative codesets. A codeset information block for a derivative codeset includes: a bit indicating that the block is for a derivative codeset, a plurality of bits each of which corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of fields in a referenced codeset information block, and a pointer that points to the referenced codeset information block. The digital value of a bit determines whether information from the corresponding field in the referenced block will be used as part of the derivative codeset or whether such information is contained in the derivative codeset information block itself. The sizes of the fields in the referenced block are predetermined or are determinable, so a field in the referenced block can be located if its bit is set in the referencing block.

Abstract: An internal precision oscillator (IPO) is trimmed within a microcontroller integrated circuit. The microcontroller integrated circuit receives a test program into flash memory on the microcontroller integrated circuit from a tester. The microcontroller integrated circuit also receives a reference signal from the tester. The IPO generates a clock signal having a frequency that depends upon a trim value. A general purpose timer on the microcontroller integrated circuit counts the number of cycles of the clock signal during a time period defined by the reference signal and outputs a digital value. A processor on the microcontroller integrated circuit executes the test program, reads the digital output, and adjusts the trim value such that the frequency of the clock signal is calibrated with respect to the reference signal. Test-time on the tester is reduced because the decision making during the frequency trimming process is made by the processor instead of the tester.

Abstract: An arrangement between a power semiconductor module and a printed circuit board is disclosed, A printed circuit board includes strip conductors, and a power semiconductor module includes a module housing and power terminals. The power terminals extend to the exterior of the module housing and into contact with the strip conductors. A heat sink is disposed on a side of the power semiconductor module opposite the circuit board. A deformable means is disposed between the module housing and the circuit board and is configured to relieve a contact pressure load on the power terminals. A contact-pressure element is disposed on a side of the circuit board opposite the power semiconductor module. The contact-pressure element is integral with a first housing part of an arrangement housing, and the heat sink is integral with a second housing part of the arrangement housing. The two housing parts enclose the circuit board.