Abstract: The invention is a method and resulting device which provides a strong bond between a silicon substrate and an oxide component mounted within a cavity in the substrate. A layer of titanium, for example, is deposited on the walls of the cavity, followed by deposition of a layer of aluminum. The structure is preferably annealed to form titanium silicide and titanium-aluminum interface layers. The component is then bonded to the aluminum layer.

Abstract: A bidirectional waveguide tap is disclosed. The tap comprises an appropriately blazed grating in the waveguide, with coupling means in optical co-operation with the waveguide causing transfer of light from a guided mode in the waveguide to a radiation mode. Radiation mode light of a given wavelength and propagation direction is brought to a focus on a predetermined region of utilization means, e.g., an array of photosensors.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for reducing skew-group blocking in a CDMA wireless system, or similar such blocking in any information transmission system characterized by packet arrivals associated with a given connection occurring at multiples of a fixed timing interval (frame), and where packet arrivals associated with different connections need to be dispersed within that interval. The system assigns competing connections to sub-intervals within a timing interval for such an information transmission systems, and causes a request from an information source for assignment to a specific sub-interval to be acted on pursuant to an evaluation of the impact that the grant of such a request for the specific sub-interval assignment will have on a transmission delay for packets assigned to succeeding sub-intervals in the timing interval.

Abstract: A building entrance protector terminal comprises a housing unit having a plurality of sidewalls and a bottom wall. The sidewall includes an opening that extends from a portion within the sidewall to its rim. A sliding panel is disposed within the opening. A knockout portion is disposed within the sidewall and adjacent the opening, such that when the sliding panel is removed the knockout portion is accessible from the edge of the sidewall.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for forming p+ and n+ gates on a single substrate. A polycrystalline silicon or amorphous silicon layer is formed on a substrate with n-type and p-type regions formed therein and with a layer of silicon dioxide formed thereover and the structure is subjected hobo a low temperature anneal. A layer of metal silicide is then formed over the structure and n-type and p-type dopants are implanted into the resulting structure. A nitrogen implant is selectively performed in the portion of the metal silicide layer overlying a field oxide region that separates the n-type region from the p-type region in the substrate surface. The nitrogen implant reduces the amount to which the p-type dopant diffuses through the silicide layer and into the n+ gates. A dielectric material is then formed over the structure and patterned, after which the structure is subjected to additional processing steps to form gate stacks over the n-regions and the p-regions of the substrate.

Abstract: A loss-less, optical add/drop multiplexer according to the present invention includes a rare earth-doped fiber amplifier integrated with a wavelength-selective fiber path coupled between two directional optical transfer devices for selectively adding and dropping optical signals from a multi-wavelength signal, such as a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal. One or more fiber gratings are disposed along the length of the rare earth-doped fiber amplifier or between segments of the rare earth-doped fiber so that at least one grating is used for reflecting each optical signal that is expected to be added to or dropped from the multi-wavelength optical signal. By using this configuration, appropriate amplification is provided to compensate for losses in the add, drop, and through paths.

Abstract: The present invention is a restoration scheme for an ad-hoc ATM LAN wherein ATM cells are transported over a wireless point-to-point link. A method for restoring communications in the ATM network includes the steps of: generating a failure message indicative of a failure of a network element, the failure message including an identification of said network element and a predetermined VPI/VCI reserved for failure reporting; communicating the failure message to all said switching nodes in said network; and referencing updated routing tables at said switching nodes, wherein said network element indicated in said failure message is eliminated from routes in said network. Each of the switching nodes is included in a network tree spanning all said switching nodes in the network, wherein each of the switching nodes is included as a root in a specific network tree, each said network tree having a tree identification, the failure message further including a tree identification field containing the tree identification.

Abstract: In a communications system, a power amplifier is dynamically biased in response to a control signal indicative of the required transmission power. In delivering relatively high transmission power, the DC operating point of an amplifying element in the power amplifier is placed far from the cutoff and saturation regions of the output characteristics of the amplifying element. As a result, the corresponding input signal at a high drive level to the power amplifier is virtually undistorted thereby and, at the same time, a high power efficiency is achieved. In delivering relatively low transmission power, although the DC operating point is placed relatively close to the cutoff region of the output characteristics of the amplifying element, because of the corresponding input signal which is at a low drive level, the power amplifier minimally distorts the input signal. However, a high power efficiency is maintained because the input DC power to the power amplifier is reduced as well as the transmission power.

Abstract: A mixed signal integrated circuit board having decreased sensitivity of analog circuitry to digital circuitry noise is disclosed. In the mixed-signal integrated board of the present invention, a new (second) analog ground is created. This new analog ground is not limited by the manufacturing specification of connectivity to the substrate of the circuit board and is thereby free of transient noise generated by digital components on the board. In a mixed-signal integrated circuit board of the present invention, the new analog ground becomes the preferred ground and is utilized in many sensitive analog applications including voltage and current measurements. The new analog ground is easy to create as it does not involved complicated circuitry. The new analog ground may be created even after the initial circuit schematics has been created.

Abstract: For use with a three-phase boost converter having a primary stage with a primary rectifier and a primary boost switch coupled between an input and output of the three-phase boost converter, an auxiliary stage, a method of reducing input current total harmonic distortion (THD) at the input of the three-phase boost converter, and a three-phase boost converter employing the auxiliary stage and method are provided. In one embodiment, the auxiliary stage includes: (1) an auxiliary rectifier coupled to the primary rectifier, (2) first, second and third auxiliary boost inductors interposed between the primary rectifier and the auxiliary rectifier and (3) an auxiliary boost switch, interposed between the auxiliary rectifier and the output, that conducts to induce corresponding phase currents through the first, second and third auxiliary boost inductors thereby reducing input current total harmonic distortion (THD) at the input of the three-phase boost converter.

Abstract: An RF shield dividing components on a printed circuit board into separate compartments in the form of a divider wall having a lower edge surface soldered onto the printed circuit board and an upper edge surface including along the length thereof a plurality of adjacent upwardly extending metal Y-fold arms as a self-contained or built-in gasket to physically contact and electrically ground a metal cover section enclosing the components.

Abstract: The present invention provides a PCI Bus Diagnostic Monitor which eliminates the need to hook up a logic analyzer and manually analyze the data passing on the PCI Bus. The present invention provides an accurate analysis of the PCI Bus master's utilization and/or latency time to acquire the PCI Bus by controlling a 12-bit counter and analyzing count values at appropriate times, e.g., between the time the PCI Bus request is output and the time that the data transfer begins, and the time between when the data transfer begins and when the data transfer ends. The data corresponding to a large number of data transfers may be buffered and analyzed to provide performance statistics relating to the PCI Bus. The analysis can be performed in lightly loaded, typically loaded, and heavily loaded PCI bus situations to fully and accurately test real-world capabilities of new peripherals, particular combinations of peripherals, and statistics relating to customized usage of a host system.

Abstract: A mounting tree for power transfer devices such as those used in hybrid fiber/coaxial systems. The mounting tree is installed inside an outdoor cabinet housing the power transfer devices. The mounting tree is located in a corner of the cabinet that is partially exposed to the outside environment. An intermediate mounting bracket is used to attach the mounting tree to the cabinet. The intermediate mounting bracket is permanently installed near the aforementioned corner such that the power transfer devices may be installed on the mounting tree before the tree is attached to the intermediate mounting bracket inside the cabinet.

Abstract: A base station of a code division multiple access (CDMA)-based communications network (e.g., one conforming to the IS-95 standard) is sectorized such that, a first subset of CDMA channels are communicated using a first level of cell-site sectorization and a second subset of CDMA channels, different from the first subset, are communicated using a second level of cell-site sectorization, different from the first level. For example, the first set of CDMA channels may be the pilot and sync channels and the second subset of CDMA channels may be the access, paging, and traffic channels. In one set of implementations, at the first sectorization level, each cell site is omnidirectional (for the first subset of CDMA channels), while, at the second sectorization level, each cell site is divided into two or more sectors (for the second subset of CDMA channels). In this set of implementations, each cell site is assigned one pseudo noise (PN) offset and transmits one pilot channel.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved process for determining the characteristics of dispersed particles. The process involves directing waves (acoustic or light) into a dispersion, and measuring the attenuation of the waves for particular frequencies to provide an attenuation spectrum. The measured attenuation spectrum is then compared to a set of theory-based calculated attenuation spectra to determine the particle size distribution corresponding to the measured attenuation spectrum. Unlike previous processes, the particle size distribution is capable of being accurately determined by a single inversion algorithm, thus eliminating burdensome steps of previous methods.

Abstract: In the system of the invention the adjunct device is connected to the switching system over two connections. The first connection is a voice channel consisting of an analog line capable of transmitting voice but not call data such as called party number, calling party number or the like. The second connection is a data connection via an Ethernet channel between the switch and adjunct that transmits call data but is incapable of transmitting voice. The call data is logically associated with the voice call at both the adjunct and switching system. As a result, transaction data related to a voice call can be forwarded to an agent station or other terminal when the voice call is transferred from the adjunct to the agent station. This system eliminates the need to recreate the transaction data when a call is transferred while using inexpensive analog connections for the voice call.

Abstract: For use with a database of data records organized into components, the database stored in a memory, a processing system for, and method of, physically versioning the database. In one embodiment, the processing system includes: (1) a component copier that creates a physical copy of an original component to be affected by an update transaction to be applied to the database, and that causes pointers in nodes of the physical copy to point to other nodes in the physical copy, (2) a data updater, associated with the component copier, that applies the update transaction to the physical copy to create therefrom a new physical version, the original component remaining unaffected by the update transaction and (3) a pointer updater, associated with the data updated, that employs an atomic word write to revise a component pointer, associated with the database, to cause the pointer to point to the new physical version.

Abstract: A degreasing and cleaning apparatus for cleaning circuit boards and the like has a first, wash sump containing a boiling, environmentally friendly wash material and a second, rinse, sump containing an environmentally friendly rinse material, separated by a weir. An anti-splash and surge control fence is mounted on top of the weir to control splashing and spill-over between the sumps. The wash sump contains a plurality of spray wands and a programmed hoist pans the carrier of the boards past the spray wands in incremental steps. After the wash cycle, the carrier is introduced into the second, rinse, sump and then given a final vapor rinse. The temperature ranges in which the apparatus is operated yield optimum cleaning.

Abstract: A differential amplifier that includes both a main differential pair of transistors and an auxiliary differential pair of transistors of like conductivity type that are operated in a complementary mode with respect to the main differential pair. A monitoring circuit measures the current to the load from the main pair and varies the current to the load from the auxiliary pair to keep the total current to the load substantially constant, as the common-mode amplitude of the input differential signal varies. This serves to increase the effective dynamic range of the differential amplifier.

Abstract: A method for introducing a known concentration of at least one species of ions into the surface or near surface of a substrate can be employed as a calibration technique prior to subsequent surface or near surface measurement. The method involves the introduction of a removable layer onto the surface followed by ion implantation which is performed to provide a known concentration of implanted ion at the interface between the removable layer and the surface. Subsequent to removal of the removable layer, the surface can be subjected to determination of elemental concentrations at the surface or near surface levels by techniques such as total reflection x-ray fluorescence or secondary ion mass spectrometry.