Abstract: A charge-coupled device for detecting spatial variation in the intensity of electromagnetic radiation comprises a body of semiconductor material that responds to electromagnetic radiation in a given spectral region by generating charge carriers. The body of semiconductor material has first and second sense volumes that are isolated from each other with respect to diffusion of charge carriers. A sense electrode structure overlies the sense volumes. First and second transfer regions are in communication with the first and second sense volumes respectively, and a transfer electrode structure overlies the transfer regions. A readout region has first and second zones in communication with the first and second transfer regions respectively and is connected to an output node. Charge can be accumulated in the sense volumes over an integration period and the resulting charge samples can be shifted separately through the transfer regions and applied to the output node.

Abstract: A semiconductor body is treated by providing a layer of dielectric material over a peripheral region of the front face of the body, mounting the body on a support member with the front face of the body in confronting relationship with the support member, and removing material of the body in the peripheral region, so as to expose at least a portion of the layer of dielectric material. A layer of metal is formed on the back face of the body and is connected to an electrical terminal.

Abstract: A high brightness panel display (20) includes a plurality of discrete gas discharge cells (24) sealed against a phosphor-carrying front panel section (26) and operable to produce a high brightness display. Gas discharges are ignited and extinguished in selected gas discharge cells (24) to excite or extinguish associated pixels P.sub.m,n that are formed in portions of phosphor strips (35) on the front panel section (26). The gas discharge cells (24) are controlled with electrodes that are common to several cells but driven so that a gas discharge can be ignited or extinguished in one cell without effecting any other cell. Consequently, the pixels may have a 100% per-frame duty cycle, thereby producing very high brightness.

Abstract: A step generator for producing steps having constant edge parameters while driving varying loads includes a pair of DC coupled low speed diode switches for slowly switching the output load current. A pair of capacitors provide an AC coupled high speed input for rapidly, but temporarily, switching the output load current until the sustaining action of the low speed diode switch has occurred. A pair of resistor divider circuits in each of the low speed diode switches maintains a relatively constant reverse bias voltage across the diodes coupled to the capacitors. The high speed switching threshold is maintained at a relatively constant level which produces an output voltage step with constant edge parameters and no overshoot.

Abstract: A low inductance probe contains a signal probe shaft having a signal probe point and an adjacent ground conductor or conductive shield for placing on the circuit location which is desired to be measured, a ground probe arm having a ground probe point for placing on a convenient ground location. The ground probe arm is attached to the signal probe shaft by means of a hinge which enable the ground probe arm to rotate between zero and approximately 135 degrees in a compass like fashion. The ground conductor of the signal probe shaft and the ground probe point of the ground probe arm are electrically connected by means of a low inductance ground lead consisting of a monolithic, flexible strand of conductive foil.

Abstract: A capacitive touch panel system (10) having a faceplate (14) with an electrically conductive layer (20) of a consistent resistivity employs a position measurement apparatus (12) to generate an address signal indicative of a position (46) on the faceplate in contact with a stylus (48). The position measurement apparatus includes a position measurement signal source (56) that generates a square-wave measurement signal of a frequency that varies in a substantially random manner. The position measurement signal is applied to a first pair of opposed electrodes (36) and (40) and a second pair of opposed electrodes (38) and (42) positioned along respective side margins (26, 30, 28, and 32) of the faceplate. The resistivity of the conductive layer establishes effective resistances of R.sub.x and R.sub.y between the respective first and second pairs of electrodes.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is formed in a semiconductor die having a front face and a back face, the die having at least first and second functional regions. The first functional region comprises at least one zone of p-type material and at least one zone of n-type material that meets the zone of p-type material in a p-n junction. The integrated circuit comprises connection pads connected respectively to the zone of p-type material and the zone of n-type material, whereby those zones can be connected to an external circuit. At least one of the connection pads is electrically isolated from the second functional region of the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is treated by mounting the die on a support member and removing material of the die so as to separate the functional regions of the die from each other.

Abstract: A method for distinguishing between real and spurious responses in a swept frequency spectrum analyzer in a convenient and on-going way uses sweep data from two different, but equivalent, paths through the spectrum analyzer front end. The setup of the spectrum analyzer front end continuously alternates between the first and second of these setups. A sweep of the spectrum using the first setup is digitized and stored, as well as displayed. The sweep obtained using the second setup is also digitized and stored, as well as displayed. However, at the same time that the current sweep data is being displayed, the stored sweep data from the previous sweep using the other setup is also displayed at the same location on the screen. At anyone time, there are two displays on the screen, overlaid with each other as exactly as possible.

Abstract: A liquid crystal light valve (10) includes compensation for wire shadow effects caused by the interception of writing beam primary electrons as they propagate through the collector electrode (66). The wire shadows stem from the lack of charge deposited on target surface regions ( 106) intended to be addressed by the writing electron beam (60a). The present invention applies to the collector electrode an appropriate voltage that diverts the paths (112) of nonintercepted writing beam electrons toward target surface regions directly below the collector electrode portions that intercepted the writing beam electrons. Diverting the paths of nonintercepted electrons provides a more uniform charge distribution on the target surface (45) and thereby fills the charge voids created by the electron intercepting portions of the collector electrode.

Abstract: An FET buffer amplifier circuit includes two matched FET amplifiers each consisting of an FET transistor source follower biased by a source impedance. One FET transistor source follower receives an input voltage and the second FET transistor source follower is driven by the output of an operational amplifier. The positive and negative inputs of the operational amplifier are respectively coupled to the outputs of each FET transistor source follower. A negative feedback loop is created in which the output voltage of the operational amplifier is equal to the input voltage. The two FET transistors and source impedances are matched and are under substantially identical operating conditions.

Abstract: A flat panel liquid crystal display (12) with an integrated touch panel has a multitude of pixels (28) arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows. The pixels (28) of the first column (54) and last column (66), and of the first row (60) and of the last row (72) are controlled in conjunction with emitters (52, 58) and detectors (64, 70) with associated mirrors (74, 80, 82, 84) to create a sequence of light beams that extend across the display panel (12) in both the X and Y directions. Whenever a stylus (86) is placed near the display panel, two orthogonal light beams are interrupted corresponding to the X and Y positions of the stylus (86) relative to the display panel (12).

Abstract: A circular scan streak tube system for recording fast optical data includes a target having a first array of detection elements and a second array of corresponding storage elements. Changes in the scanning electron beam current representing optical events are detected and stored in the first array. The first and second arrays are segmented into two halves for continuous operation. Data stored in one half of the first array are transferred into the corresponding storage elements while data are written into the other half of the first array. Data stored in the first array are transferred in parallel to the second array. After a triggering event, the data are shifted circumferentially through the second array for output as serial data. The target is formed in a unitary planar semiconductor substrate having a buried channel for storing and conducting electric charge representing the stored data.

Abstract: An automatic period and frequency measurement feature for an analog oscilloscope uses a single sweep signal and a delay trigger to detect edges. The sweep rate for the sweep signal is set to the highest rate that provides at least one cycle of the input signal on a display. By varying a programmable level that is compared with the sweep signal, a first event after the start of the sweep is searched for. Once a first event is located, then a second event is searched for in the same manner, reducing the sweep rate if necessary to provide the second event on the display. From the programmable levels corresponding to the first and second events a period and frequency are computed and displayed.

Abstract: A single-ended to differential coupling device includes an input coaxial transmission line feeding sections of output coaxial transmission line across a break or gap between the outer conductors of the output transmission lines. A shunt resistor across the input transmission line and a series resistor interposed between the center conductors of the output transmission lines provide exact impedance matching in conjunction with plural ferrite toroids disposed about at least one of the transmission lines to prevent shorting of the input signal.

Abstract: A control topology for a servo motor carriage drive includes a strain gauge coupling the carriage to a motor-driven belt to provide a signal representative of the flexure of the belt. A velocity signal is taken from a linear encoder on the carriage. These signals are used in inner and outer feedback loops for controlling the velocity of the carriage as it travels along a predetermined path.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed which provides for controlling a rate of transmission of information over a serial communications channel. Each unit of information transmitted has associated therewith a start bit and a plurality of stop bits. The number of stop bits is adjusted to provide a desired effective channel transmission rate. In an alternate embodiment the communication channel is held in a selected state subsequent to the transmission of each unit of information for a selected period of time prior to the transmission of a following unit of information. Consequently, while the actual rate of transmission of information over a communication channel remains constant, an effective rate of transmission may be varied in accordance with a desired rate of transmission.

Abstract: A component color bars alignment test signal for calibrating a component picture monitor having as inputs a luminance component and two orthogonal chrominance components has a standard set of color bars and a contiguous chroma set of color bars. The chroma set of color bars is matched to the standard set so that a color that is sensitive to the adjustment of one of the chrominance components is adjacent to a color that is relatively insensitive to the adjustment of that one chrominance component. A gun of the component picture monitor is turned off and one chrominance component is adjusted until the appropriate pair of standard set and chroma set color bars are indistinguishable.

Abstract: A connection apparatus for interactively accessing over signal paths of minimum length the signals by which an electronic device with a large number of pins communicates with its environment through a pin grid array socket includes two printed circuit boards, each having a pin grid array socket or a plurality of individual receptacles for pins arranged in a pin grid array pattern, stacked vertically with their pin grid arrays vertically aligned. Each of these circuit boards has a receptacle side on top and a partial array of associated pins on the bottom.

Abstract: A probe assembly for use in conveying signals between cables from test apparatus and contact areas on a contact face of an integrated circuit includes a support member having an aperture therein and a dielectric membrane clamped over the aperture such that conductive bumps mounted on the underside of the periphery of the membrane engage corresponding contact areas on an upper surface of the support member surrounding the aperture. A central area of the membrane extends downward through the aperture such that conductive bumps on the under side of the central area of the membrane engage contact areas on the contact face of an integrated circuit situated below the aperture. A plurality of conductor runs supported by the membrane extend from the conductive bumps in the central area of the membrane to the conductive bumps in the periphery of the membrane.

Abstract: A hierarchical current amplifier includes a first current mirror tier including a current mirror having an input coupled to an amplifier base terminal for receiving an input current, an output coupled to an amplifier collector terminal, and a pair of emitter terminals. A second current mirror tier includes two current mirrors corresponding to each emitter terminal in the first current mirror tier, each current mirror having an input coupled to one of the emitter terminals of the current mirror in the first current mirror tier. The two current outputs in the second tier are coupled to the amplifier collector terminal to provide current gain. Successive tiers of current mirrors may be added to provide more current gain.