Abstract: The present invention includes capacitive film thickness measurement devices and measurement systems. The invention also includes machines or instruments using those aspects of the invention. The present invention additionally includes methods and procedures using those devices of the present invention. The present invention discloses a capacitance measurement device and technique useful in determining lubricant film thickness on substrates such as magnetic thin-film rigid disks. Using the present invention, variations in lubricant thickness on the Angstrom scale or less may be measured quickly and nondestructively.

Abstract: An offset signal for failure detection, that cannot be removed if an input signal line is broken is applied from an offset application circuit with output impedance higher than impedance of a differential transformer to an output signal of the differential transformer. A drive signal applied to a differential transformer is generated in digital form and an offset correction and a gain correction to output of the differential transformer are made in digital form for making controls necessary.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a radio frequency (RF) configuration in a plasma processing system includes an RF electrode driven by an RF signal source and a non-RF electrode coupled to an electronic module. A filter coupled to the non-RF electrode is configured to provide maximum attenuation at or near an RF signal frequency, while allowing signals associated with the electronic module to pass. The filter may be placed as close to the non-RF electrode as possible. The filter may be, for example, a band stop filter such as a parallel resonant circuit having a resonant frequency at or near an RF signal frequency.

Abstract: An interferometric signal processing apparatus (10) producing an output signal from a first input signal (34) and a second input signal (34), the input signals (34) having substantially equal carrier frequencies, comprising a bridge (12) having a first arm (26) and a second arm (28), each arm having a first end (30) and a second end (32), the first and second input signals (34) being input to the first end (30) of the first and second arms (26, 28), respectively; a device-under-test (36) provided the first arm (26); a carrier suppressor (14) connected to the second ends (32) of the first and second arms (26, 28) to produce a carrier-suppressed signal at its output (A); an amplifier (16) arranged to amplify said carrier-suppressed signal; and a mixer (22, 24) responsive to the amplified carrier-suppressed signal and a carrier-dominated signal to produce the output signal; wherein the differential group delay between: the first end (30) of the first arm (26) and the output (A) of the carrier suppressor (14); an

Abstract: A manufacturing method for manufacturing a solar panel including a solar cell and an outer housing and an inspection method for inspecting a solar panel generating system, include a step of performing one of a withstand voltage test and an insulation resistance test between a live electrical section electrically connected to the solar cell and a conductor section of the outer housing, and thereafter a step of applying a voltage between the live electrical section and the conductor section. In this way, a residual charge left subsequent to the withstand voltage test or the insulation resistance test is reliably removed within a short period of time.

Abstract: Methods and systems for effecting a parameter and detecting a parameter using two electric signal in a conductive path are described.

Abstract: A resonator device for testing a material quantity in the tobacco-processing industry for existence of at least one foreign substance and/or for detecting at least one of weight, density and humidity level of the material includes a resonator housing having a through opening for the material to pass through and a testing region located inside the resonator housing to which the material can be moved at least in part. The device has at least one element that increases energy density of electromagnetic waves for increasing the energy density in at least a portion of the testing region.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a rotor with respect to a stator. The method includes generating offset N and Q signals when the rotor moves with respect to the stator and sampling the N and Q signals at a predetermined time interval. A section of a polar plot in which the N and Q signal sample lies is determined and compared to the section of a polar plot in which a previous N and Q signal sample lies. A long range rotor position is calculated by maintaining a count of the change of sections from previous N and Q signal samples. A sub-section rotor position for the N and Q signal sample is calculated and combined with the long range rotor position to create a linear position signal.

Abstract: A method for ground potential monitoring of a rectifier drive, having a capacitor which is connected with a voltage source via a switching device. The method including applying a test voltage between a connector of a capacitor of a rectifier drive and a mass or ground potential prior to connecting the rectifier drive with a voltage source that is connected with the capacitor via a switching device. The method also includes releasing the switching device if a potential of the connector changes by a predetermined amount after the applying the test voltage.

Abstract: A system and method for burning-in an integrated circuit comprises a socket capable of receiving and supporting the IC, electrical leads in the socket for connecting to corresponding leads on the chip, and a heat sink in thermal contact with a cooling medium. A first thermal interface provides releasable thermal contact between the integrated circuit in the socket and a resiliently mounted heat absorbing member. A second thermal interface is provided between the heat absorbing member and the heat sink.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture to aid in the characterization of a device establishes a device S-parameter matrix (SD) to represent electrical behavior of the device, an adapter T-parameter matrix (Ta) to represent all possible electrical paths through circuits to all device ports of the device, and a cascaded S-parameter matrix (Sc) to represent the circuits cascaded with the device. Values for the adapter T-parameter matrix are obtained either through measurement or modeling. The device cascaded with the circuits is measured to obtain values for the cascaded S-parameter matrix, permitting use of a general solution for the device S-parameter matrix as a function of the adapter T-parameter matrix and the cascaded S-parameter matrix.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for measuring electrical properties of objects by the transmission of electromagnetic waves through a non-magnetizable material. The disclosure also describes a method of measuring changes in electromagnetic signals as the amplitude and frequency of the electromagnetic waves is varied to determine the thickness of an object.

Abstract: A safety compliance test instrument includes a display capable of displaying prompts, a menu display program, software for displaying a plurality of instrument verification menus, prompts, and messages concerning results of the verification tests, and software for enabling or preventing safety compliance tests from being performed depending on results of the verification. The safety compliance instrument includes at least two different safety compliance tests involving different connections to a device under test. The tests may be selected from the group consisting of a continuity test, a ground test, a dielectric withstand test, and an insulation resistance test, and more specifically from the group consisting of a continuity test, a ground bond test, AC and DC dielectric withstand tests, and an insulation test.

Abstract: A grounding and testing device for power distribution systems includes an electrically insulated housing with a bore that extends from an aperture at a front of the housing towards a rear of the housing. An electrical contact is disposed at least partially within the bore, and the bore, aperture, and conductive contact are adapted to mate with a bushing. A current interrupter, such as a current limiting fuse, is electrically connected between the contact and a grounding cable. An annunciator is connected to the current interrupter such that the annunciator provides an indication when a current flows through the current interrupter. A lead is electrically connected to the contact to provide a connection point for a permanent ground connection.

Abstract: An oscillating device to determine the purity of single or multi-component liquids on the basis of their dielectric permittivity, in a continuous procedure through the frequency change in the static permittivity region and with strict temperature control. The oscillator is connected to a standard thermoregulated measuring cell, a frequency meter and a power source. The improved characteristic is that the circuit does not contain the usual micrometer and standard capacitors and that it has a previously determined inductance to improve measurement conditions. In this manner, and operating in the region of static frequencies to avoid relaxation phenomena, a continuous measurement is achieved with a high degree of precision that had never been previously obtained. A measurement procedure is also disclosed that is carried out with the device.

Abstract: A disconnection detecting apparatus for detecting disconnection of lamps includes a resistor, a differential amplifier, a microcomputer, and a charge pump circuit. The resistor is connected to detect current flowing in the lamps. The voltage that appears at the ends of the resistor is applied to the input terminals of the differential amplifier circuit. The microcomputer detects disconnection of the lamps by comparing the output voltage with a reference. The charge pump circuit increases a battery voltage to a boosted voltage. This boosted voltage is supplied to an operational amplifier in the differential amplifier circuit.

Abstract: A clock skew measuring apparatus for measuring a clock skew between a plurality of clock signals to be measured in a device under test, includes: a clock signal selecting element for receiving clock signals and outputting them by selecting one of the clock signals one by one; and a clock skew estimator for receiving a reference signal input to the device under test and the clock signals to be measured selected by the clock signal selecting element one by one and for obtaining the clock skew between the clock signals to be measured.

Abstract: The present invention is a non-invasive cable tester. The cable tester comprises a sensor for detecting an electric field emitted by a live electric cable. The resulting signal from the sensor is then filtered, amplified, and compared to a threshold value to determine the energization status of the electric cable. A meter can be provided to get a reading of the amplified signal that can be compared to a predetermined threshold value. Also, a detector circuit can be provided that includes a comparator in electrical communication with a light-emitting device such as a light-emitting diode. The detector circuit processes the amplified signal and compares it to a predetermined threshold value. If the electric cable is energized, the output of the comparator either causes the light-emitting device to emit light or not emit light, as desired. This enables an operator to determine the status of the electric cable simply by determining whether the light-emitting device is lit.

Abstract: A repair device for fixing a malfunctioning shunt across a failed filament in a light bulb in a group of series-connected miniature decorative bulbs includes a high-voltage pulse generator producing one or more pulses of a magnitude greater than the standard AC power line voltage. A connector receives the pulses from the pulse generator and supplies them to the group of series-connected miniature decorative bulbs. The pulse generator may be a piezoelectric pulse generator, a battery-powered electronic pulse generator, and/or an AC-powered electrical pulse generator.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved bioelectrical impedance gauge which is so designed that the high-frequency current flowing between two selected points in a living body may be detected in the vicinity of either selected point, and that the voltage appearing between two points selected in the current passage in which the high-frequency current flows may be applied to a high-impedance buffer circuit proximate to the two points selected in the current passage.