Abstract: A solder degradation information generation apparatus related to a motor drive circuit that includes a power supply, a converter, a smoothing capacitor, and an electric motor is disclosed. The solder degradation information generation apparatus includes a semiconductor element that forms an upper arm of the converter and is bonded to a substrate via a solder, the substrate being cooled by a coolant, a measuring unit configured to measure a temperature of the semiconductor element and a processing device that generates information indicating a degradation state of the solder based on a measurement result of the measuring unit that is obtained during a period in which the smoothing capacitor is charged.

Abstract: A canister for housing a balloon and a radiosonde to be released into the atmosphere includes a case, a balloon detaching mechanism, and a gas passage. The case includes first to third housing chambers arranged side by side in a horizontal direction. The first to third housing chambers are in communication with one another in an upper part of the case. The balloon detaching mechanism is connected to the balloon and is configured to detach the balloon when the balloon is released. The gas passage introduces a gas into the balloon to inflate the balloon. The balloon detaching mechanism and the gas passage are housed in the second housing chamber disposed between the first housing chamber and the third housing chamber. The first housing chamber houses the radiosonde connected to the balloon via a rope. The third housing chamber houses part of the balloon connected to the balloon detaching mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a local acceleration of gravity includes releasing a ferrous rod having a regular alternating pattern of reflective and non-reflective portions on a surface thereof from an electromagnetic holder so that the rod falls with a substantially vertical acceleration and substantially no angular velocity about a center of mass of the rod. The falling rod is illuminated with a light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit infrared (IR) light, and IR light emitted by the LED and reflected by the falling rod is detected with a photodiode. A two-state signal is generated corresponding to an illumination state of the photodiode by the reflected IR light. Times of transitions between the two states in the generated signal are calculated to determine kinematic data, and the kinematic data is fitted to a predetermined curve to calculate a local acceleration of gravity.

Abstract: A pressure indicator: a body having a pressure chamber which has an inlet for communication with a fluid; a resilient diaphragm having a periphery sealed against the body and having one side thereof exposed to the fluid within the chamber; an indicating arm having an inner end which is integrally formed with the other side of the diaphragm and an outer end arm which is adjacent to a scale, the arrangement being such that pressure of the fluid within the chamber causes resilient deformation of the diaphragm which in turn causes the outer end of the arm to move relative to the scale thereby indicating the pressure of the fluid in the chamber.

Abstract: An inexpensive thermopile temperature detector is particularly adapted to monitoring of electrical equipment, such as a power bus bar, within an enclosed area such as a cabinet. The detector may have a plastic housing, a thermopile sensor and a plastic Fresnel lens. Each sensor also includes a calibrated element such that, but for calibration, the same sensor may be used for various applications for different target sizes and distance or, more generally, with respect to effective target percentage of field of view.

Abstract: An acoustic volume sensing device is disclosed. The device includes a housing comprising a reference volume chamber and a variable volume chamber, the reference volume chamber and the variable volume chamber connected by a resonant port, a first MEMS microphone located in acoustic relation to the variable volume chamber, a second MEMS microphone located in acoustic relation to the reference volume chamber, a MEMS speaker located in acoustic relation to the reference volume chamber, and a circuit board in electric connection with the first and second MEMS microphones and the MEMS speaker.

Abstract: A remote diode temperature sensing circuit for use in a burn-in system to sense a temperature of a semiconductor device under test includes a temperature sense circuit and an adapter circuit. The temperature sense circuit is configured to output temperature sense currents (Is) during a temperature sense routine. The adapter circuit is configured to drive mirrored sense currents (Ims), which mirror the temperature sense currents, through a diode of the semiconductor device that is connected to an input/output package pin, and present voltage differences across the diode responsive to the mirrored sense currents to the temperature sense circuit. The temperature sense circuit is configured to discharge a temperature output signal that is indicative of the temperature of the diode based on the voltage differences.

Abstract: A capacitive physical quantity sensor includes a first substrate, a movable electrode, a fixed electrode, a second substrate, a signal applying unit, a C-V conversion circuit, and an auxiliary electrode. The auxiliary electrode is disposed from a portion of the second substrate which faces the movable electrode to a portion of the second substrate which faces a displaceable region of the movable electrode. The signal applying unit applies a predetermined potential to the auxiliary electrode at the time of self-diagnosis, to thereby increase a density of electric force lines generated between the fixed electrode located in a direction of displacing the movable electrode and the movable electrode.

Abstract: A fast-responding RTD assembly is provided having a housing including a cage having at least one flow through aperture, a cover disposed over at least one of the housing and the cage, a thin-walled RTD member having a first polyimide tape layer, a second polyimide tape layer sandwiching first and second lead tabs, and a conductor extending between the lead tabs, the thin-walled RTD located within the housing and held in position by a support structure first and second leads extending to the thin-walled member and corresponding to the first and second leads tabs, the thin-walled RTD member being one of curvilinear, linear, circular and spiral and minimizing contact with the housing to minimize conduction error.

Abstract: A temperature sensor includes a detector and a first mold-resin body. The detector includes: a temperature sensing element which is disposed at a first end part of the detector, a terminal which is disposed at a second end part of the detector, and a lead wire for coupling the temperature sensing element to the terminal. The first mold-resin body covers the temperature sensing element, a portion the terminal, and the lead wire. The temperature sensor further includes a second mold-resin body which covers an another portion of the terminal and the first mold-resin body; the another portion of the terminal is exposed from the first mold-resin body. Then, a gate mark is formed on a surface of the second mold-resin body; the surface faces a side of the first end part.

Abstract: A two layer compression garment measuring system that displays a pressure indicia when the garment is stretched, wherein the pressure indicia is displayed by moving from a position under an opaque layer of material (at low or no pressure) to a position under a window or transparent or translucent layer of material (at higher pressure). When the indicia can be seen by an observer through the window or transparent or translucent layer, then the higher pressure has been reached. The viewed indicia optionally displays the pressure level. In various optional designs, the location of attachment between the two spaced-apart locations is adjustable, or the length of the upper layer is adjustable such that the attachment location can be aligned with the indicia. A design having a free ended upper layer is also included.

Abstract: A gyroscope sensor is provided that comprises a resonator including a stem extending along an axis and a shell extending from the stem. The shell includes a hemispherical portion extending from the stem and a cylindrical portion extending from the hemispherical portion. The cylindrical portion includes an outer surface and an inner surface and terminates at an axial end surface that is perpendicular to the outer surface and the inner surface. The resonator further comprises an inner cylindrical substrate that extends along an axis and includes a set of inner electrodes arranged annularly about the axis, and a passage that extends along the axis through a central region of the inner cylindrical substrate. The stem extends through the passage to position the inner cylindrical substrate within the inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the resonator forming gaps between the set of inner electrodes and the inner surface.

Abstract: A method for thermostat failure detection in an engine cooling system is provided. The engine cooling system includes a coolant pump and a thermostat for providing a coolant flow between an engine and a radiator. The method includes determining one or more engine parameters. Further, a pressure difference between a coolant pump inlet pressure and a coolant pump outlet pressure is determined corresponding to the one or more engine parameters. The thermostat failure is detected when the determined pressure difference is outside a predefined range of pressure change defined corresponding to the determined one or more engine parameters.

Abstract: A heat retention start timing of each sample container is determined based on a room temperature detected by a room temperature sensor, and a starting temperature and an ending temperature of each sample at a time of programmed temperature analysis that are stored in an analysis condition storage section. Since cooling speed of each sample container varies depending on the room temperature, the cooling time (A12, B12, C12, . . . ) of each sample container may be predicted based on the ending temperature of each sample at the time of programmed temperature analysis, the starting temperature of a next sample at the time of the programmed temperature analysis, and the room temperature. By determining the heat retention start timing of each sample container according to the cooling time (A12, B12, C12, . . . ) of each sample container predicted in the above manner, a margin time (A13, B13, C13, . . . ) after the cooling time may be prevented from becoming unnecessarily long.

Abstract: This present disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for collecting small amounts, sub mg levels, of elemental sulfur (or other trace elements such as mercury) deposited from the ppm levels of elemental sulfur (or other trace elements such as mercury) contained in gases found in typical oil production environments or gas streams with anticipated sulfur deposition problems, as well as in industries other than oil and gas. An analytical chemistry technique for determining the amount of sulfur collected is used and from this result, the solubility of sulfur in a gas at a fixed temperature, pressure and gas composition can be calculated.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a miniaturize particulate matter detector includes a filter having a plurality of holes, and a concentration detector correspondingly disposed under the filter. The concentration detector has a detect area used for detecting a concentration of at least one miniaturize particulate matter. A manufacturing method of the filter is also provided.

Abstract: A tube holder for mounting a sample-tube assembly to a homogenizing device includes at least one clamp, at least one retainer, and a mount. The mount couples the tube holder to the homogenizing device. Each clamp defines a tube channel and a transverse ledge surface, with the tube channel having a lateral opening through which a tube of the tube assembly can be easily inserted and removed for example with one hand. And each retainer defines a retaining surface that extends over the respective tube channel and opposes the respective ledge surface to cooperatively form a receptacle that receives/retains a cap of the tube assembly against axial tube motion during homogenization. In some embodiments, multiple retaining surfaces are included for retaining different types of tube assemblies, multiple clamps and retainers are included for holding multiple tube assemblies simultaneously, and/or ejection mechanisms are included for ease of ejecting the tube assemblies.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor includes a substrate; a plurality of mass units which is disposed above the substrate; respective coupling units which couple the respective mass units (a first mass unit and a third mass unit, the third mass unit and a second mass unit, the second mass unit and a fourth mass unit, and a fourth mass unit and the first mass unit) adjacent to each other, among the plurality of mass units; and respective drive units which are disposed above the substrate and are connected to the respective coupling units, and the respective drive units drive the respective mass units (the first mass unit and the third mass unit, the third mass unit and the second mass unit, the second mass unit and the fourth mass unit, and the fourth mass unit and the first mass unit) adjacent to each other through the respective coupling units.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring acceleration includes: a reference cavity having a first fixed reflecting surface and a second fixed reflecting surface; a sense cavity having a fixed reflecting surface and a non-fixed reflecting surface, the non-fixed reflecting surface being configured to be displaced when subject to an acceleration force; a light source to illuminate the reference and sense cavities; a controller to vary a wavelength of light emitted by the light source and/or an index of refraction of an optical medium of the cavities; a photodetector to detect light emitted by the reference and sense cavities; an interferometer sensor to measure using the detected light, for each variation of the wavelength of light and/or the index of refraction a reference displacement of the reference cavity and a sense displacement of the sense cavity; and a processor to calculate the acceleration using each of the reference displacements and the sense displacements.

Abstract: A method of using a thermocouple is provided. The method includes, but is not limited to, disposing at least one temperature sensor at each of two or more respective portions of an electrical connector adapted to receive thermocouple signals, measuring temperatures at the two or more portions, and calculating the temperatures at each terminal of the electrical connector based on measured temperature values of the two or more respective portions having the disposed temperature sensors. The method also includes, but is not limited to, calculating a cold junction temperature of a terminal for at least one thermocouple channel carrying the thermocouple signals based on measured or calculated temperature values of the terminals, or a combination thereof.