Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes a plurality of line terminals including a line hot terminal and a line neutral terminal, and a plurality of load terminals including a load hot terminal and a load neutral terminal. An interrupting contact assembly includes four sets of interrupting contacts configured to provide electrical continuity at least between the line hot terminal and the load hot terminal and the line neutral terminal and the load neutral terminal in a reset state. The four sets of interrupting contacts are open in a tripped state. A miswire prevention arrangement is configured to prevent the interrupting contact assembly from maintaining the reset state when the load hot terminal and the load neutral terminal are connected to a source of AC power.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a protective device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load. The electrical distribution system includes at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor. The line neutral conductor is connected to the line ground conductor at a termination point in the electrical distribution system. The electrical load includes at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor, the device comprises a conditioning circuit configured to monitor a differential current flowing through the plurality of line termination elements and configured to generate a conditioning signal in response thereto. The conditioning signal propagates in a path formed by the line neutral conductor and the line ground conductor to thereby reduce a differential current propagating in the at least one line hot conductor and the line neutral conductor.

Abstract: The DC switch includes a housing (2) provided with a power connection terminal (2a) adapted in use to be connected to a power source, and a load connection terminal (2b) adapted in use to be connected to a load. A contact unit (1) is interposed between the power connection terminal (2a) and the load connection terminal (2b). The contact unit (1) has mechanical contacts (10), and a semiconductor switch (11) serially connected to the mechanical contacts (10). The DC switch further includes a switching mechanism unit (3) having an operating handle (30) used for manual operation and movably attached to the housing (2), a position detection unit (4) configured to detect an operating position of the operating handle (30), and a control unit (7). The switching mechanism unit (3) is configured to open and close the mechanical contacts (10) in response to the manual operation of the operating handle (30).

Abstract: A circuit breaker for protecting a power line. The circuit breaker includes a control unit and a circuit breaking element disconnecting the power line from a power source. The control unit detects a fault on the power line, opens the circuit breaking element, which opening starts a disconnection time interval, injects a test signal into the power line, measures a response, determines an impedance of the power line from the response, analyses the impedance during the time interval based on comparing the impedance with a reference threshold, determines a permanent or a temporary fault based on the analysed impedance, re-closes the circuit breaking element after the time interval if the fault is temporary and keeps the circuit breaking element open after the time interval if the fault is permanent.

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamp (41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91), coupled across input-output (I/O) (22) and common (GND) (23) terminals of a protected semiconductor SC device or IC (24), comprises, an ESD transistor (ESDT) (25) with source-drain (26, 27) coupled between the GND (23) and I/O (22), a first resistor (30) coupled between gate (28) and source (26) and a second resistor (30) coupled between ESDT body (29) and source (26). Paralleling the resistors (30, 32) are control transistors (35, 35?) with gates (38, 38?) coupled to one or more bias supplies Vb, Vb?. The main power rail (Vdd) of the device or IC (24) is a convenient source for Vb, Vb?. When the Vdd is off during shipment, handling, equipment assembly, etc., the ESD trigger voltage Vt1 is low, thereby providing maximum ESD protection when ESD risk is high. When Vdd is energized, Vt1 rises to a value large enough to avoid interference with normal circuit operation but still protect from ESD events.

Abstract: A circuit breaker system and method having zone selective interlock features is provided. The system and method include the transmission of a selective interlock signal from a downstream circuit breaker to an upstream circuit breaker in the event a first or second fault condition is detected. The upstream circuit breaker upon receipt of this signal changes the response of the second circuit breaker depending on whether the first or second fault condition has been detected.

Abstract: A protective device is disclosed for combination with an electrical switching device including a main current line or for integration in such a switching device. In at least one embodiment, the protective device includes a switching element and a switching apparatus, which is provided for the actuation of the switching element and is influenced by a current flow through the main current line. In at least one embodiment, in order to influence the switching apparatus, a current transformer is integrated in the main current line and an electrical resistance of a secondary winding surrounded by the current transformer can be measured. A method for operating a protective device is also disclosed wherein the switching apparatus is triggered so as to actuate the switching element if the measured resistance reaches or exceeds a predetermined or predeterminable threshold value.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to surge protection systems that protect outside plant equipment from high-energy surges. In one exemplary embodiment, a protection system is used for protecting Ethernet equipment that is coupled to an outside Ethernet cable. The protection system provides protection and remains capable of coupling signal energy between an Ethernet cable and Ethernet equipment without significantly degrading Ethernet performance. However, the protection system, while allowing the desirable Ethernet signals to pass between the cable and the equipment, prevents the electrical voltages and currents of high-energy surges, such as surges from lightning or AC power faults, from damaging the Ethernet equipment.

Abstract: An electrification control apparatus (101) for glow plugs GP1 to GPn includes temperature-raising-period electrification control units S3 to S7, S31, S32 for raising the temperature of a heater section (2) of each glow plug. The control units perform electrification control in such manner that, even when a first glow plug GP1 and a second glow plug GP1e, which are of the same industrial part number but differ in resistance due to a characteristic variation therebetween, are selectively connected to the electrification control apparatus (101) and electrification control is performed therefor, at sampled timings t during the temperature rise, electric power of the same magnitude P(t) as that of electric power supplied to the first glow plug GP1 is supplied to the second glow plug GP1e.

Abstract: A system for protecting metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) output drivers within an integrated circuit (IC) from an electrostatic discharge (ESD) includes a first MOSFET output driver and a second MOSFET output driver positioned within a common IC diffusion material. The system includes a contact ring coupled to the common IC diffusion material and arranged along an outer edge of a perimeter surrounding the MOSFET output drivers. A centroid of each MOSFET output driver is common with a centroid of the perimeter surrounding both MOSFET output drivers. Each MOSFET output driver has a value of substrate resistance (Rsub) that initiates bipolar snapback in the MOSFET output driver at which an ESD event occurs. The value of Rsub depends upon a composite distance from the centroid of each MOSFET output driver to the contact ring.

Abstract: An electrical ground transient eliminator assembly for attenuating high frequency transients and protecting a continuous attenuator circuit of the assembly from overheating due to excessive transients generated on an electrical load is provided. The electrical ground transient eliminator assembly includes a continuous attenuator circuit, which is electrically coupled in parallel to a relay. The assembly includes three lead wires, which are interconnectable to an earth ground line, a neutral line and a load ground of a system that has an electrical load coupled to external AC power lines.

Abstract: A regulator for a switched mode power supply includes switching regulator logic, a counter and a switching transistor. The switching regulator logic is coupled to receive a feedback signal and to generate a switching signal in response. The feedback signal periodically cycles between a first state and a second state when the power supply operates normally. The counter is coupled to receive the feedback signal and an output of the counter indicates an auto-restart mode of the regulator in response to the feedback signal remaining in the first state for a predetermined count. The switching transistor is turned on and off in response to the switching signal when the output of the counter does not indicate the auto-restart mode and is disabled when the output of the counter indicates the auto-restart mode.

Abstract: A protection circuit for a control board is provided. The protection circuit is suitable for being disposed on a light on tester that may output a test voltage to a display module. The protection circuit includes a control device and a voltage stabilizer. The control device includes a first switching element and a control element. The control element enables the first switching element to output an operating voltage. The voltage stabilizer includes a second switching element and an operation module. The operation module may control the second switching element according to the operating voltage, so as to switch on or switch off an input of the test voltage to the display module.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system (100) for creating a magnetic field via a superconducting magnet (102) intended to produce said magnetic field. The system (100) according to the invention comprises a first branch including the superconducting magnet (102) formed by a coil inductance (L?) in series with a residual resistance (R?2), a second branch comprising a protection resistance (R?3) and a third branch comprising a power source (103). Furthermore, the system comprises a fourth branch formed by a resistance (R?1) mounted in series with a current-limiting superconducting device (106) switching from a low-resistance state to a high-resistance state when the current passing therethrough exceeds a breaking current, said first, second, third and fourth branches being mounted in parallel.

Abstract: A detection circuit is provided for a power supply for an electrostatic chuck generating a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals. The detection circuit includes an amplifying circuit which receives inputs from a secondary winding of a transformer of the power supply and produces an amplified buffered signal. A chucking detect circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and is configured to produce a first signal indicative of a substrate on the electrostatic chuck and a second signal indicative of an electrostatic chuck without a substrate. A chucking quality circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of a quality of the chucking of the substrate. A movement detection circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of movement of the substrate on the electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: A high-side driver has a semiconductor element being connected in series in a power supply path extending from a DC power source to a linear solenoid and turned on/off to control a current of the linear solenoid. The high-side driver includes a current detector of a current of the linear solenoid, a controller of the semiconductor element, a state detector of the high-side driver or the linear solenoid and output a state signal, a first transmit buffer to latch and output the state signal, a second transmit buffer to output the state signal without latching the same, and a transmit shift register to convert the state signal into serial data and transmit the serial data to an external device at predetermined timing. The state detector selects at least one of the first and second transmit buffers and outputs the state signal to the selected one.

Abstract: An ESD clamp circuit applied to a power amplifier is provided. The ESD clamp circuit includes a first line, a second line, a first circuit, a second circuit, an ESD detecting unit, a buffer unit, and an ESD clamp unit. The first line is coupled to the output terminal of the power amplifier. The first circuit is coupled to the first line. The second circuit is coupled to the first circuit. The ESD detecting unit is coupled to the first circuit and the second line. The buffer unit is coupled to the second circuit, the second line and the ESD detecting unit. The ESD clamp unit is coupled to the buffer unit, the first line and the second line. Therefore, at normal operation mode, the problem of signal loss caused by the leakage current of ESD clamp circuit can be avoided.

Abstract: Integrated circuit (20) comprising several different voltage rails (V5 to V1) and an on-chip ESD protection circuit. The ESD protection circuit comprises at least one group (21, 22, 23) of ESD clamp devices (C1-C4). The ESD clamp devices (C1-C4) are arranged in a ladder-configuration. This ladder-configuration is characterized in that there is one of the ESD clamp devices interposed between each of the power rails (V5 to V1) and the respective power rail having a next lower voltage. Due to this arrangement an ESD current path is defined between each one of the power rails and the power rail having the next lower voltage. The ESD clamp devices (C1-C4) are off under normal power operation of the integrated circuit (20).

Abstract: A fault protection system for an AC-DC distribution system detects the presence of DC content at individual loads, isolates the load responsible for the fault from the remainder of the distribution system, and blocks DC content from being propagated from the faulty load to the AC source. The fault protection system includes at least one circuit breaker connected to monitor the AC current provided to the individual electrical load and to detect the presence of DC content indicative of the load being faulty. In response to detected DC content, the circuit breaker trips open to disconnect the electrical load from the AC distribution system to prevent DC content from being propagated to adjacent loads.

Abstract: A reconfigurable system is described that can optimize the performance of the system. Substrates can be detached, levitated, moved, dropped and reattached as desired by the use of Coulomb forces generate between Coulomb islands. Thus, a system using a first set of substrates for a given frequency range can be exchanged with a second set of substrates operable at a different frequency range by the use of Coulomb forces. Making this exchange in an RF system can improve the selectivity and decrease the power dissipation of the system. One of the exchanges can involve inductor to shift the frequency of oscillation, for example. A control unit can be used to control the movement and replacement of all substrates. The formation of minimal energy potentials of Coulomb forces are determined to move a substrate over an underlying substrate.