Abstract: The protective circuit for analog sensors has transistors respectively located in a power supply voltage line and in a ground line. The control electrode of said circuit is located between the supply voltage and the ground via a voltage divider. The sensor output line is connected to the ground potential of the control device via a pull-down resistor. During normal operation, both transistors are connected. Both transistors switch off when the ground line is disconnected. This prevents a current from flowing to the sensor output line via the power supply voltage line, the voltage divider or via the sensor. The sensor output line is, in fact, pulled to the ground potential by the pull-down resistor. This prevents the appearance of a defective signal that could emulate a wanted signal.

Abstract: A relay device includes plural relay units, each having a coil for opening/closing a contact point, a base plate made of resin and having wiring metal pieces, and a control circuit mounted on the base plate for controlling current supply to the coil. The control circuit has a function of stabilizing the holding current irrespective of environmental variation. Thus, the holding current can be further reduced and heating and power consumption can be reduced without losing the function of keeping the contact point state.

Abstract: A load-protection control circuit of a power supply, which applies to the power supply that has a maximum power-limiting function. The power supply includes a power transformation circuit which outputs a direct current to drive loads and a control circuit which can switch the power transformation circuit electrically coupled to a power-protection circuit that has a voltage representing reference power. The direct current voltage driving the load is compared with the voltage representing reference power by the power-protection circuit to output a protection signal to the control circuit for switching the power transformation circuit. The power-protection circuit and the control circuit are electrically connected to a switcher circuit connected to a switch, wherein the switch can switch the switcher circuit to be in open-circuit or close-circuit state in order to determine whether the protection signal is transmitted to the control circuit. Thereby, the objective of load-protection control is accomplished.

Abstract: It is possible to predict with acceptable accuracy the time to failure of a device having a thin gate dielectric in a field effect transistor. Such prediction is based on the realization that for such thin dielectric multiple dielectric breakdown occurs before device failure ensues and that measurement of the device quiescent current flow provides the information necessary for such prediction. The ability to make reliable prediction allows improvement of device design, manufacture, and use.

Abstract: A power supply controller having final test and trim circuitry. In one embodiment, a power supply controller for switched mode power supply includes a selector circuit, a trim circuit, a shutdown circuit and a disable circuit. The trim circuit includes a programmable circuit connection that can be selected by the selector circuit by toggling a voltage on an external terminal such as for example a power supply terminal, a control terminal or a function terminal of the power supply controller. The programmable circuit connection in the trim circuit can be programmed by applying a programming voltage to the external terminal. The shutdown circuit shuts down the power supply controller if the temperature rises above an over temperature threshold voltage. The shutdown circuit includes adjustment circuitry that can be used to test the shutdown circuit. The adjustment circuitry can adjust and reduce the over temperature threshold of the power supply controller.

Abstract: A transient detection circuit which may be used in an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamp circuit. The transient detection circuit includes a filter circuit and an inverter circuit. The voltage switch point of the inverter circuit has a constant voltage offset from one of the nodes. When a filtered voltage level from the filter circuit crosses the voltage switch point of the inverter circuit (indicative of an ESD event), the inverter circuit provides a signal indicating an ESD event.

Abstract: A circuit protector is connected in a circuit to protect the circuit from overloading. The circuit protector includes a casing inside which first and second terminals electrically connected to the circuit are fixed. A first cantilever member is fixed to the first terminal and has a cantilever arm that assumes a first shape in a normal condition and is convertible into a second shape in an overloading condition. A second member is supported in the casing by a pivot and has one end fixed to the second terminal by a fastener and an opposite end forming a contact engageable with the cantilever arm in the first shape and separable from the cantilever arm in the second shape. The fastener has a low melting point whereby an overloading causes the fastener to melt and break and thus allowing the second member to rotate and separating the contact from the cantilever arm. The second member is biased by a spring to facilitate separation of the contact from the second member when the fastener is broken.

Abstract: A method and structure for external control of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of electronic devices. According to the structure, one or more shunt circuits are coupled to the electronic devices and one or more external contacts are coupled to the one or more shunt circuits. One or more power supplies are further coupled to the one or more shunt circuits prior to the shunt circuits being coupled to the electronic devices. According to the method, the one or more external contacts are operable to be used to perform on or more of: grounding one or more of one or more external contacts coupled to the one or more shunt circuits, supplying one or more DC signals to one or more of the one or more shunt circuits via one or more of the one or more external contacts, and supplying one or more AC signals to one or more of the one or more shunt circuits via one or more of the one or more external contacts.

Abstract: There is disclosed a power conversion circuit including self synchronous rectifiers and a rapid shutdown section. When power is removed from the power conversion circuit, the rapid shutdown section prevents self oscillation of the self synchronous rectifiers. As a result, power is not drawn from the output and dissipated in the power conversion circuit.

Abstract: A structure and apparatus is provided for an electrostatic discharge power clamp, for use with high voltage power supplies. The power clamp includes a network of transistor devices, for example, nFETs arranged in series between a power rail and a ground rail. The first transistor device is biased into a partially on-state, and thus, neither device sees the full voltage potential between the power rail and the ground rail. Accordingly, the power clamp can function in voltage environments higher than the native voltage of the transistor devices. Additionally, the second transistor device is controlled by an RC network functioning as a trigger which allows the second transistor device to turn on during a voltage spike such as occurs during an ESD event. The capacitor of the RC network may be small thereby requiring small real estate on the integrated circuit. The clamp may have fast turn-on times as well as conducting current for long periods of time after turning on.

Abstract: An ion-generating component has, on an insulating substrate, a ground electrode, a high-voltage electrode, an insulating film provided on the surface of the ground electrode, and a wire electrode. A cutout is formed by cutting out one side of the insulating substrate. The root of the wire electrode is soldered to the high-voltage electrode, and the leading end thereof is positioned near the cutout. The wire electrode is made of an ultrafine wire having a diameter of about 100 ?m or less, for example, a piano wire, a tungsten wire, a stainless wire, or a titanium wire.

Abstract: A control circuit for a frequency converter is provided. The control circuit includes a switch circuit, a timer switch, a starter circuit, a starter relay, and a timer relay. The control circuit is capable of keeping the frequency converter on for a predetermined time period when the voltage level of the power supply is below a predetermined voltage level in order to keep the equipment operating. After the lapse of the predetermined period, if the voltage level is still below the predetermined voltage level, the circuit stops to the operation of the equipment to protect the equipment.

Abstract: A resettable circuit interrupting device having a switch and timer circuit connected to the line side of the interrupting device to cause a leakage current to flow for a defined interval of time when power is applied. The timer and switch circuit comprises a timer powered by current from the phase leg of the device which is designed to operate for a defined interval of time. The timer starts operating when power is applied to the circuit interrupting device and normally continues to operate for the defined interval to time. Upon completion of the timed interval, the timer turns itself off and stays off until power is again applied to the device after an interruption. When power is first applied to the interrupting device, the timer is energized from the phase leg and causes the switch to close which connects the neutral leg on the line side of the interrupting device to a ground terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating positive and negative ions, the method comprising: generating ac high voltage; providing different polarity of the high-voltage to at least one pair of ionizing electrodes mounted in separate conducting cages located adjacent to each other, each of the cages provided with an opening opposite the electrode; balancing ion currents emitted by each of the electrodes by providing a balancing unit, output from the ac high voltage being via the balancing unit to the electrodes, each electrode provided with different polarity; and generating an external electric field by using the ion current from each electrode across to the cage in which the electrode is mounted, passing through an element for producing a voltage drop, whereby some of the ions generated from the electrodes escape outside the cages due to the presence of electric field between the cages.

Abstract: The present invention relates to intelligent fuse box (1) for a vehicle's multiplex power distribution system, the fuse box including outputs (3) for driving the vehicle's functional components/actuators and/or cable buses (11–13) equipped with intelligent_nodes (14), the latter in turn having outputs for driving functional components/actuators (15), and further including means serving fuse functions between the outputs (3; 11–13) and the vehicle's power supply bus (12). The fuse-function means are controlled solid-state switches (4). The fuse box (1) includes inputs (5) for receiving messages controlling the ON/OFF state of solid-state switches (4) and a microprocessor (6), the latter controlling the solid-state switches (4) based on a program stored in the microprocessor memory (7) and on current limits predetermined in configuration data (8).

Abstract: An ionization system for a predefined area includes a plurality of emitter modules spaced around the area, a system controller for individually addressing and monitoring the emitter modules and communication lines for electrically connecting the plurality of emitter modules with the system controller. Each emitter module has an individual address and including at least one electrical ionizer.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device having a plurality of internal circuits connected to different power lines, and an inter-circuit signal wire or a branched wire along these internal circuits, wherein near an active element in a first connection configuration connected to the inter-circuit signal wire or the like, a plurality of active elements in another connection configuration are arranged to sandwich or surround the active element in the first connection configuration. The active elements in the other connection configuration have the identical or similar structure to the active element in the first connection configuration, and are connected to power lines of an internal circuit associated therewith but not connected to signal wires and so on in the internal circuit.

Abstract: A partitioned exciter system for use with an igniter in an aircraft engine. The exciter has low-energy charging circuit and a high-energy discharge circuit that are remotely located from each other and that are connected by a low-energy coaxial cable. The charging circuit can be located within the aircraft fuselage and the discharge circuit mounted at the engine. The discharge circuit contains passive components that do not need special environmental protection, and the remotely located charging circuit can utilize existing electrical circuitry protection measures already in place in the fuselage to protect against lightning and other potentially-damaging environmental factors. Also disclosed is a housing arrangement for the discharge circuit that allows it to be directly attached to the igniter.

Abstract: Short circuit protection is provided for an isolation component that has a parasitic diode as an inherent part of its construction. The isolation component may or may not be contained in an integrated circuit. In response to detecting a short circuit condition based on voltages at one or more input terminals of the integrated circuit, or based on current between the terminals, the isolation component is activated to facilitate current flow through the isolation component, such as to reduce total power dissipation in the isolation component during at least part of the short circuit condition.

Abstract: An imaging device, including a reader adapted to receive a removable memory device, the reader having an opening through which to receive the removable memory device; and a static discharge device disposed proximate the opening such that the removable memory contacts the static discharge device prior to being received through the opening, the static discharge device being electrically grounded.