Abstract: A multi-layer coating on an outer surface of a substrate includes a first layer applied directly to the outer surface of the substrate. The first layer includes diamond-like carbon (DLC) configured to mitigate metal whisker formation. A second layer is applied on a top surface of the first layer. The second layer is a conformal coating that includes a second material configured to bind to the top surface of the first layer and fill any microfractures that may form in the first layer. Optionally, a third layer is applied on a top surface of the second layer and includes DLC configured to protect the second layer from oxidation and degradation.

Abstract: An optical parametric device comprising a slant-stripe periodically poled nonlinear material that is operable to generate signal in response to interaction with a pump wave, the non-linear interaction being such that the pump and idler waves are collinear and the signal wave is non-collinear relative to the pump and idler waves, wherein the slant-stripe non-linear material is able to generate two idler waves and two signal waves, and the device is adapted to allow for the selection and output coupling of a required one of the two signal waves.

Abstract: A method of optimizing parametric gain in a nonlinear optical crystal that in response to application of a pump beam generates through a parametric generation process signal and idler beams, wherein the signal beam is non-collinear with the pump beam and the signal beam is subject to absorption due to the nonlinear material, the method involving shaping the pump beam to have an elliptical cross section, wherein the method further involves determining the width w of the pump beam depending on the absorption co-efficient of the optical crystal.

Abstract: A method of optimizing parametric gain in a nonlinear optical crystal that in response to application of a pump beam generates through a parametric generation process signal and idler beams, wherein the signal beam is non-collinear with the pump beam and the signal beam is subject to absorption due to the nonlinear material, the method involving shaping the pump beam to have an elliptical cross section, wherein the method further involves determining the width w of the pump beam depending on the absorption co-efficient of the optical crystal.

Abstract: An optical parametric device comprising a slant-stripe periodically poled nonlinear material that is operable to generate signal in response to interaction with a pump wave, the non-linear interaction being such that the pump and idler waves are collinear and the signal wave is non-collinear relative to the pump and idler waves, wherein the slant-stripe non-linear material is able to generate two idler waves and two signal waves, and the device is adapted to allow for the selection and output coupling of a required one of the two signal waves.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for digitally compensating signal converters and in particular a digital to analog converter which receives digital input data for a digital to analog converter and supplies anti-function digital coefficients derived from the error function of the digital to analog converter and corresponding to the digital input data and applies the anti-function digital coefficients to the digital input data to pre-condition the digital input data to compensate for the error function of the digital to analog converter. The invention also extends to analog to digital converters.

Abstract: An integrated digital calibration circuit and digital to analog converter includes a digital to analog converter (DAC) and a digital calibration circuit including a memory for storing predetermined end point coefficients of the digital to analog converter transfer function; and an arithmetic logic unit for applying the end point coefficients to the DAC input signal to adjust the end points of the DAC and/or analog signal chain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for digitally compensating signal converters and in particular a digital to analog converter which receives digital input data for a digital to analog converter and supplies anti-function digital coefficients derived from the error function of the digital to analog converter and corresponding to the digital input data and applies the anti-function digital coefficients to the digital input data to pre-condition the digital input data to compensate for the error function of the digital to analog converter. The invention also extends to analog to digital converters.

Abstract: A method for communicating between a controller and a device with double-buffered inputs comprises the steps of providing one or more communication paths for exchanging data between the controller and the device, providing a data transfer control signal from the controller to the device for transferring input data from one or more input registers into one or more latchable data registers, and providing a data transfer delay signal from the device to the controller, wherein, in a first logic state, the data transfer delay signal prevents transfer of input data from the input registers into the latchable data registers until after a transition to a second logic state occurs on the data transfer delay signal. An apparatus for communicating between a controller and a device is also described.

Abstract: An integrated digital calibration circuit and digital to analog converter includes a digital to analog converter (DAC) and a digital calibration circuit including a memory for storing predetermined end point coefficients of the digital to analog converter transfer function; and an arithmetic logic unit for applying the end point coefficients to the DAC input signal to adjust the end points of the DAC and/or analog signal chain.

Abstract: A speech recognition technique uses lexical tree pre-filtering to obtain lists of words for use in performing speech recognition. The lexical tree pre-filtering includes representing a vocabulary of words using a lexical tree and identifying a first subset of the vocabulary that may correspond to speech spoken beginning at a first time by propagating through the lexical tree information about the speech spoken beginning at the first time. A second subset of the vocabulary that may correspond to speech spoken beginning at a second time is identified by propagating through the lexical tree information about the speech spoken beginning at the second time. Words included in the speech are recognized by comparing speech spoken beginning at the first time with words from the first subset of the vocabulary and speech spoken beginning at the second time with words from the second subset of the vocabulary. The state of the lexical tree is not reset between identifying the first and second subsets.

Abstract: A chamber useful with an atomic absorption spectrometer includes at least two atomization means installed therein. The means can be serially aligned with the measuring beam or arranged parallel to the axis thereof.