Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide ADCs particularly suitable for PDAF image sensors, which ADCs may have an increased speed and/or reduced design complexity and power consumption compared to conventional implementations. An example ADC for a PDAF image sensor is configured to implement modified SAR techniques which reduce the number of bit trials required for conversion, and enable increased number of samples in a row-conversion time period of the image sensor. The ADC may implement the modified SAR techniques in combination with CMS in pixel readout signal chain, which may reduce noise without a proportionate increase in ADC sample rate.

Abstract: A technique for improving the stability of a voltage reference is provided. The implementation of technique is simple and elegant and does not involve a noise penalty. A compensation resistor is provided on one end of a string of resistors used to set a ?VBE in a PTAT cell and to set a gain applied to the PTAT cell voltage.

Abstract: There is a need to monitor and control the state of relays and circuit breakers within power distribution systems. The monitoring of a relay state, i.e. open or closed, is often performed by applying a monitoring signal to sensing contacts added to the relay. Manufactures of such systems have chosen many different voltages for their own monitoring systems making it difficult to interconnect dissimilar monitoring systems. A signal conditioning circuit is provided that can cope with a large input voltage range and can be configured to allow may items of equipment (which may be new item or legacy items) to be connected to a controller.

Abstract: Lead from lead acid battery scrap is recovered in two separate production streams as clean grid lead and as high-purity lead without smelting. In preferred aspects, lead recovery is performed in a continuous process that uses an aqueous electroprocessing solvent and electro-refining, and spent electroprocessing solvent can be recycled to the recovery process.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electrostatic shield for providing electrostatic shielding for a current sensing coil. Current sensing coils are configured to enable the measurement of a current carried by an electrical conductor passing through a core of the current sensing coil. The electrostatic shield of the present disclosure is configured to provide electrostatic shielding to a core of the current sensing coil in order to reduce or eliminate electrostatic coupling between the electrical conductor and the current sensing coil, thereby improving the accuracy of current measurement that may be achieved by the current sensing coil.

Abstract: A voltage-to-current converter can be configured to generate a current based on an input voltage and for part of the time use the generated current as the output current of the voltage-to-current converter, and for part of the time use the generated current as a current source for the operation of the voltage-to-current converter. This arrangement can reduce the need for high performance current mirror circuits within the voltage-to-current converter, thereby reducing the cost and complexity of the voltage-to-current converter and improving precision and accuracy.

Abstract: Lead from lead acid battery scrap is recovered in two separate production streams as clean grid lead and as high-purity lead without smelting. In preferred aspects, lead recovery is performed in a continuous process that uses an aqueous electroprocessing solvent and electro-refining, and spent electroprocessing solvent can be recycled to the recovery process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to current measurement apparatus 100. The current measurement apparatus 100 comprises a measurement arrangement 110, 114 which is configured to be disposed in relation to a load 108 which draws a current signal, the measurement arrangement being operative when so disposed to measure the load drawn current signal. The current measurement apparatus 100 also comprises a signal source 112 which is operative to apply a reference input signal to the measurement arrangement 110, 114 whereby an output signal from the measurement arrangement comprises a load output signal corresponding to the load drawn current signal and a reference output signal corresponding to the reference input signal.

Abstract: An amplifier circuit having improved common mode rejection is provided. This can be achieved by estimating the common mode value of an input signal and using this to adjust a target common mode voltage at the output of the amplifier. This can help avoid the differential gain becoming modified by the common mode voltage.

Abstract: The response of a Rogowski coil based current measuring circuit is often proportional to frequency. To correct for this a low pass or integrating function is applied to the response to linearize it. The low pass filter is made from real resistors and capacitors, and tolerances in their values significantly affect the estimate of current. This disclosure relates to a way of addressing such problems. This allows consumers of electricity to have confidence in the accuracy of, for example, their electricity meter.

Abstract: A hybrid temperature sensor for an integrated circuit includes two temperature sensors—an application temperature sensor for measuring temperature during normal use of the integrated circuit, and a calibration temperature sensitive element. By providing two temperature sensitive elements within the integrated circuit, it is possible to take advantage of different characteristics of temperature sensors to achieve high accuracy calibration of the application temperature sensor relatively quickly and at low cost, whilst also maintaining desirable characteristics for the application temperature sensor, such as high speed, low power consumption, high resolution, etc.

Abstract: It is often desirable to distinguish between an open circuit condition and a no signal condition. In both cases an input signal may be absent, but only one of these events represents a failure of the equipment. The present disclosure provides a way to use a difference amplifier to check for open circuit events, without requiring additional circuitry at the input of the amplifier.

Abstract: A relaxation oscillator can provide a smaller and cheaper alternative to a crystal oscillator circuit in a wide variety of applications. A sawtooth relaxation oscillator can include overshoot error integration. Separate and distinct oscillator capacitor charging, overshoot error integration, and reset phases can be provided using separate comparators for first and second oscillation capacitors. Potential advantages can include high accuracy high-frequency clock, convenient trimming during initial calibration, clock frequency stability over temperature and time, fast startup with low overshoot, high power supply rejection, low power, or low noise/jitter. The oscillator can charge an oscillation capacitor up to a target voltage, then interrupt charging before beginning an error integration phase that adjusts the target voltage by integrating an overshoot error of a voltage on the oscillation capacitor. After completing the overshoot error integration, the voltage on the oscillation capacitor can be reset.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that can estimate a transfer function, for example of current measurement systems, voltage measurement systems and power measurement systems, and also provide an estimate of certainty about the transfer function. This enables customers to have confidence that they are not being overcharged for electricity.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide mechanisms for measuring currents flowing in one or more conductor wires. The mechanisms are based on using magnetic sensor pairs arranged within a housing with an opening for the wires, where each magnetic sensor pair can generate a pair of signals indicative of magnetic fields in two different directions. The outputs of the sensor pairs can be used to derive a measure of current(s) flowing through the one or more wires. The use of magnetic sensor pairs that can measure magnetic field in two different directions may enable simultaneous current measurement in multiple wires placed within the opening, improve accuracy of current measurements while relaxing requirements for precise control of the placement of the wire(s), reduce the impact of stray magnetic interference, and enable both AC and DC measurements.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an improved Rogowski-type current sensor. In order to allow the sensing coil and the compensation wire to overlap, the sensor is produced using two boards. The current sensing coil is provided on one board, and the compensation wire is provided on another board. The coil and the wire are arranged such that they at least partially overlap, and ideally the compensation wire is formed entirely within the area defined by the coil, albeit in a different plane. This arrangement makes the current sensor far better at rejecting interference than prior art PCB arrangements. In addition, the coil may be formed on a two-sided board. The board has upper radial elements formed on an upper surface, and lower radial elements formed on lower surface. The radial elements are connected using vias formed in the board. The upper radial elements are arranged in a first plane, and the lower radial elements are formed in a second parallel plane.

Abstract: A switch actuating device for actuating a switch by eight types of non-tactile gestures performed with an object emitting heat includes a gesture sensor with four pixels configured to detect heat emitted by the object. The pixels include thin films made of pyroelectric sensitive material which generate a signal that has signal deflections corresponding to a temporal intensity curve of the heat detected by the thin film of the corresponding pixel. The types of the gestures are determined with a signal processing unit which controls an actuator to actuate the switch when a performance of one of the types of the gestures is determined. The gesture types are determined during an approach phase when the object approaches the gesture sensor, a waiting phase during when the object remains close to the gesture sensor, and a subsequent translational phase when the object moves in one of eight directions.

Abstract: Lead from lead acid battery scrap is recovered in two separate production streams as clean grid lead and as high-purity lead without smelting. In preferred aspects, lead recovery is performed in a continuous process that uses an aqueous electroprocessing solvent and electro-refining. Spent electroprocessing solvent and/or base utilized to treat lead paste from the lead acid battery scrap can be recycled to the recovery process.

Abstract: A power conversion apparatus or system can be configured to receive a high voltage alternating current (AC) signal at an input and to provide in dependence thereon a low voltage direct current (DC) signal from an output stage. The power conversion apparatus can include a main path comprising a high voltage capacitor in series with the input. In an example, the capacitor comprises a portion of an electric field energy harvesting system.

Abstract: It is often desirable to distinguish between an open circuit condition and a no signal condition. In both cases an input signal may be absent, but only one of these events represents a failure of the equipment. The present disclosure provides a way to use a difference amplifier to check for open circuit events, without requiring additional circuitry at the input of the amplifier.