Abstract: Compliance margin of a waveform is determined relative to a standard, indicating the extent to which the waveform either complies or fails to comply with the standard. An acquisition system captures the waveform of an applied signal in a display space, and a memory stores a representation of a series of scaled masks in the display space. Each scaled mask in the series is a version of the standard that is scaled relative to the standard according to a corresponding scale factor. A comparator determines which scaled masks in the series coincide with the waveform at one or more predesignated locations in the display space by comparing the waveform to the represented series of scaled masks at the one or more locations. An output device indicates the compliance margin of the waveform based on the corresponding scale factors of the scaled masks that coincide with the waveform at the one or more locations in the display space.

Abstract: The present invention is a device and method for aligning a hand drill so that holes can be drilled at a desired angle in a workpiece. A light source and a template are attached to the drill so that an image is projected onto the workpiece surface. For drilling holes perpendicular to the surface, the direction of the projected light beam is parallel to the axis of the drill bit. The preferred image is comprised of two concentric circles and two perpendicular straight lines of equal length whose midpoints correspond with the center of the circles. The two lines preferably have discontinuities of equal length at their midpoints so as to be comprised of segments of equal length. When the drill is not properly aligned relative to the workpiece, the projected circles appear oval in shape and at least some of the lines or line segments differ in length. The eye can readily discern these image distortions so that the drill can be readily adjusted to the desired angle.

Abstract: A cathode assembly for semiconductor wafer plating employs a polymer coating on a metal structural ring to provide a low-profile seal to the perimeter of the wafer surface to be plated. The polymer coating also electrically insulates the metal so that it can be used in contact with the plating solution and still be part of the electrical contact system, eliminating the need for a protective plastic housing. This invention permits the dimensions of the cathode assembly to be minimized. A compact cathode assembly with minimum protrusion above the wafer plated surface enables modifications to the plating cell and agitation system providing more uniform copper deposits across the wafer surface and facilitating automation of the wafer plating process.

Abstract: A data communication switch includes a backplane and multiple packet switching controllers. At least one packet switching controller includes programmable application logic for generating application data for a packet. The application logic is contained in key builder and lookup table of an application engine. The key builder contains one or more schema programs for generating keys and key controls using classification information and header data of inbound packets. The schema programs can be loaded onto the key builder during fabrication of the packet switching controller or in field. The keys and key controls are used to lookup the application data from the lookup table.

Abstract: A switch includes one or more programmable packet switching controllers. The programmable packet switching controller has a real-time edit program construction engine. The edit program construction engine receives packet data, e.g., the header data, and disposition decisions generated by, for example, an application engine. The edit program construction engine uses the packet data and the disposition decisions to construct edit programs in real-time. The edit programs include a number of instructions for performing operations, such as COPY, DELETE, RECORD, PLAYBACK, INSERT and OVERWRITE, and are stored in an instruction RAM associated with an edit engine. The edit engine executes the instructions to modify inbound packets in order to transmit them as outbound packets.

Abstract: A temperature compensated voltage regulator circuit having a first resistor (R.sub.X) disposed in the base circuit between two cascaded transistors and a second resistor (R.sub.F) coupled between the collector and base of the first of the two transistors to provide compensation for beta variations in the transistors resulting from process variables during the manufacture of the circuit.