Abstract: A receiving unit converts a pulse received from a transmission unit into a digital output signal and send back the received pulse to the transmission unit via an isolated communication unit, when it receives the pulse transmitted from the transmission unit; the transmission unit includes: an edge pulse generating circuit for generating a pulse corresponding to a transition of the digital input signal between a first level and a second level; and a verification circuit configured to receive the pulse sent back from the receiving unit, determine whether or not the pulse has been sent back from the receiving unit, and generate an additional pulse when the verification circuit determines that the pulse has not been sent back from the receiving unit and is configured to transmit the pulses generated in the edge pulse generating circuit and in the verification circuit, to the receiving unit, via the isolated communication unit.

Abstract: An image reader includes a reading unit that is configured to read an image on a document sheet to generate read data, a counting unit that is configured to count a number of pixels of the read data having more than a predetermined gray level, a determining unit that determines that the document sheet is blank when the number of pixels counted by the counting unit is not exceeding a threshold value, a display unit that is configured to display the number of pixels counted by the counting unit and the threshold value when the document sheet has been determined to be blank, in a manner that the number of pixels can be compared with the threshold value, and a changing unit that changes the threshold value.

Abstract: A load drive circuit with a current bidirectional detecting function includes: a current bidirectional switch connected between a first wire and a second wire and through which a first forward current flows in a direction from the first wire to the second wire and a first backward current flows in a direction from the second wire to the first wire; a forward current detecting switch connected to the first wire and into which a second forward current correlated to the first forward current flowing through the current bidirectional switch flows; a backward current detecting switch connected to the second wire and into which a second backward current correlated to the first backward current flowing through the current bidirectional switch flows.

Abstract: There are provided a CPU connection circuit and a method by two CPUs by alternately conducting a changeover between two buffers disposed there between to prevent an event that data processing cannot be fully executed by the CPU on the receiving side. There is included a memory controller which monitors whether or not an amount of data stored by a CCPU 1 in either one of buffers 301 and 302 reaches a predetermined threshold value; when the amount of data stored by the CCPU 1 in the buffer 301, 302 reaches the threshold value, the memory controller requests an ACPU 2 to acquire the data stored in the buffer and changes the storage destination of data from the CCPU to the other one of the buffers; the threshold value is a value more than a unit quantity of data which the CCPU 1 sends to the buffer 301, 302.

Abstract: There are provided a CPU connection circuit and a method wherein the CPU connection circuit is a circuit to be employed by two CPUs by alternately conducting a changeover between two buffers disposed therebetween to prevent an event that data processing cannot be fully executed by the CPU on the receiving side. There is included a memory controller 303 which monitors whether or not an amount of data stored by a CCPU 1 in either one of buffers 301 and 302 reaches a predetermined threshold value; when the amount of data stored by the CCPU 1 in the buffer 301, 302 reaches the threshold value, the memory controller 303 requests an ACPU 2 to acquire the data stored in the buffer and changes the storage destination of data from the CCPU to the other one of the buffers; the threshold value is a value more than a unit quantity of data which the CCPU 1 sends to the buffer 301, 302.

Abstract: There are provided a CPU connection circuit and a method by two CPUs by alternately conducting a changeover between two buffers disposed there between to prevent an event that data processing cannot be fully executed by the CPU on the receiving side. There is included a memory controller which monitors whether or not an amount of data stored by a CCPU 1 in either one of buffers 301 and 302 reaches a predetermined threshold value; when the amount of data stored by the CCPU 1 in the buffer 301, 302 reaches the threshold value, the memory controller requests an ACPU 2 to acquire the data stored in the buffer and changes the storage destination of data from the CCPU to the other one of the buffers; the threshold value is a value more than a unit quantity of data which the CCPU 1 sends to the buffer 301, 302.

Abstract: An image reader includes a reading unit that is configured to read an image on a document sheet to generate read data, a counting unit that is configured to count a number of pixels of the read data having more than a predetermined gray level, a determining unit that determines that the document sheet is blank when the number of pixels counted by the counting unit is not exceeding a threshold value, a display unit that is configured to display the number of pixels counted by the counting unit and the threshold value when the document sheet has been determined to be blank, in a manner that the number of pixels can be compared with the threshold value, and a changing unit that changes the threshold value.

Abstract: The present invention introduces a diode circuit which achieves ideal diode characteristics which observe an enough reverse breakdown voltage, and whose forward voltage is nearly 0 V. An active diode has an anode terminal and a cathode terminal. The active diode includes a transistor which has a gate terminal, a drain terminal connected to one of the anode terminal and the cathode terminal, and a source terminal connected to the other one of the anode terminal or the cathode terminal; and a gate voltage generating circuit which delivers a gate voltage to the gate terminal, the gate voltage being adjusted to be equal to a threshold voltage of the transistor.

Abstract: A receiving unit converts a pulse received from a transmission unit into a digital output signal and send back the received pulse to the transmission unit via an isolated communication unit, when it receives the pulse transmitted from the transmission unit; the transmission unit includes: an edge pulse generating circuit for generating a pulse corresponding to a transition of the digital input signal between a first level and a second level; and a verification circuit configured to receive the pulse sent back from the receiving unit, determine whether or not the pulse has been sent back from the receiving unit, and generate an additional pulse when the verification circuit determines that the pulse has not been sent back from the receiving unit and is configured to transmit the pulses generated in the edge pulse generating circuit and in the verification circuit, to the receiving unit, via the isolated communication unit.

Abstract: There are provided a CPU connection circuit and a method wherein the CPU connection circuit is a circuit to be employed by two CPUs by alternately conducting a changeover between two buffers disposed therebetween to prevent an event that data processing cannot be fully executed by the CPU on the receiving side. There is included a memory controller 303 which monitors whether or not an amount of data stored by a CCPU 1 in either one of buffers 301 and 302 reaches a predetermined threshold value; when the amount of data stored by the CCPU 1 in the buffer 301, 302 reaches the threshold value, the memory controller 303 requests an ACPU 2 to acquire the data stored in the buffer and changes the storage destination of data from the CCPU to the other one of the buffers; the threshold value is a value more than a unit quantity of data which the CCPU 1 sends to the buffer 301, 302.

Abstract: A load drive circuit with a current bidirectional detecting function includes: a current bidirectional switch connected between a first wire and a second wire and through which a first forward current flows in a direction from the first wire to the second wire and a first backward current flows in a direction from the second wire to the first wire; a forward current detecting switch connected to the first wire and into which a second forward current correlated to the first forward current flowing through the current bidirectional switch flows; a backward current detecting switch connected to the second wire and into which a second backward current correlated to the first backward current flowing through the current bidirectional switch flows.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a driving circuit which is adapted, for a semiconductor device which exhibits a diode characteristic of flowing an abrupt current if the gate-source voltage therein exceeds a predetermined voltage, to have the functions of reducing electric-power consumption in high-load state, reducing the loss in the driving circuit in low-load states, preventing excessive voltages, excessive currents and excessive electric-power consumption, and reducing the loss in the semiconductor device.

Abstract: The step-down converter includes: a switch; an inductor; a rectifier; a smoothing unit; and a current bypass circuit, wherein when the current flowing toward the inductor exceeds a predetermined value, the current bypass circuit forms a path through which the current flows from the input terminal to the output terminal while bypassing the inductor.

Abstract: A reference voltage is applied from a reference voltage generating circuit to the non-inverting input terminal of an amplifier for supplying a drive voltage to the gate terminal of an NMOS transistor, and the output voltage appearing at the source terminal of the NMOS transistor is divided by a resistor pair and applied to the inverting input terminal of the amplifier. The voltage obtained by adding a voltage equal to or higher than the voltage for sufficiently driving the NMOS transistor to the output voltage appearing at the source terminal of the NMOS transistor is generated by a charge pump circuit and supplied to the amplifier as a power supply voltage. With this configuration, the drive voltage for the NMOS transistor is suppressed to the required minimum voltage while the drive voltage is obtained securely. The power consumption in the amplifier can thus be suppressed.

Abstract: When the surface of a semiconductor wafer, a photomask or the like sample is charged by irradiation with a charged particle beam, the charging is liable to hamper image observation, inspection and handling. Therefore, the sample and the surface or vicinity of the sample being charged by an electron beam or the like is held in an atmosphere or a reduced pressure atmosphere or in a predetermined gaseous atmosphere within a preliminary evacuation chamber, a sample chamber or the like, containing a soft X-ray generator which irradiates the sample or the vicinity thereof with soft X-rays which are controlled to generate positive ions and negative ions and remove charges on the surface of the sample.

Abstract: A reference voltage is applied from a reference voltage generating circuit to the non-inverting input terminal of an amplifier for supplying a drive voltage to the gate terminal of an NMOS transistor, and the output voltage appearing at the source terminal of the NMOS transistor is divided by a resistor pair and applied to the inverting input terminal of the amplifier. The voltage obtained by adding a voltage equal to or higher than the voltage for sufficiently driving the NMOS transistor to the output voltage appearing at the source terminal of the NMOS transistor is generated by a charge pump circuit and supplied to the amplifier as a power supply voltage. With this configuration, the drive voltage for the NMOS transistor is suppressed to the required minimum voltage while the drive voltage is obtained securely. The power consumption in the amplifier can thus be suppressed.

Abstract: The step-down converter includes: a switch to which an input voltage is supplied via an input terminal; an inductor which is connected to the switch; rectifier means which allows a current to flow through the inductor in the OFF state of the switch; smoothing means which smoothes the current of the inductor to produce an output voltage to an output terminal; and a current bypass circuit, wherein when the current flowing toward the inductor exceeds a predetermined value, the current bypass circuit forms a path through which the current flows from the input terminal to the output terminal while bypassing the inductor.