Abstract: A two-dimensional position sensor is formed by drive electrodes (52) and sense electrodes (62, 64, 66) both extending in the x-direction and interleaved in the y-direction. The sense electrodes comprise several groups, two of which co-extend in the x-direction over each different portions of extent in the x-direction. The drive and sense electrodes are additionally arranged to capacitively couple with each other. In use, drive signals are applied to the drive electrodes and then the resultant sense signals received from the sense electrodes measured. The position of a touch or stylus actuation on the sensor is determined in the x- and y-directions as follows. In the x-direction, the position is determined by an interpolation between sense signals obtained from co-extending pairs of sense electrodes, and in the y-direction by interpolation between sense signals obtained from different sequences of drive signals applied to the drive electrodes.

Abstract: A two-dimensional position sensor is formed by drive electrodes (52) and sense electrodes (62, 64, 66) both extending in the x-direction and interleaved in the y-direction. The sense electrodes comprise several groups, two of which co-extend in the x-direction over each different portions of extent in the x-direction. The drive and sense electrodes are additionally arranged to capacitively couple with each other. In use, drive signals are applied to the drive electrodes and then the resultant sense signals received from the sense electrodes measured. The position of a touch or stylus actuation on the sensor is determined in the x- and y-directions as follows. In the x-direction, the position is determined by an interpolation between sense signals obtained from co-extending pairs of sense electrodes, and in the y-direction by interpolation between sense signals obtained from different sequences of drive signals applied to the drive electrodes.

Abstract: A digital multi-meter (DMM) is described which can be inserted into a peripheral device card expansion slot of a personal digital assistant (PDA) to provide the PDA with DMM functionality. The DMM is configurable by configuration data supplied by application software running on the PDA. Configuration of the DMM may include, for example, setting measurement function and input ranges. The DMM internal circuitry measures input signals, digitizes them and supplies them to the PDA for display and/or storage. This allows for a data acquisition unit which combines a DMM with the computing power of a PDA. The PDA may be programmed to display or store data in a multitude of ways, depending on the requirements of a particular application. The combined DMM and PDA may benefit from various other functions of the PDA, for example wireless communication of data to allow remote data logging.

Abstract: A two-dimensional position sensor is formed by drive electrodes (52) and sense electrodes (62, 64, 66) both extending in the x-direction and interleaved in the y-direction. The sense electrodes comprise several groups, two of which co-extend in the x-direction over each different portions of extent in the x-direction. The drive and sense electrodes are additionally arranged to capacitively couple with each other. In use, drive signals are applied to the drive electrodes and then the resultant sense signals received from the sense electrodes measured. The position of a touch or stylus actuation on the sensor is determined in the x- and y-directions as follows. In the x-direction, the position is determined by an interpolation between sense signals obtained from co-extending pairs of sense electrodes, and in the y-direction by interpolation between sense signals obtained from different sequences of drive signals applied to the drive electrodes.

Abstract: A modified universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) device is provided with an auxiliary high speed parallel channel using supplementary FIFO buffers for the exchange of data. The auxiliary parallel channel is separate from the normal lower speed serial channel which is retained in unmodified form. The retained serial channel provides full compatibility with and support for the National Semiconductor 16550 standard, while the auxiliary parallel channel allows for rapid transfer of large data blocks, such as is needed for a PCMCIA wireless data card for example. The key advantages of this approach lie both in the data transfer speed and in the reduced amount of development time needed to implement a UART interface for communicating between a host computer and a new subsystem. This is because all the UART functions, except large volume data transfer, can be carried out over the standard serial channel using standard device drivers.

Abstract: A peripheral device card conformant to a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard. The peripheral device card having a single semiconductor package bridging device containing an area of non-volatile attribute memory for storing a card information structure and an area of bus decode logic for decoding accesses to the attribute memory. By combining attribute memory and bus decode logic, PCMCIA conformant cards with increased space available for further functional circuitry are provided. The bridging device may include further circuitry, such as universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) circuitry, so as to provide a single package functional yet flexible building block which can be used in the design and construction of peripheral device cards with a wide range of different functions.

Abstract: A modified universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) device is provided with an auxiliary high speed parallel channel using supplementary FIFO buffers for the exchange of data. The auxiliary parallel channel is separate from the normal lower speed serial channel which is retained in unmodified form. The retained serial channel provides full compatibility with and support for the National Semiconductor 16550 standard, while the auxiliary parallel channel allows for rapid transfer of large data blocks, such as is needed for a PCMCIA wireless data card for example. The key advantages of this approach lie both in the data transfer speed and in the reduced amount of development time needed to implement a UART interface for communicating between a host computer and a new subsystem. This is because all the UART functions, except large volume data transfer, can be carried out over the standard serial channel using standard device drivers.

Abstract: A computer system having a PCI expansion connector and further including: an operating system operable to detect a PCI-to-PCMCIA bridge on the PCI expansion connector and in response thereto to allocate a legacy interrupt channel for interrupts originating from the PCI-to-PCMCIA bridge, and also operable to detect connection of a PCMCIA card to the PCI-to-PCMCIA bridge and in response thereto to allocate a further legacy interrupt channel for interrupts originating from the PCMCIA card; and a device driver for a PCI-to-PCMCIA bridge, the device driver including a trap mechanism operable to intercept PCI interrupts received through the PCI expansion connector and, in response to interception of a PCI interrupt, to call an interrupt management routine operable to determine that one of said legacy interrupt channel and said further legacy interrupt channel associated with the intercepted PCI interrupt and to call an interrupt service routine using the determined legacy interrupt channel as an operand.