Abstract: Provided herein is a photonic integrated circuit and methods for controlling a photonic integrated circuit that can utilize the resonant frequency of one or more components of the photonic integrated circuit to enhance the response of the circuit. At least one component of the photonic integrated circuit can be driven by an electrical signal whose frequency is substantially equal to the mechanical resonance frequency of the component such that the response of the optical component is increased. The component of the photonic integrated circuit can include a phase shifter that can impart a phase shift on a received optical signal. By driving the phase shifter with an electrical signal that is equal to the mechanical resonance frequency of the optical phase shifter, less power can be required to impart a desired phase shift on a received optical signal. The optical components can be implemented using piezoelectric cantilevers.

Abstract: A method of using a quill to steer a bit when elongating a wellbore, with the method including receiving real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore, wherein the real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore comprises data associated with: actual toolface orientation; surface-measured mud motor ?P; surface-measured quill torque; surface-measured weight-on-bit (“WOB”); and surface-measured quill position; learning, based on the real-time data, relationships between: surface-measured mud motor ?P and surface-measured torque; changes in surface-measured WOB and surface-measured torque; and changes in surface-measured quill position and actual toolface orientation; accessing, after learning the relationships, a desired toolface orientation; comparing, by the controller, the desired toolface orientation and the actual toolface orientation; and affecting, by the controller and based on the comparison and the learned relationships, a first change of the quill position and one or more of: mud moto

Abstract: A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on the received data; comparing the location of the BHA to a planned drilling path to identify an amount of deviation; automatically creating a modified drilling path based on the amount of deviation and a predicted trend of a downhole parameter; detecting a trend of the downhole parameter while drilling along the modified drilling path; and automatically creating a further modified drilling path when the trend of the downhole parameter is a reversal of the predicted trend of the downhole parameter. The predicted trend of the downhole parameter is an increase of a d-exponent factor or a d-exponent-corrected factor with an increase in depth.

Abstract: A BGA structure having larger solder balls in high stress regions of the array is disclosed. The larger solder balls have higher solder joint reliability (SJR) and as such may be designated critical to function (CTF), whereby the larger solder balls in high stress regions carry input/output signals between a circuit board and a package mounted thereon. The larger solder balls are accommodated by recessing each ball in the package substrate, the circuit board, or both the package substrate and the circuit board. Additionally, a ball attach method for mounting a plurality of solder balls having different average diameters is disclosed.

Abstract: An electronic chip, system, and method includes a power block including a power source configured to provide power to components of the electronic chip and a relay circuit coupled to the power source and a ground plane. The electronic chip further includes chip package having a first major side and a second major side, the power block secured to the second major side, the chip package comprising electrical connections, disposed on the second major side, to be secured with respect to a circuit board, and interconnect circuitry, electrically coupling the power block to ground, comprising a plurality of conductive layers, a conductive through hole, electrically connecting a first pair of the plurality of conductive layers, having a first width, and a via, electrically connecting a second pair of the plurality of conductive layers, having a second width less than the first width.

Abstract: A BGA structure having larger solder balls in high stress regions of the array is disclosed. The larger solder balls have higher solder joint reliability (SJR) and as such may be designated critical to function (CTF), whereby the larger solder balls in high stress regions carry input/output signals between a circuit board and a package mounted thereon. The larger solder balls are accommodated by recessing each ball in the package substrate, the circuit board, or both the package substrate and the circuit board. Additionally, a ball attach method for mounting a plurality of solder balls having different average diameters is disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on the received data; comparing the location of the BHA to a planned drilling path to identify an amount of deviation; automatically creating a modified drilling path based on the amount of deviation and a predicted trend of a downhole parameter; detecting a trend of the downhole parameter while drilling along the modified drilling path; and automatically creating a further modified drilling path when the trend of the downhole parameter is a reversal of the predicted trend of the downhole parameter. The predicted trend of the downhole parameter is an increase of a d-exponent factor or a d-exponent-corrected factor with an increase in depth.

Abstract: A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) from a drilling rig to a target location including by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on a directional trend and the projection; identifying an amount of deviation from a drilling path; automatically creating a modified drilling path that intersects the planned drilling path based on the amount of deviation exceeding a first threshold amount of deviation and being less than a second threshold amount of deviation, automatically creating a modified drilling path that does not intersect the planned drilling path in response to the amount of deviation exceeding the second threshold amount of deviation, and determining a curve profile of the modified drilling path having the smallest rate of curvature to avoid drilling overshoot; and steering the BHA.

Abstract: A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) from a drilling rig to a target location including by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on a directional trend and the projection; identifying an amount of deviation from a drilling path; automatically creating a modified drilling path that intersects the planned drilling path based on the amount of deviation exceeding a first threshold amount of deviation and being less than a second threshold amount of deviation, automatically creating a modified drilling path that does not intersect the planned drilling path in response to the amount of deviation exceeding the second threshold amount of deviation, and determining a curve profile of the modified drilling path having the smallest rate of curvature to avoid drilling overshoot; and steering the BHA.

Abstract: A method of modifying a slide drill segment while implementing the slide drill segment includes receiving downhole data from a BHA during slide drilling of a slide drill segment. The method also includes calculating, based on the downhole data, a build rate and altering, while performing the slide drill segment, sliding instructions based on the build rate and the downhole data. The method also includes implementing the altered sliding instructions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of automatically altering proposed sliding instructions to comply with operating parameters is described.

Abstract: A BGA structure having larger solder balls in high stress regions of the array is disclosed. The larger solder balls have higher solder joint reliability (SJR) and as such may be designated critical to function (CTF), whereby the larger solder balls in high stress regions carry input/output signals between a circuit board and a package mounted thereon. The larger solder balls are accommodated by recessing each ball in the package substrate, the circuit board, or both the package substrate and the circuit board. Additionally, a ball attach method for mounting a plurality of solder balls having different average diameters is disclosed.

Abstract: A BGA structure having larger solder balls in high stress regions of the array is disclosed. The larger solder balls have higher solder joint reliability (SJR) and as such may be designated critical to function (CTF), whereby the larger solder balls in high stress regions carry input/output signals between a circuit board and a package mounted thereon. The larger solder balls are accommodated by recessing each ball in the package substrate, the circuit board, or both the package substrate and the circuit board. Additionally, a ball attach method for mounting a plurality of solder balls having different average diameters is disclosed.

Abstract: A package structure including a capacitor mounted within a cavity in the package substrate is disclosed. The package structure may additionally include a die mounted to a die side surface of the package substrate, and the opposing land side surface of the package substrate may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). The capacitor may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate or the land side surface of the package substrate. Mounting a capacitor within a cavity may reduce the form factor of the package. The die may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate. Solder balls connecting the package to the PCB may be mounted within one or more cavities formed in one or both of the package substrate and the PCB.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for producing a three-dimensional visualization of a drill plan and drilling motor with a toolface are provided for drill steering purposes. A drilling motor with a toolface in communication with a sensor system is provided. A controller in communication with the sensor system is operable to generate a depiction of the drill plan and a depiction of the drilling motor, and to combine these depictions in a three-dimensional visualization of the downhole environment. This visualization is used by a user to steer the drill.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods for controlling activities on a drilling rig are described. The methods include installing a control system operably coupled to the drilling rig and having a user interface, receiving operational guidelines from the user interface that include a plurality of control limits associated with operational parameters of the rig, monitoring current values of the operational parameters, and automatically applying the control limits to the operational parameters during operation of the rig.

Abstract: A rig control apparatus, system, and method according to which a mud pump is ramped up toward a full-operational pumping pressure to circulate drilling mud via a drill string between a surface location and a downhole tool, the downhole tool being connected to the drill string and positioned within a wellbore, the flow of the drilling mud between the surface location and the downhole tool is stabilized prior to the mud pump reaching the full-operational pumping pressure, data is transmitted via mud-pulse telemetry from the downhole tool to the surface location when the flow of the drilling mud between the surface location and the downhole tool is stabilized, and the mud pumps are ramped up further to the full-operational pumping pressure.

Abstract: A package structure including a capacitor mounted within a cavity in the package substrate is disclosed. The package structure may additionally include a die mounted to a die side surface of the package substrate, and the opposing land side surface of the package substrate may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). The capacitor may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate or the land side surface of the package substrate. Mounting a capacitor within a cavity may reduce the form factor of the package. The die may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate. Solder balls connecting the package to the PCB may be mounted within one or more cavities formed in one or both of the package substrate and the PCB.

Abstract: A method of modifying a slide drill segment while implementing the slide drill segment is described. The method includes receiving downhole data from a BHA during a rotary drilling segment; identifying, based on the downhole data, a first build rate and sliding instructions for performing a slide drill segment; implementing at least a portion of the sliding instructions to perform at least a portion of the slide drill segment; receiving additional downhole data from the BHA during the slide drill segment; calculating, based on the additional downhole data, a second build rate that is different from the first build rate; altering, while performing the slide drill segment, the sliding instructions based on the second build rate and the additional downhole data; and implementing the altered sliding instructions to perform at least another portion of the slide drill segment.

Abstract: An electronic chip, system, and method includes a power block including a power source configured to provide power to components of the electronic chip and a relay circuit coupled to the power source and a ground plane. The electronic chip further includes chip package having a first major side and a second major side, the power block secured to the second major side, the chip package comprising electrical connections, disposed on the second major side, to be secured with respect to a circuit board, and interconnect circuitry, electrically coupling the power block to ground, comprising a plurality of conductive layers, a conductive through hole, electrically connecting a first pair of the plurality of conductive layers, having a first width, and a via, electrically connecting a second pair of the plurality of conductive layers, having a second width less than the first width.