Abstract: A knock sensor signal processing apparatus for an engine, which performs a series of A/D conversions of a knock sensor signal during each of successive knock judgement intervals to obtain A/D converted values for use in judging if engine knocking is occurring in a cylinder, derives compensation coefficients during an interval between the end of a knock judgement interval corresponding to a cylinder and the start of deriving knock sensor signal A/D values in a succeeding knock judgement interval for a succeeding cylinder, and applies these coefficients to correct the A/D converted values derived in the second knock judgement interval.

Abstract: A connector mounting structure includes a circuit board and a male connector. The male connector is surface-mounted to the circuit board and has a housing and terminals. The housing includes a body member and a fixing member fixed to the body member. The fixing member has a tube portion and a protection portion. The tube portion receives a housing of an external female connector. Each terminal has first and second ends. The first end is exposed to a surface of the body member and soldered to the circuit board. The second end is also exposed to the surface of the body member to be electrically connectable to the female connector. The protection portion is placed between the first and second ends in a thickness direction of the circuit board to cover facing area between adjacent first ends.

Abstract: A reinforcing tab for reinforcing connection between a circuit board and a surface-mounted connector includes a fixing wall to be fixed to a housing of the connector and a connecting wall defining a connecting surface on its end to be connected to the circuit board. The connecting wall extends from the fixing wall and includes a bend at least at a part. Further, the connecting wall has a recess on the connecting surface at a position corresponding to the bend.

Abstract: A connector mounting structure includes a circuit board, a surface mount connector mounted to the circuit board, and an electronic component. The connector includes a connector body and a plurality of conductive terminals. The connector body has a base portion placed on a front surface of the circuit board and a tube portion. The terminals are disposed in the base portion of the connector body. The tube portion has a first opening portion for partially receiving the circuit board and a second opening portion for communicating with an external device. The electronic component is mounted to a back surface of the circuit board. A space for the electronic component is provided approximately beneath the base portion, between the back surface of the circuit board and the first opening portion of the tube portion.

Abstract: In an electronic device, a QFN is surface-mounted on a printed board. The QFN includes a main body containing an IC chip, a reinforcement portion, and multiple terminal portions. The reinforcement portion is exposed from a bottom portion of the main body and mechanically coupled with multiple reinforcement lands on the printed board. The multiple terminal portions are exposed from a peripheral of the main body and electrically coupled with multiple lands on the printed board. In the printed board, the multiple lands are connected with multiple conductive wires. Some of the multiple conductive wires are outside of the surface-mounted area. The others are inside of the surface-mounted area to face the reinforcement lands. This enhances a mounting efficiency in the printed board.

Abstract: An electronic component mounting structure includes a board and an electronic component mounted on a surface of the board. The board includes lands. The electronic component includes a body and terminals extending from the body. Each terminal is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the lands of the board. The terminal has a first terminal portion extending along the surface of the board and a second terminal portion extending toward the surface of the board. Each land includes a land portion electrically soldered to the first terminal portion and a blind hole for receiving the second terminal portion. The first terminal portion is soldered to the land portion in a reflow process under the condition that the second terminal portion is inserted in the blind hole.

Abstract: A knock sensor signal processing apparatus for an engine, which performs a series of A/D conversions of a knock sensor signal during each of successive knock judgement intervals to obtain A/D converted values for use in judging if engine knocking is occurring in a cylinder, derives compensation coefficients during an interval between the end of a knock judgement interval corresponding to a cylinder and the start of deriving knock sensor signal A/D values in a succeeding knock judgement interval for a succeeding cylinder, and applies these coefficients to correct the A/D converted values derived in the second knock judgement interval.

Abstract: In a knock sensor signal processing apparatus, a first apparatus which receives an engine knock sensor signal performs A/D conversions of the signal with a predetermined period and transmits successive pluralities of A/D values in parallel, by serial data communication, to a second apparatus in response to respective commands received from the second apparatus. The number of communication lines provided for transmitting the A/D values is made greater than those for transmitting commands from the second apparatus to the first apparatus, so that a high A/D conversion frequency together with low data rate of transmitting the A/D values can be achieved, thereby reducing communication-generated noise.

Abstract: A mounting structure includes: a surface mounting connector including a housing and a plurality of terminals; a substrate including a plurality of lands, each of which is electrically connected to the terminal with a bonding member; a plurality of support portions for supporting the connector on the substrate; and a plurality of fixing members for positioning the connector on the substrate. Each fixing member is connected to the housing, and contacts a part of the substrate, which is different from a surface portion of the substrate contacting the support portion. Each terminal is positioned on the substrate with a predetermined distance between the terminal and the substrate by the support portions and the fixing members.

Abstract: A ball grid array includes: a semiconductor chip having multiple pads; and an interposer for mounting the semiconductor chip on a first surface. The interposer includes multiple wirings on the first surface and multiple ball terminals on a second surface opposite to the first surface. Each wiring is connected to a corresponding pad of the semiconductor chip, and is electrically connected to a corresponding ball terminal. At least one of ball terminals providing a power supply terminal or a ground terminal provides a common ball terminal for connecting to at least two of the pads of the semiconductor chip through two wirings.

Abstract: In an in-vehicle electronic control apparatus (ECU), when a microcomputer stops operation, a timer IC starts the count-up operation. When the count value reaches a preset value, a signal from the timer IC becomes high and a power supply voltage is outputted from a power supply IC to activate the microcomputer. The microcomputer reads the count value from the timer IC when it starts the operation. If such a count value has exceeded the specified value, the microcomputer determines occurrence of a failure. Therefore, if the timer IC cannot activate the power supply IC, the microcomputer can detect a failure upon activation with turning on of an ignition switch.

Abstract: An apparatus aims at detecting an angle of a rotating shaft as a train of bits. A first signal including a train of pulses corresponding to angle intervals of a rotation of the rotating shaft is inputted to the apparatus, and a second signal including a train of clock pulses whose clock cycle is a positive integer submultiple of a pulse cycle of the first signal is inputted to the apparatus. In the apparatus, a first counter is indicative of a higher-order of the train of bits, and counts up or down in synchronization with the pulse cycle of the first signal. A second counter is indicative of a lower-order of the train of bits, and counts either up or down in synchronization with the clock cycle of the second signal. The second counter is cleared in synchronization with the pulse cycle of the first signal.

Abstract: In an apparatus, a timing signal outputting unit outputs a timing signal every time interval. The time interval is shorter than a pulse time interval of the pulse signal. A first storage unit stores first information relative to each pulse time interval of the pulse signal. A second storage unit samples a value of the sensor signal each time the timing signal is outputted, and stores the sampled values so that the sampled values are associated with pieces of second information, respectively. Each of the pieces of second information is relative to each of sampled timings of the values. A calculating unit calculates a rotation angle of the rotation shaft corresponding to each of the values of the sensor signal based on a relationship between the first information and the pieces of second information.

Abstract: A control system and method for controlling operation of a group of linear solenoids, which in turn control operation of an electrical load such as a solenoid or actuator, that exhibits increased responsiveness to a change in the target linear solenoid load current. A microcomputer cyclically generates and outputs pulse-width-modulated drive signals based on acquired drive data to establish clock periods. A switch connected between the microcomputer and the target load switchably connects the target load to a power source based on the drive data to selectively drive the target load. A feedback loop between the target load and the microcomputer provides actual target load drive data to the microcomputer, and the microcomputer adjusts the drive signals at a rate of not more than two times per cycle based on the actual drive data to converge the actual drive data to a calculated target load drive value.

Abstract: An LDD structure and a silicide layer are formed without a reduction in thickness of a silicon substrate or a carbon contamination. Forming a spacer on a sidewall of a gate electrode is performed in two process steps, i.e. dry-etching and wet-etching. Also, a silicon nitride film used as a buffer film in injection of high dose of impurities is removed by wet-etching. As a result, the reduction in thickness of the silicon substrate and the carbon contamination can be prevented. In addition, variation in depth of the high and low impurity concentration regions and silicide forming region with locations on the wafer can be suppressed because of high selection ratio available with the wet-etching.

Abstract: In an electronic control unit for a vehicle, control data is stored in a volatile memory until a predetermined time passes after an ignition switch is turned off. This makes it possible to greatly reduce the frequency at which data is written into a nonvolatile memory. When the predetermined time has passed after the ignition switch is turned off, the control data stored in the volatile memory is written into the nonvolatile memory. Thereafter, the power supply from a power supply circuit to the volatile memory is stopped. Consequently, it is possible to store the control data reliably in either the volatile memory or the nonvolatile memory. It is also possible to reduce the dark current in the volatile memory.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting an occurrence of knocking of an engine from a signal sensed by a knocking sensor for the engine. The apparatus comprises plural filters extracting, from the signal, plural signal components whose frequency bands mutually differ and a unit determining whether or not there is the occurrence of knocking, based on results outputted from the plural filters. The plural filters include first and second types of filters. The first type of filter has a pass band set to a specific frequency band including a specific frequency of the signal. This specific frequency indicates the occurrence of knocking. The second type of filter has a pass band set to another specific frequency band. An inclination of a filtering characteristic of the second type of filter at a cut-off frequency thereof is steeper than that the first type of filter.

Abstract: In an A/D conversion control apparatus for use in an electronic controller such as an engine ECU of a vehicle, each of successive sets of A/D converted values of an analog signal (each set comprising 3 or more values) is processed to obtain a median value of the set, and the median values are subjected to digital smoothing processing to obtain successive final result values, with effects of noise contained in the analog signal being effectively excluded. The final result values are suitable as control data, supplied to a control device such as a microcomputer of an ECU.

Abstract: In an apparatus, a timing signal outputting unit outputs a timing signal every time interval. The time interval is shorter than a pulse time interval of the pulse signal. A first storage unit stores first information relative to each pulse time interval of the pulse signal. A second storage unit samples a value of the sensor signal each time the timing signal is outputted, and stores the sampled values so that the sampled values are associated with pieces of second information, respectively. Each of the pieces of second information is relative to each of sampled timings of the values. A calculating unit calculates a rotation angle of the rotation shaft corresponding to each of the values of the sensor signal based on a relationship between the first information and the pieces of second information.

Abstract: An LDD structure and a silicide layer are formed without a reduction in thickness of a silicon substrate or a carbon contamination. Forming a spacer on a sidewall of a gate electrode is performed in two process steps, i.e. dry-etching and wet-etching. Also, a silicon nitride film used as a buffer film in injection of high dose of impurities is removed by wet-etching. As a result, the reduction in thickness of the silicon substrate and the carbon contamination can be prevented. In addition, variation in depth of the high and low impurity concentration regions and silicide forming region with locations on the wafer can be suppressed because of high selection ratio available with the wet-etching.