Abstract: Provided is a redundant system capable of executing a start request received during update of a microcomputer control program even when an external nonvolatile memory is employed in a redundant system in which one load is controlled by a plurality of control circuits having a redundant configuration, the redundant system being low in cost and excellent in responsiveness. In the redundant system that controls one load by a plurality of control systems having a redundant configuration, when an update program signal for the plurality of control systems is received, update of a control program for each of the plurality of control systems in a predetermined order is individually executed, and when a start request of the load is received during the execution of the update of a control program of one predetermined system, the load is controlled by a system other than the one predetermined system, and during the control, the update of the control program of the one predetermined system is continued.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device, an epitaxial substrate includes a SiC (silicon carbide) substrate and a GaN (gallium nitride) epitaxial layer formed on the SiC substrate. A multi-layer wiring structure is formed on the front-face side of the epitaxial substrate, and includes at least one metal wiring layer and an organic interlayer dielectric. A back-face metal layer is formed on the back face of the epitaxial substrate. At least one via hole is formed in the epitaxial substrate, and is configured to provide a connection between the multi-layer wiring structure and the back-face metal layer.

Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a single crystal pulling-up apparatus of pulling-up silicon single crystals by a Czochralski method, is provided with: a neck diameter measuring portion which measures a diameter of a grown neck portion; a first compensation portion which outputs a first compensated pulling-up speed for the seed crystals based on a difference between a measured value of the diameter of the neck portion and a target value of the neck portion diameter previously stored; a second compensation portion which outputs a second pulling-up speed while limiting an upper limit of the first pulling-up speed to a first limit value; and a crucible rotation number compensation portion which lowers the number of a rotation of a crucible at least in a period where the upper limit of the first pulling-up speed is limited to the first limit value.

Abstract: A pickup cable for a stringed instrument can switch between the output of the direct vibrational sound of strings and the output of the sound from the stringed instrument body generated by the vibrations of the strings and can also simultaneously output both the sound components. The pickup cable for a stringed instrument includes an input terminal to be inserted in a jack of the stringed instrument; a microphone to collect and convert sound of an internal space of the stringed instrument into collected-sound electrical signals; and an output terminal to output the collected-sound electrical signals. The microphone is incorporated in the input terminal.

Abstract: A pickup cable for a stringed instrument can switch between the output of the direct vibrational sound of strings and the output of the sound from the stringed instrument body generated by the vibrations of the strings and can also simultaneously output both the sound components. The pickup cable for a stringed instrument includes an input terminal to be inserted in a jack of the stringed instrument; a microphone to collect and convert sound of an internal space of the stringed instrument into collected-sound electrical signals; and an output terminal to output the collected-sound electrical signals. The microphone is incorporated in the input terminal.

Abstract: A chip-type semiconductor ceramic electronic component including a ceramic body made of a semiconductor ceramic, first external electrodes formed on opposite end surfaces of the ceramic body, and second external electrodes extending to cover surfaces of the first external electrodes and part of side surfaces of the ceramic body. A curvature radius of a corner portion of the ceramic body is R (?m), a maximum thickness of a layer of the first external electrode layer, which is in contact with the ceramic body, measured from the end surface of the ceramic body is y (?m), and a minimum thickness of a layer of the second external electrode, which is in contact with the side surface of the ceramic body, measured from an apex of the corner portion of the ceramic body is x (?m), and 20?R?50, ?0.4 x+0.6?y?0.4 is satisfied when 0.5?x?1.1, and ?0.0076 x+0.16836?y?0.4 is satisfied when 1.1?x?9.0.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a molded article by melting and molding a granule of a polycarbonate resin at a temperature of 280 to 380° C., wherein the granule satisfies condition (a): when 100 parts by weight of the granule is cleaned with 100 parts by weight of a 1N nitric acid aqueous solution, the amount of an Fe compound eluted into the cleaning liquid of the 1N nitric acid aqueous solution is 1 to 100 ppb in terms of an Fe atom based on the granule. The molded article exhibits excellent color and transparency.

Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a single crystal pulling-up apparatus of pulling-up silicon single crystals by a Czochralski method, is provided with: a neck diameter measuring portion which measures a diameter of a grown neck portion; a first compensation portion which outputs a first compensated pulling-up speed for the seed crystals based on a difference between a measured value of the diameter of the neck portion and a target value of the neck portion diameter previously stored; a second compensation portion which outputs a second pulling-up speed while limiting an upper limit of the first pulling-up speed to a first limit value; and a crucible rotation number compensation portion which lowers the number of a rotation of a crucible at least in a period where the upper limit of the first pulling-up speed is limited to the first limit value.

Abstract: A chip-type semiconductor ceramic electronic component including a ceramic body made of a semiconductor ceramic, first external electrodes formed on opposite end surfaces of the ceramic body, and second external electrodes extending to cover surfaces of the first external electrodes and part of side surfaces of the ceramic body. A curvature radius of a corner portion of the ceramic body is R (?m), a maximum thickness of a layer of the first external electrode layer, which is in contact with the ceramic body, measured from the end surface of the ceramic body is y (?m), and a minimum thickness of a layer of the second external electrode, which is in contact with the side surface of the ceramic body, measured from an apex of the corner portion of the ceramic body is x (?m), and 20?R?50, ?0.4 x+0.6?y?0.4 is satisfied when 0.5?x?1.1, and ?0.0076 x+0.16836?y?0.4 is satisfied when 1.1?x?9.0.

Abstract: In a method for sorting PTC elements having different resistance-temperature characteristics, a predetermined voltage that allows a current to sufficiently decay is applied to each of PTC elements A and B, and the PTC elements are sorted on the basis of the difference between the times required for the currents passing through the PTC elements B to reach a predetermined value (e.g., 52 mA).

Abstract: In a method for sorting PTC elements having different resistance-temperature characteristics, a predetermined voltage that allows a current to sufficiently decay is applied to each of PTC elements A and B, and the PTC elements are sorted on the basis of the difference between the times required for the currents passing through the PTC elements B to reach a predetermined value (e.g., 52 mA).

Abstract: A chip thermistor includes a layered structure having a thermistor element and a substrate stacked one above the other with an electrically insulating layer in between. The thermistor element has a pair of surface electrodes on surfaces of a planar thermistor body, and a pair of outer electrodes each on a corresponding one of mutually opposite end parts of this layered structure. Each of these outer electrodes is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the surface electrodes. The pair of surface electrodes is preferably each formed so as to cover a major portion of one of the main surfaces of the thermistor body and to reach the opposite main surface through one of its side surfaces, while in a mutually separated and electrically insulated relationship. The substrate may preferably be another thermistor body.

Abstract: A chip thermistor includes a layered structure having a thermistor element and a substrate stacked one above the other with an electrically insulating layer in between. The thermistor element has a pair of surface electrodes on surfaces of a planar thermistor body, and a pair of outer electrodes each on a corresponding one of mutually opposite end parts of this layered structure. Each of these outer electrodes is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the surface electrodes. The pair of surface electrodes is preferably each formed so as to cover a major portion of one of the main surfaces of the thermistor body and to reach the opposite main surface through one of its side surfaces, while in a mutually separated and electrically insulated relationship. The substrate may preferably be another thermistor body.

Abstract: Thermistor chips are produced by first obtaining elongated strips made of a sintered ceramic plate having a specified resistance-temperature characteristic and having thereon a plurality of mutually parallel grooves extending perpendicularly to its direction of elongation. On each of these strips, ohmic electrodes are formed, one extending continuously from one of its main surfaces to one of its side surfaces and another extending continuously from the other oppositely facing main surface to the opposite side surface. This may done by covering the strip completely with an electrically conductive film and separating it into two areal parts by forming a longitudinally extending slit on each of the main surfaces. These strips are then stacked one on top of another by aligning the grooves on each of these strips and adhesively attached together with a glass paste in between.

Abstract: A chip thermistor is produced by providing a planar rectangular thermistor block with a pair of electrodes formed on its surfaces, each of the electrode being formed so as to be in part on a different one of the main surfaces and extending continuously at least onto one of the side surfaces. The thermistor block thus prepared is cut transversely to obtain a plurality of thermistor elements. A specified number of these thermistor elements are then aligned and stacked one on top of another with their main surfaces facing each other. A layer of an insulating material such as glass with thickness greater than 10 .mu.m is inserted between each mutually adjacently stacked pair of these thermistor elements. Outer electrodes are formed on the outer surfaces of the stacked structure so as to electrically connect to the electrodes on the stacked thermistor elements on their aligned end surfaces.

Abstract: In an enabled resume mode, the drive status, head position and recording data amount of a CD-ROM drive are saved in a system memory when the power supply of a system is turned off. When the power supply is turned on, it is determined based on a data recording capacity whether a currently-set CD-ROM is identical with one set when the power supply is turned off. If it is determined that they are not identical, a resume error occurs only in the CD-ROM drive, and the configurations of systems other than the CD-ROM drive are resumed on the basis of information saved in the system memory, thereby preventing the whole system from being hung up.

Abstract: A semiconducting ceramic whose rush breakdown voltage is high and which hardly cracks during lamination is provided. In the semiconducting ceramic having a positive resistance-temperature characteristic, the ratio of intra-granular resistance of the crystal grains and inter-granular resistance between crystal grains which together determine the value of resistance of the semiconducting ceramic is set so that the intra-granular resistance is less than about 20% of the value of resistance of the semiconducting ceramic (not including 0%).

Abstract: A cleaning device for removing and collecting toner lest on the surface of a photoreceptor includes a housing, a rotary shaft rotatably supported by the housing and a brush, provided on the outer surface of the rotary shaft, for scraping off toner from the surface of the photoreceptor, a bar-like member fastened at both ends thereof to the housing and positioned at a location where the bar-like member is flicked with upon the rotation of the brush, an auger, positioned at a predetermined location within the housing, for transporting the toner scraped off to a given direction, and the bar-like member being disposed so as to prevent the auger from being further moved from the predetermined position and from contacting with the brush.

Abstract: A cleaning device for removing and collecting toner left on the surface of a photoreceptor includes a housing, a rotary shaft rotatably supported by the housing and a brush, provided on the outer surface of the rotary shaft, for scraping off toner from the surface of the photoreceptor, a bar-like member fastened at both ends thereof to the housing and positioned at a location where the bar-like member is flicked with upon the rotation of the brush, an auger, positioned at a predetermined location within the housing, for transporting the toner scraped off to a given direction, and the bar-like member being disposed so as to prevent the auger from being further moved from the predetermined position and from contacting with the brush.