Abstract: A data line pair and a strobe line pair are provided between first and second chips to exchange data therebetween. The first chip includes an output circuit and a controller for controlling the output circuit. The second chip includes an input circuit. For example, the output circuit supplies a direct current from a power supply to one of the data lines. Then, the input circuit feeds back the received current to the output circuit through a pair of terminal resistors and the other data line. Subsequently, the output circuit supplies the fed back direct current to one of the strobe lines. In response, the input circuit feeds back the received current again to the output circuit through another pair of terminal resistors and the other strobe line. And then the fed back current is drained to the ground. Thus, compared to driving the data and strobe line pairs separately with the same amount of current supplied, the current dissipation can be halved.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument, a pulse generator and a burst wave generator are provided in association with the activation of an ultrasonic probe by the pulse generator and in response to a measurement value obtained from a signal reception circuit portion. A first gate position is obtained with regard to an inspection portion in a sample, and then a second gate position for a burst wave measurement is set by correcting the first gate position. The burst wave measurement is performed by activating the burst wave generator.

Abstract: A scanning range of an object under examination is divided into m pieces (m is an integer equal to or more than 2) in a subscanning direction. One measurement condition or one parameter is set in m steps, and an ultrasonic measurement is performed on the object under examination while allotting successively the m-stepped measurement conditions or the m-stepped parameters to the respective scanning regions divided in the subscanning direction. A plurality of measurement images obtained under the m-stepped measurement conditions are displayed so as to permit comparison on a screen, and one of the m-stepped measurement conditions or m-stepped parameters which corresponds to an image selected from the displayed screen is set as the measurement condition.

Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument is characterized by storing reduced image examples (images by means of reduced image display data obtained by scaling down picture display data) of an ultrasonic measurement picture beforehand, together with measurement conditions at the time the measurement picture is obtained prior to a scale-down imaging process. When the measurement is started or the measurement conditions are otherwise changed, the measurement conditions are set as those obtained from the measurement picture prior to the scale-down processing with one of the reduced image examples thus selected as an index while a list of image examples is indicated on a display and read from a memory unit for ultrasonic measuring purposes. When a reduced image example or what is similar to the example desired by an operator is selected, proper measurement conditions are automatically set in the ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument.

Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument scans an object under examination, the object having an inspection plane at a predetermined depth, in the direction slanted to the depth (slant scanning), in such a way as to cause rectilinear scanning as viewed from the plane. Measured data on a peak value corresponding to each measurement point obtained from the slant scanning are displayed in the form of a picture on the screen of a display relative to each measurement point. The image displayed on the picturee at that time is most clearly demonstrated, provided an image portion in the vicinity of a test portion corresponding to a test surface is brought into focus in the depth direction.