Abstract: A force compensated probe for electrical measurement is provided and includes a support structure having a back plate and sidewalls, a probe for electrical measurement of an article and an elastic base disposed to supportively couple the probe to the back plate such that the probe normally protrudes away from the back plate beyond distal edges of the sidewalls, and, when the probe is applied to the article for the electrical measurement such that components of the support structure contact the article, a predefined load is consistently applied to the elastic base.

Abstract: A signal generator circuit having enhanced control resolution includes a variable frequency oscillator having a first control input adapted to receive a first signal and at least a second control input adapted to receive a second signal. The second signal is afforded a weight which is substantially equal to a weight of a least significant bit of the first signal. The variable frequency oscillator is operative to generate an output signal having a frequency which varies as a function of the first and second signals. The signal generator circuit further includes a first counter, a first divider and a modulation circuit. The first counter is configurable for generating an output count based at least in part on a difference between a third signal presented to the signal generator circuit and a fourth signal indicative of the output signal, the output count including the first signal.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop includes a variable frequency generator, a comparator and a counter. The variable frequency generator is configurable for generating an output signal having a frequency which varies based at least in part on at least first and second control signals presented thereto. The comparator is configurable for receiving a first signal and a second signal, the first signal being an input signal presented to the phase-locked loop and the second signal being representative of the output signal from the variable frequency generator. The comparator generates a difference signal representative of a difference between a phase and/or a frequency of the first and second signals, the difference signal comprising the first control signal. The counter is configurable for generating an output count based at least in part on the difference signal from the comparator. The output count is a digital representation of the difference signal, the output count comprising the second control signal.

Abstract: The present invention is a coupler built on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. GaAs. Semiconductor processing allows for small trace and space rules. The tighter design rules provide for tighter coupling than can be achieved by ceramic processes. The greater coupling allows for a shorter through line and with less loss, thus closer to ideal coupling.

Abstract: A phase recovery circuit consists of a tapped delay line created by a string of inverters where taps are taken at every other inverter. To initialize the circuit, each tap loads a signal sample into a holding register where the holding register consists of a flip-flop connected to each tap. The flip-flops are loaded by the active edges of the system clock such that each flip-flop contains a sample of data at a given point in time. The sample register delivers the data to a processor that periodically creates histograms of the signal to determine the signal transition points between adjacent bits and the number of taps between the transition points that define a bit. Once the transition points are known, the center of the bit to be latched is located and the tap nearest the center of the bit is used to latch the data for delivery to the next downstream location. From the histograms the processor can also determine if the signal is shifting relative to the system clock.

Abstract: A ferromagnetic measuring apparatus comprising a shaft on which is fixed a needle displaceable over a dial, and a first metallic plate. The shaft is pivotally mounted at its ends, in bearings, within the housing of a coil body, for displacement relative to a second metallic plate fixed within the housing. One of the end bearings is provided at one of the ends of the housing of the coil body while the other bearing is provided in a cap positioned on the housing of the coil body, at the other end thereof. A spiral spring is also provided, which is connected with the needle shaft. The spiral spring is fixed at its inner end to the cap and at its outer end to the needle which is rigid with the shaft.

Abstract: A moving iron instrument comprising a cylinder divided into two parts, a cylinder member to which a fixed iron vane is attached, and a frame member for holding a moving shaft to which a moving iron vane is attached, wherein the two members are made of an insulating material.

Abstract: There is disclosed a moving magnet meter of inexpensive construction which has the greater sensitivity, linearity and immunity from extraneous fields of moving coil meters. The rotor consists of a closed magnetic circuit through which a permanent magnet flux flows. The flux intersects the turns of a stationary coil through which the current to be measured flows, part of the closed magnetic circuit rotating within the coil. The strength and area of the permanent magnet flux which intersects the coil is substantially constant throughout an operating angle for the rotor of at least 90.degree.. The return torque for the rotor is derived from a stationary permanent magnet which interacts with the rotor flux and provides a return torque which varies linearly with the rotor angle.

Abstract: A device for providing a displacement representative of the magnitude of a signal. The device typically includes a rotor having a plurality of sections of high permeability material separated by areas of high reluctance. A magnetic flux is applied to a section of the rotor to produce an elastic restraint torque varying with angle, while another high permeability section responds to variations in the magnetic flux caused by the signal to produce a torque representative of the signal magnitude. This latter torque moves the rotor to the point where the restraint torque increases sufficiently to balance the signal torque. The resultant angle of rotation represents signal magnitude. The device may also be operated to provide a signal output representative of an input torque or force.