Abstract: An electronic component has at least a first diode and a second diode that are capacitance diodes. The characteristic curve of the second diode has a fixed, known relationship to that of the first diode. For example, the first diode and the second diode can have an identical variation ratio, being the quotient of the maximum and minimum adjustable capacitances. These components are suitable for use in television tuners, for example in three-band tuners, where diodes having the same characteristic curve and coming from different components are arranged and connected in each sub-receiving unit. The integration of a plurality of diodes reduces the number of components required, and also the time and cost involved in grouping together diodes with good synchronization properties.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a high-resolution measurement apparatus and method determine the position and motion of an object such as a human hand relative to a sensor array. Capacitance transferred to the array by the object within a sensor field produces minute phase changes in a fixed-frequency reference signal applied to the several elements of the array. The phase changes are measured by first heterodyning the phase-shifted reference signal with a second reference signal to obtain a low frequency intermediate signal, and then employing a phaselocked loop to multiply the phase information in the intermediate signal by orders of magnitude, thereby permitting the use of conventional methods to measure the resulting greatly magnified phase changes. Other embodiments provide direct digital measurement of unknown electrical properties, such as capacitance, inductance, and resistance.