A personal care cleansing composition having enhanced perceptible skin benefits, for example, by selecting certain ratios of quaternary ammonium compounds and free fatty acids. Additionally, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention, the present inventors have discovered that the addition of talc in varying percentages increases qualities to the user such as freshness, smoothness, lather and creaminess. Additionally, aspects relating to fragrance retention, deposition and the amounts perceived are improved.

Personal care compositions such as toilet soaps are of course well known. Toilet soaps in bar form are usually formulated with a large variety of additives to provide benefits that are not inherent in the soap itself. For example, additives are employed to enhance the lathering of the soap, to enhance the mildness of the soap, to enhance its antibacterial effectiveness and numerous other benefits for the user. Additionally, various additives, such as talc, may be employed to reduce cost and provide various benefits to the user.
Commercial soap bars conventionally comprise one or more "soaps," which, for purposes of describing this component of the compositions of the present invention, have the meaning as normally understood in the art: monovalent salts of monocarboxylic fatty acids.
The counterions of the salts generally include sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkanol ammonium ions, but may include other suitable ions known in the art. The soap bars may also include optional adjuvant ingredients such as moisturizers, humectants, antibacterials, water, fillers, polymers, dyes, fragrances and the like, to effect cleansing and/or conditioning of the skin of the user.
Typically, the soap components in conventional soap bars comprise salts of long chain fatty acids having chain links of the alkyl group of the fatty acids from about 8 carbon atoms, to about 18 carbon atoms in length. The particular length of the alkyl chain of the soaps is selected for various reasons including cleansing capability, lather capability, cost, and the like.
Among the additives employed in the production of toilet soap bars are free fatty acids (FFA) which serve to enhance the lathering or foaming ability of the bars. Such fatty acids also have an affect on the mildness of the soap. Quaternary ammonium compounds (Quat) and other cationic cosmetic ingredients have been used in "wash-off" cleansing products such as liquid body washes for their enhanced deposition on skin due to the ionic attraction between the cationic quaternary ammonium compound and skin protein.
However, many cationic cosmetic materials are not compatible in soap, combars (mixtures of soap and synthetic detergents) and even syndet cleansing compositions due to the anionic materials in most of these matrices.
Accordingly, there is a need for cleansing compositions such as toilet soap bars that exhibit enhanced skin feel attributes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Personal cleansing bar with free fatty acid and quaternary surfactant synergism


A shifter construction for shifting a transmission includes a base, a shift lever pivotally supported on the base at a main pivot for movement between a plurality of gear positions including a particular gear position, and an ignition switch constructed to move between a key-released position and a key-retaining position. An interlock cam is pivotally supported on the base at an interlock pivot and operably connected to the shift lever and to the ignition switch. The interlock cam is movable between a locked position where the interlock cam prevents the shift lever from moving from the particular gear position but allows the ignition switch to be moved, and an unlocked position where the shift lever is allowed to move but the ignition switch is held in the key-retaining position. The interlock cam has an interlock stop spaced from the interlock pivot. The shift lever includes an interlock protrusion that fits into a notch in the interlock cam between the interlock pivot and the interlock stop when the shift lever is in the particular gear position and the interlock cam is in the locked position. The shift lever, when initially being moved out of the particular gear position, moves the interlock protrusion along a line generally connecting the interlock pivot and the interlock stop when the interlock cam is in the locked position. The interlock cam is configured to withstand significant force without deformation. An attempt to forcibly move the shift lever out of the particular gear position when the interlock cam is in the locked position causes the interlock cam to move into engagement with the interlock stop without causing a rotational force on the interlock cam that would move the interlock cam toward the unlocked position.

The present invention concerns vehicle shifters for shifting manual transmissions, and more particularly concerns a shifter having a shift lever and an interlock device for insuring that the vehicle shift lever is always in a reverse gear position when the ignition switch is in a key-removable off position, and for ensuring that the ignition switch is in a key-retaining on position before the shift lever can be moved out of the reverse gear position.
Vehicle manufacturers have various mechanisms to ensure that a vehicle's transmission is in a desired position prior to starting the vehicle. It is also desirable to include mechanisms that ensure that the transmission is in a desired gear while the vehicle is turned off, similar to the requirement for an automatic transmission to be in "PARK" when the vehicle is turned off. To date, no known manufacturer has offered an interlock capable of doing both. Further, no known manufacturer has designed an interlock system of sufficient strength to prevent a forced override for manual transmissions.
Therefore, an interlock mechanism is desired solving the aforementioned problems and that is compact, simple, easy to assemble, and strong enough to prevent forcibly overriding the interlock system.

Shifter with reverse and ignition key interlock


Provided are novel methods for expressing antigens in a vaccine vector strain, a live oral vaccine designed to prevent clostridium difficile-associated disease and methods for delivering antigens to the mucosal immune system of a subject.

Clostridium Difficile infection (CDI) can range in severity from asymptomatic to severe and life-threatening, especially among the elderly. People are most often infected in hospitals, nursing home, or other medical institutions, although CDI in the outpatient setting is increasing. Indeed, since 1996 the incidence of CDI has more than doubled resulting in up to three million cases each year in the United States and making CDI the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea in the United States. With the rising incidence, there is also a higher mortality associated with the disease. This mortality is related to at least two factors: (1) increasing virulence of the C. difficile strains; and (2) increasing host vulnerability.
The increase in occurrences of Clostridium Difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) in hospitalized patients leads to high incremental costs for individuals who develop the disease. In the Veterans Administration Hospital System, over the last decade the cases of CDI have doubled to an estimated number of 10/1000 discharges for persons under 65 years of age and to 20/1000 discharges for persons over 65 years of age in the year 2004. Additional treatment costs due to CDI are estimated at $3600 per case. In addition, following treatment of the primary infection with antibiotics, the recurrence rate of the disease is very high. In the U.S., incremental costs per hospitalization were estimated to be $3,000 to $5,000 for primary infections and $13,000 to $18,000 for recurrent infections.
With an aging population, increasing levels of co-morbidity and widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics are predicted to expand the current epidemic of nosocomial CDI. Some of the most troublesome aspects of the current CDI epidemic are the emergence of decreasing effectiveness of the frontline antibiotic metronidizole and the appearance of a more virulent strain of C. difficile with enhanced toxigenic potential which emerges because of floroquinolone resistance. Increasingly, oral vancomycin has become the treatment of choice for nosocomial CDI, though cost and emergence of decreasing effectiveness of vancomycin resistance limit this approach and result in frequent relapses.
Accordingly, as both the incidence and complexity are increasing there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic and prophylactic approaches to CDI. The vaccine disclosed herein provides for local mucosal immune responses in the intestine and meets this unmet need.

Attenuated EHEC and clostridial toxins TcdA and TcdB based vaccine for

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AS REPRESENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


A method of fabricating an LCD-on-silicon device, comprising the following steps. A semiconductor structure having a control transistor formed therein is provided. The control transistor having a source and a drain. An interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer over the semiconductor structure is provided. Source/drain (S/D) plugs contacting the source and drain through contact openings in said ILD layer are provided. M1 lines are formed over the ILD layer and connected to at least the S/D plugs. An M1 intermetal dielectric (IMD) layer is deposited and patterned over the M1 lines to form M1 contact openings exposing at least some of the M1 metal lines. M1 metal plugs are formed within the M1 contact openings and M2 metal islands connected to, and integral with, at least the M1 metal plugs. The M2 metal islands having exposed side walls. Sidewall spacers are formed on the exposed M2 metal islands side walls. A second M2 metallization layer is deposited and patterned over the M2 metal islands to form a shielding layer adjacent to and contiguous with the sidewall spacers. The M2 metal islands, sidewall spacers, and shielding layer form a light shielding layer. At least one additional dielectric and conductive layer is formed over the light shielding layer and the M1 intermetal dielectric (IMD) layer. LCD pixels are then formed thereover.

LCD-on-silicon devices, or reflective type display LCD devices, need to be illuminated with high intensity light. Stray light leaking through the gaps between metal lines/pixels may cause the bottom, or control, transistors to malfunction by the photoelectric effect. This phenomenon limits the brightness of the projected image to lessen the risk/effects of the photoelectric effect on the bottom transistors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,827 to Kobayashi et al. describes a passivation film CMP polishing method used in the fabrication of reflective type active matrix LCD display panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,792 to Thompson describes a method of fabricating a dome shaped transparent polymer material within which is an opto-isolator, or optically coupled isolator. The method provides for an initial gelling of the multicomponent polymer material so that the desired dome shape may be retained while a heat cure is performed. An opaque body of polymer, adapted for diffusely reflecting light, can be used to enclose the dome shaped transparent polymer material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,702 to Kwon et al. describes a method of fabricating a TFT (thin film transistor) array substrate having a black matrix (light shielding layer) to generally shield the TFT, data bus line and gate bus line of the lower substrate of an LCD (liquid crystal display) to prevent light leakage. A transparent planarization layer is used to reduce the step height near the boundaries of the black matrix resin and the pixel electrode (overlying the transparent planarization layer). This reduces the poor rubbing problem otherwise present near the boundaries between the black matrix and the pixel electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,663 to Oh et al. describes a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method of making same where a black matrix region is formed over a orientation layer that is evenly formed on the surface of the TFT panel. The orientation layer is formed and rubbed to form regular microgrooves on its surface which serve to align liquid crystal molecules for selectively transmitting light. The black matrix is then formed over the rubbed orientation layer so that the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules within 1 to 2 .mu.m around the black matrix region is substantially carried out thus increasing the contrast ratio and enhancing picture quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,411 to An et al. describes a method of manufacturing an LCD display that includes first and second substrates each having an inner light shielding region and an edge light shielding region. The inner light shielding and an edge light shielding regions are both formed of a black matrix.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,271 to Kim et al. describes a color filter substrate for an LCD device that is obtained by patterning color filters on a transparent substrate, selective-coating an overcoat layer on the substrate, and forming a common electrode and a black matrix to be connected to each other without any further steps. The black matrix is comprised of an opaque metal such as aluminum (Al) or chromium (Cr).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,781,254 and 5,784,133, both to Kim et al., describe an LCD, and a method of making same, respectively, having a top plate and a bottom plate. The bottom plate includes a plurality of gate bus lines and drain bus lines arranged in a matrix on a substrate surface with a plurality of TFTs formed at the intersections of the gate and drain bus lines. A black matrix pattern, including a non-conductive black resin, is provided on the gate and drain bus lines and the TFTs for shielding them from light generated by back lighting the display. A protective layer is formed on the black matrix pattern having contact holes for coupling the pixel electrodes to corresponding drain electrodes of the TFTs.

Methods to reduce light leakage in LCD-on-silicon devices

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.


The present invention relates to methods of conducting assays for enzymatic activity on microarrays useful for the large-scale study of protein function, screening assays, and high-throughput analysis of enzymatic reactions. The invention relates to methods of using protein chips to assay the presence, amount, activity and/or function of enzymes present in a protein sample on a protein chip. In particular, the methods of the invention relate to conducting enzymatic assays using a microarray wherein a protein and a substance are immobilized on the surface of a solid support and wherein the protein and the substance are in proximity to each other sufficient for the occurrence of an enzymatic reaction between the substance and the protein. The invention also relates to microarrays that have an enzyme and a substrate immobilized on their surface wherein the enzyme and the substrate are in proximity to each other sufficient for the occurrence of an enzymatic reaction between the enzyme and the substrate.

A daunting task in the post-genome sequencing era is to understand the functions, modifications, and regulation of every protein encoded by a genome (Fields et al., 1999, Proc Natl Acad. Sci. 96:8825; Goffeau et al., 1996, Science 274:563). Currently, much effort is devoted toward studying gene, and hence protein, function by analyzing mRNA expression profiles, gene disruption phenotypes, two-hybrid interactions, and protein subcellular localization (Ross-Macdonald et al., 1999, Nature 402:413; DeRisi et al., 1997, Science 278:680; Winzeler et al., 1999, Science 285:901; Uetz et al., 2000, Nature 403:623; Ito et al., 2000, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97:1143). Important advances in this effort have been possible, in part, by the ability to analyze thousands of gene sequences in a single experiment using gene chip technology. Although these studies are useful, transcriptional profiles do not necessarily correlate well with cellular protein levels or protein activities. Thus, the analysis of biochemical activities can provide information about protein function that complements genomic analyses to provide a more complete picture of the workings of a cell (Zhu et al., 2001, Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 5:40; Martzen, et al., 1999, Science 286:1153; Zhu et al., 2000, Nat. Genet. 26:283; MacBeath, 2000, Science 289:1760; Caveman, 2000, J. Cell Sci. 113:3543).
Currently, biochemical analyses of protein function are performed by individual investigators studying a single protein at a time. This is a very time-consuming process since it can take years to purify and identify a protein based on its biochemical activity. The availability of an entire genome sequence makes it possible to perform biochemical assays on every protein encoded by the genome. Based on sequence comparison, genes encoding for proteins with a particular enzymatic activity can be identified. However, a detailed analysis of an individual proteins' biochemical properties, such as, substrate specificity, kinetic profile and sensitivities to inhibitors, is a time-consuming process. Thus, high-throughput ways of analyzing the biochemical activities of proteins are required.
It would be useful to analyze hundreds or thousands of protein samples using a single protein chip. Such approaches lend themselves well to high throughput experiments in which large amounts of data can be generated and analyzed. Microtiter plates containing 96 or 384 wells have been known in the field for many years. However, the size (at least 12.8 cm×8.6 cm) of these plates makes them unsuitable for the large-scale analysis of proteins.
Recently devised methods for expressing large numbers of proteins with potential utility for biochemical genomics in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been developed. ORFs have been cloned into an expression vector that uses the GAL promoter and fuses the protein to a polyhistidine (e.g., His×6) label. This method has thus far been used to prepare and confirm expression of about 2000 yeast protein fusions (Heyman et al., 1999, "Genome-scale cloning and expression of individual open reading frames using topoisomerase I-mediated ligation," Genome Res. 9:383-392). Using a recombination strategy, about 85% of the yeast ORFs have been cloned in frame with a GST coding region in a vector that contains the CUP1 promoter (inducible by copper), thus producing GST fusion proteins (Martzen et al., 1999, "A biochemical genomics approach for identifying genes by the activity of their products," Science 286:1153-1155). Martzen et al. used a pooling strategy to screen the collection of fusion proteins for several biochemical activities (e.g., phosphodiesterase and Appr-1-P-processing activities) and identified the relevant genes encoding these activities.
Several groups have recently described microarray formats for the screening of protein activities (Zhu et al., 2000, Nat. Genet. 26:283; MacBeath et al., 2000, Science 289:1763; Arenkov et al, 2000, Anal. Biochem 278:123). In addition, a collection of overexpression clones of yeast proteins have been prepared and screened for biochemical activities (Martzen et al., 1999, Science 286: 1153).
Photolithographic techniques have been applied to making a variety of arrays, from oligonucleotide arrays on flat surfaces (Pease et al., 1994, "Light-generated oligonucleotide arrays for rapid DNA sequence analysis," PNAS 91:5022-5026) to arrays of channels (U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,767) to arrays of wells connected by channels (Cohen et al., 1999, "A microchip-based enzyme assay for protein kinase A," Anal Biochem. 273:89-97). Furthermore, microfabrication and microlithography techniques are well known in the semiconductor fabrication area. See, e.g., Moreau, Semiconductor Lithography: Principals, Practices and Materials, Plenum Press, 1988.
Screening a large number of proteins or even an entire proteome would entail the systematic probing of biochemical activities of proteins that are produced in a high throughput fashion, and analyzing the functions of hundreds or thousands of proteins samples in parallel (Zhu et al., 2000, Nat. Genet. 26:283; MacBeath et al., 2000, Science 289:1763; Arenkov et al, 2000, Anal. Biochem 278:123; International Patent Application publication WO 01/83827 and WO 02/092118). In vitro assays have previously been conducted using random expression libraries or pooling strategies, both of which have shortcomings (Martzen et al., 1999, Science 286:1153; Bussow et al., 2000, Genomics 65:1). Specifically, random expression libraries are tedious to screen, and contain clones that are often not full-length. Another recent approach has been to generate defined arrays and screen the array using a pooling strategy (Martzen et al. 1999, Science 286:1153). The pooling strategy obscures the actual number of proteins screened, however, and the strategy is cumbersome when large numbers of positives are identified.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art for the large-scale analysis of biochemical functions which would allow assessing the activities, in a high-throughput manner, of a large number of proteins.
Citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be considered as admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention.

Methods for conducting assays for enzyme activity on protein microarrays


If multiple polyvalent ion peak candidates with different valences surmised to be derived from the target compound have been obtained, a mass chromatogram in the vicinity of the retention time of the target compound at the mass-charge ratio m/z of each polyvalent ion peak candidate is generated, and these are overlaid and displayed on the display screen. If the polyvalent ions are derived from the same compound, peaks of similar shape having a peak top near the retention time should appear in multiple mass chromatograms. Therefore, the user can check the displayed mass chromatograms and easily determine whether they reflect a combination of polyvalent ions derived from the target compound (a) or not (b).

An atmospheric pressure ionization interface is used in order to ionize and perform mass analysis of a liquid sample or of analysis target components in a solution separated into components by a liquid chromatograph. Known typical atmospheric pressure ionization methods include electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). Generally, this sort of atmospheric pressure ionization interface is often used in combination with a quadrupole mass spectrometer, ion trap mass spectrometer or time-of-flight mass spectrometer.
An atmospheric pressure ionization interface, particularly an ESI interface, has the characteristic of readily generating polyvalent ions having multiple charges in the process of ionizing a compound. Polyvalent ions, depending on the valence, have a smaller mass-charge ratio m/z than the molecular weight of the original compound, and thus have the advantage of making it possible to relatively lower the mass-charge ratio range of ions constituting the target of analysis. In particular, when analyzing high molecular weight compounds such as proteins and peptides, the mass-charge ratio of a monovalent ion may exceed the measurable range of a mass spectrometer, and using polyvalent ions makes it possible to keep the mass-charge ratio within the measurable range of the mass spectrometer. Due to this fact, mass analysis using polyvalent ions is highly effective for identifying high molecular weight compounds.
When a high molecular weight compound is ionized with an ESI ion source to perform mass analysis, peaks derived from ions with various valences appear on the mass spectrum (for example, see FIG. 1 of Non-patent Literature 2). When computational processing is performed by a technique called deconvolution on this sort of mass spectrum in which multiple polyvalent ion peaks are observed, a neutral mass spectrum is determined (for example, see FIG. 2 of Non-patent Literature 2), and based on this, the molecular weight of the target compound is obtained (see Patent Literature 1, Non-patent Literature 1, etc.).
The above-described conventional technique using deconvolution is useful when multiple (normally, about 10 or more) polyvalent ion peaks with different valences derived from the target compound are observed on the mass spectrum, and make it possible to determine molecular weight with adequate certainty. However, when only two or three polyvalent ion peaks are present on the mass spectrum, a technique using deconvolution cannot be said to be particularly effective. The reason for this is that, assuming M is the molecular weight corresponding to a polyvalent ion on the mass spectrum, i.e. the molecular weight of the compound, n is the valence of the ion, H is the molecular weight of a proton, and m is the observed ion mass/charge ratio m/z, if only two to three peaks corresponding to the following formula (1) are present, there is the possibility that those peaks will not be derived from the target compound but will rather be accidental matches.M=n(m+H)  (1)Furthermore, especially when the intensity of some of the ion peaks is low, it is difficult to distinguish them from noise peaks, etc., and it is rather difficult to judge based on the mass spectrum whether or not those multiple ion peaks are derived from the same target compound.

Chromatograph/mass spectrometer data processing device


A combination finger ring and earring comprising an arcuate section of a ring body having first and second ends, an earring stem for a pierced ear attached to the first ring end, an earring fastener removably attached to and mating with the stem when the stem is inserted through a pierced ear for use as an earring, and an extension pivotally attached to the second end for rotation toward the ring body adjacent to the second end when the earring is used and for rotation toward the ring body adjacent to the first end to form a circle when the finger ring is used.

The present invention relates to a dual function jewelry item in the form of a combination earring and finger ring and in particular to a combination that can be used as an earring and quickly and easily converted to a finger ring if desired.
A multitude of different types of rings for wearing on the fingers are well-known in the art. These rings not only have different ornamental designs but also are adjustable in size and have other unique features.
Earrings are also made in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, ornamental designs, and the like. Thus, the average individual owns or wears one or more rings and the average female purchases many different types of earrings.


A DC power supply for a DC motor is controlled by a drive transistor. An "ON" state of the drive transistor is maintained by a comparator which compares a terminal voltage at a point between the DC motor and the drive transistor with a reference voltage supplied from the power supply. A clock pulse is applied to the drive transistor to make it periodically turn off in order to detect an induced voltage depending upon the rotation rate of the DC motor. The drive transistor returns to turn off upon stopping the rotating DC motor by force.. A regulator is provided between the power supply and the reference voltage. A restraint torque and a rotation rate control means are also provided.. Alternatively, a pulsating power supply is provided instead of the DC power supply and the clock.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a circuit for controlling an electric motor, and more specifically a circuit for controlling a DC motor which is suitable for use in driving window glasses in a power window system of a vehicle.
2. Prior Art
Referring now to FIG. 1, a conventional circuit for controlling a restraint torque of a DC motor which has been applied by the present inventor and accorded under JP-A-1-311883 as a laid-open number in Japan is generally shown. A DC power supply 1 is connected between a Vcc line and ground or GND. A DC motor 2 is connected between the Vcc line of the power supply and its drain of an N-channel MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) 3 for driving the DC motor 2 via a relay terminal 4. The MOSFET 3 also has its source connected to ground and its gate connected to a collector of a PNP transistor 5. The PNP transistor 5 has its emitter connected to the Vcc line and its base connected to an input terminal 6 via a resistor 7. A negative trigger pulse P1 is provided to the input terminal 6 and the PNP transistor 5 is turned on to turn on MOSFET 3. The MOSFET 3 in an ON state provides a current to the DC motor 2 and the motor 2 rotates during the negative trigger pulse.
A comparator 8 for maintaining the rotation of the DC motor 2 is connected between the Vcc line and ground a via supply bus not shown. The comparator has its inverting input connected to the relay terminal 4 or the drain of the MOSFET 3, its non-inverting input connected to a variable terminal of a variable resistor 9 connected between the Vcc line and ground, and an output connected to the gate of the MOSFET 3 via a resistor 10. The comparator 8 compares the terminal voltage V.sub.T of the relay terminal 4 with the reference voltage V.sub.R. The terminal voltage V.sub.T is defined to subtract the induced voltage V.sub.I from the Vcc. The comparator 8 outputs a logical "H" when V.sub.T <V.sub.R. Therefore, once the negative trigger pulse P1 is applied to the trigger terminal 6, the MOSFET 3 is turned on, the drain voltage V.sub.T of the terminal 4 becomes a saturated voltage lower than that of the reference voltage V.sub.R and the comparator provides "H" to the gate of the MOSFET 3 to latch up the MOSFET 3 and to maintain the rotation of DC motor 2.
The DC motor 2 generates pulses each having an absolute induced voltage V.sub.I depending upon the rotation rate during the rotation thereof. Each pulse has a pair of negative and positive pulse components when a rotor of the DC motor 2 upon rotating comes to a predetermined angular position relative to a stator thereof. Even if the MOSFET 3 does not provide momentary power to the rotating DC motor 2, the rotating DC motor 2 will be rotated by a inertia and will generate the pulses.
An NPN transistor 11 is provided to periodically turn off the MOSFET 3 and to check the rotation condition of the DC motor 2 incorporated with the comparator 8. The NPN transistor 11 has its collector connected to the gate of MOSFET 3, its emitter connected to ground and its base connected to a clock terminal 12 via a resistor 13. Positive clock pulses P2 are periodically applied to the clock terminal 12 to provide a comparison period and the NPN transistor 11 is turned on to periodically turn off the MOSFET 3.
Upon applying the positive clock pulse, the comparator 8 can compare the terminal voltage V.sub.T, which will not interfere with the drain voltage of the MOSFET 3, with reference voltage V.sub.R. If V.sub.T is lower than V.sub.R, then the comparator 8 provides a "H" level to the gate of the MOSFET 3 after ending the compared period and the MOSFET 3 returns to the latch condition. If the V.sub.T is higher than V.sub.R, then the comparator 8 provides a "L" level to the gate of the MOSFET 3 after ending the compared period and the MOSFET 3 maintains a turn off condition. Supposing that the DC motor 2 controlled by the MOSFET 3 drives a window glass to close a door window of the vehicle, and the window glass is moving for example up to close the window by the trigger pulse, then DC motor 2 maintains the rotation by the inertia notwithstanding the applied periodical positive clock pulses unless the window glass meets with an obstacle against a frame of the door.
If the periodical clock pulses are not applied to the terminal 12, it is an unfavorable condition for the DC motor 2 that the window glass meets with an obstacle against a frame of the door because the rotating DC motor 2 receiving the power must be stopped to prevent damage by the obstacle. Also, internal coils of the DC motor 2 may be burned and cut by a static current through the DC motor 2.
However, by applying the periodical clock pulses to the terminal 12, an DC motor 2 does not generate the induced voltage when stopped. Accordingly the latch condition provided between the comparator 8 and the MOSFET 3 for supplying the power thereto is released.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a second conventional circuit for controlling a DC motor which also has been applied by the present inventor and accorded under JP-patent application No. 2-5401 filed on Jan. 23, 1990 is generally shown. In FIG. 2, components corresponding to those of FIG. 1 allocate the same numerals, respectively and detail descriptions are omitted. A resistor 14 is connected between the relay terminal 4 and the inverting input of the comparator 8. Two resistors 15 and 16 each connected to one of fixed terminals of the variable resistor 9 are connected to the Vcc line and ground, respectively to provide a finer adjustment of the reference voltage V.sub.R than that of FIG. 1. A wired AND function of the resistor 10 and the NPN transistor 11 in FIG. 1 is substituted with a two input AND gate 17. The AND gate 17 has its output connected to the gate of MOSFET 3, one input connected to the output of the comparator 8, and another input connected to an oscillator 18 for providing the negative periodical clock. Also, the PNP transistor 5 not shown in FIG. 2 may be added with its collector connected to the gate of MOSFET 3, its emitter connected to the Vcc line and its base connected to the input terminal 6 via the resistor 7 as shown in FIG. 1.
An operation of the second conventional control circuit for a DC motor as shown in FIG. 2 is identical to that of FIG. 1, so a detailed description of the operation is omitted.
These control circuits are advantageous compared to a conventional circuit having a series resistor passing through a supply current to a DC motor because the series resistor can be employed for monitoring a DC motor current but has a serious loss of the current which degrades the efficiency of the power energy supplied thereto.
Such a motor 2 is generally employed as a drive means for a power or automatic window, while a secondary battery is used as a DC power supply of the vehicle. The battery has many electrical connections to equipments such as a cooler, a dynamo, head lights, a car-radio machine, etc. installed in the vehicle. The voltage of the Vcc line connected to the battery is undesirably changed when any equipment is turned on or off. This change of Vcc causes a change of a restraint torque of a DC motor, that is, higher power supply voltage causes an increasing restraint torque, while lower power supply voltage causes a decreasing restraint torque of the motor.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a critical or minimum current I.sub.min whether rotation of the DC motor 2 is maintained or not is as follows. EQU I.sub.min =(Vcc-V.sub.I) /Rm=V.sub.R /Rm
wherein, Vcc denotes a power supply voltage, V.sub.I denotes a induced voltage, and Rm denotes an internal resistance of the DC motor 2. Therefore, the restraint torque depends upon the critical current I.sub.min. The critical current changes due to a change of the reference voltage V.sub.R and in turn a change of the power supply voltage Vcc.
The conventional circuits as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, can control the restraint torque of the motor but not the rotation rate or speed. It is not practical to control the rotation rate by using a dynamo directly connected to a shaft of the DC motor because of high cost.
The conventional DC motor 2 as shown in FIG. 1 or 2 generally needs a direct current (DC) power supply. In the vehicle such as an automobile, it is frequent that the DC power supply is obtained from an AC power supply such as an alternator or dynamo with a rectifying circuit for providing a pulsating power supply from the AC power supply and a smoothing capacitor or battery for smoothing the pulsating power as indispensable means. The oscillator 18 comprising an unstable mutivibrator by using a 555 available from Signetics or a crystal oscillator and clock dividers, should be omitted because the circuit is more complex and the mean time between failures (MTBF) will be increased if the oscillator 18 is omitted. The power consumed by the control circuit, mainly the pulse oscillator and comparator is not be negligible.


Disclosed is an improved cutter that finds principal utility in, but is not limited to, lawn mowers of the type in which a cutter blade is rotated about an upright axis by a power source such as an electric motor, internal-combustion engine, etc. The disclosed improvement involves a blade that produces a slicing rather than a shearing action, accomplished by a blade design having diametrically opposed end portions, each sharpened to provide a slicing edge that is directed from a leading edge portion to a trailing edge portion, thus providing a blade of increased efficiency and requiring lower consumption of horsepower. The slicing edges may also be combined with conventional impact cutting edges.

The improved cutter is especially adapted for use on a lawn mower of the type having a cutter blade rotatable about an upright axis, whereby the cutting action is initiated at the periphery or outermost radius of the rotating blade cutting edge as the blade is moved in a plane generally perpendicular to the orientation of the objects being cut; although, the principles of the invention have application to other cutters, particularly to those for cutting brush and like vegetation, for example.
The cutter blade in a conventional or typical rotary lawn mower has diametrically opposed arms, each provided with a sharpened leading edge and a trailing edge which is shaped to create a "fan action" for lifting the grass and blowing cut grass through an outlet. The leading edge is generally parallel to a radius through the center or axis of rotation and essentially midway between the leading and trailing edges and thus presents itself as a shear or impact edge to the vegetation encountered.
The present invention involves a blade having a slicing rather than a direct shearing action, and this is achieved by providing on a blade having at least a pair of diametrically opposed arms a slicing edge at each of the radially outermost extremities of the blade. Each slicing edge is directed rearwardly and also radially outwardly from the leading edge toward the trailing edge. The slicing edge is especially fashioned or configured so as to create angles as defined by the tangent to the arc of rotation and the tangent to the slicing edge at the point of contact with an object being sliced, of zero degrees to eighty degrees. Further the slicing edge is fashioned or configured to occur as a minimum within the radial distance from the outermost extremities of the blade an amount equal to the maximum exposure of the rotating blade to uncut grass that is encountered with each revolution of the blade as the mower is moved through the grass in a plane parallel to the plane of blade rotation. This radial distance can be defined by the following formula: ##EQU1## Where: V=Travel velocity of mower in feet per second (f.p.s.)
N=Number of cutting ends on blade PA1 R=Revolutions per minute (r.p.m.) of rotating blade
Use of this formula will demonstrate that in the typical rotary lawn mower having a forward velocity of two and one-half to three f.p.s. and a blade rotating at 2500 to 3000 r.p.m., the maximum exposure or radial distance of a two-edged blade to uncut grass is about one-half inch. According to the present invention, the slicing edge is fashioned or configured throughout this radial distance as a minimum in order to function as a slicing edge with or without an accompanying conventional or near conventional cutting edge.
In a modified form of blade, the slicing edge may be extended rearwardly and outwardly as a "flare" continuation of the basic slicing edge. In a further modification of the invention, each outer blade portion having the slicing edge is offset downwardly from the plane of rotation of the main body of the blade. Another modification provides a cutter blade having four arms spaced apart at ninety degrees about the axis of rotation, each arm having a slicing edge as described.
In one prior art example of modified cutter blade, each leading cutting edge has a slight rearward slope from the conventional position of a leading shearing edge but these slightly sloping edges are by no means slicing edges but function primarily as direct shearing edges and as an aid for expulsion of cut vegetation from the rotating blade. See the U.S. Pat. No. to Hill, 3,315,451.
Advantages of the invention are improved cutting action resulting in cleaner cutting and less stress on the vegetation; less torque load on the prime mover; less fluctuation in speed of rotation of the blade; and less impact stress on the blade in the event a hard object is encountered, resulting in longer edge life and longer intervals between edge sharpening.
Further features and advantages will appear as preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in detail in the ensuing description and accompanying sheets of drawings.


A fuel heating device for a vehicle may include a start sensor detecting a starting of a vehicle; a controller area network (CAN) communication device transmitting and receiving various signals to and from an engine control device; a resistance sensor measuring a resistance of a heater provided inside an injector; and a controller controlling the resistance sensor to measure the resistance of the heater when the starting of the vehicle is detected in a state in which a failure occurs in the CAN communication device, converting the measured resistance of the heater into a temperature of a fuel, and operating the heater to heat the fuel to a reference temperature when the converted temperature is lower than or equal to a threshold.

In recent years, flex fuel vehicles running on a fuel mixture (E0-E100) of ethanol and gasoline are being increased in the South American countries, such as Brazil, being rich in ethanol resources. Here, E0 refers to 0% ethanol, i.e., pure gasoline, E50 refers to 50% ethanol and 50% gasoline, and E100 refers to 100% ethanol, i.e., pure ethanol.
However, ethanol has a high flash point and a low vapor pressure compared to gasoline, and thus, as the percentage of ethanol in the fuel mixture is increased, this may cause a startability problem under low outside temperature conditions, especially, in wintertime. In other words, when the outside temperature is dropped below 12°, ethanol is difficult to evaporate, which makes it difficult to start an engine.
In order to solve this problem, an auxiliary tank system or a heated injector system has been proposed. The auxiliary tank system is a system that is provided with an auxiliary tank for the storage and supply of a special fuel for cold start. The heated injector system is a system that improves the startability of the engine by heating a fuel to be injected into the engine using a heater inside an injector.
When the auxiliary tank system is applied to a vehicle, it requires the mounting of additional parts/components including a fuel tank, a fuel cap, a fuel pump, a bracket, and a fuel line, and thus, the cost of production is increased and the number of parts/components subject to quality assurance and A/S is increased. In addition, it is necessary to reserve an additional space within a narrow engine compartment, and there is a cumbersome problem including the injection of the special fuel.
For this reason, the heated injector system has recently been applied to most of the vehicles. This system directly heats a highly flammable fuel, which may lead to a vehicle fire, and thus, it requires very high stability.
The conventional heated injector system heats the fuel under control of an engine control unit (ECU) in consideration of stability. In other words, the conventional heated injector system does not heat the fuel if it does not receive a control signal from the ECU through a controller area network (CAN).
Therefore, when a failure occurs in CAN communications, the conventional heated injector system does not work, and thus, it would be difficult to improve the startability of the engine.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Fuel heating device for vehicle and method thereof


System and method for performing resource allocation for a host computer cluster use resource allocation weight scores for resource nodes in a cluster resource allocation hierarchy of the host computer cluster based on the number of powered-on clients in the resource nodes.

Resource pools can be used to hierarchically partition available resources in a host computer cluster, which include, for example, CPU resources and memory resources. A parent resource pool can contain one or more child resource pools, one or more resource-consuming clients, such as virtual machines (VMs), or both. Resource pools and clients that are at the same level of a resource allocation hierarchy are called siblings.
Resource allocation techniques for computer systems with resource-consuming clients, such as VMs, are important to ensure that the clients are operating at desired or target levels. For example, if a VM is powered on a host computer or migrated to a host computer, a resource allocation element needs to generate resource allocation settings of the VM such that appropriate resources can be assigned to the VM. Conventional resource allocation techniques generally do not automatically allow a client to inherit the resource allocation priority of a parent resource pool that contains the client. For example, due to sibling rivalry within a resource pool, conventional resource allocation techniques may not designate a client in a resource pool with a higher resource allocation priority with higher priority for resource allocation than a client in a resource pool with a lower resource allocation priority. In addition, conventional resource allocation techniques generally do not guarantee a client a minimum amount of resources. For example, if a client with a relatively large resource allocation requirement (e.g., a VM with 16 virtual CPU (vCPU) and 1 TB memory) is placed next to a resource pool containing other clients at the same level of a resource allocation hierarchy, the client with the relatively large resource allocation requirement can deprive the clients inside the resource pool of resources and cause a denial of service for the clients inside the resource pool.


A LED driver is connectible to several series connected RGB LEDs which connect in series with a current generator. A plurality of LED switches are respectively connectible across one RGB LED. Each LED switch, operating in response to a binary signal is either open to permit electrical current to flow through the RGB LED, or closed to shunt current around that RGB LED. By varying respective duty cycles of the binary signals the LED driver is adapted for controlling operation of the combined RGB LEDs so they emit differing colors of light. An adaptive boost converter LED driver continuously adjusts voltage applied across the series connected RGB LEDs to be only that required for operating those LEDs through which open LED switches permit current to flow.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic circuits for controlled energizing of light emitting diodes ("LEDs"), and more specifically for such circuits for controlled energizing of series connected red, green, blue ("RGB") LEDs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the most important functions in various portable devices such as personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), cell phones, digital still cameras, camcorders, etc. is displaying to a user the device's present condition, i.e. a display function. Without a display function, a device's user could not enter data into or retrieve data from the device, i.e. control the device's operation. Thus, a portable device's display function is essential to its usefulness.
Devices implement their display function in various different ways, e.g. through a display screen such as a liquid crystal display ("LCD"), through a numeric keypad and/or alphanumeric keyboard and their associated markings, through function keys, through an individual point display such as power-on or device-operating indicator, etc.
Due to space limitations in portable devices, these various different types of display function as well as other ancillary functions are performed largely by white LEDs ("WLEDs") and RGB LEDs. Within portable devices, LEDs provide backlighting for panels such as LCDs, dimming of a keypad, or a flash for taking a picture, etc.
Controlling the operation of WLEDs and RGB LEDs requires using a special driver circuit assembled using discrete components or a dedicated integrated circuit ("IC") controller. For many LEDs connected in various different ways there exists a need for a special driver circuit that provides proper power to the LEDs at minimum cost. What does proper power mean? Proper power means that the special driver circuit must provide voltage and current required so the LEDs emit light independent of the portable device's energy source, e.g. a battery having a voltage ("v") between 1.5v and 4.2v. What does minimum cost means? Minimum cost means that the special driver circuit must energize the LEDs with maximum efficiency thereby extending battery life.
WLED Control
To permit dimming, a WLED must be supplied with a voltage between 3.0v and 4.2v and a current in the milliampere ("mA") range. Typical WLED values for energizing the operation of WLEDs are 3.7v and 20 mA. WLEDs exhibit good matching of threshold voltage due to their physical structure. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, this particular characteristic of WLEDs is very useful for controller design.
FIG. 1 illustrates one particular configuration for a circuit that energizes the operation of parallel connected WLEDs. In FIG. 1, a battery 52 connects between circuit ground 54 and a power input terminal 56 of a conventional IC LED driver 58. The LED driver 58, which also connects to circuit ground 54, receives electrical power from the battery 52 via the power input terminal 56 for energizing its operation. For the battery polarity depicted in FIG. 1, a LED power output terminal 62 of the LED driver 58 connects in parallel to anodes 64 of several WLEDs 66. Connected in this way the LED power output terminal 62 of the LED driver 58 supplies electrical current to the WLEDs 66 for energizing their operation. To equalize or match the electrical current flowing through each of the WLEDs 66, a cathode 72 of each of the WLEDs 66 connects in series through a ballast resistor 74 to circuit ground 54. Switching the locations of the WLED 66 and the ballast resistor 74 depicted in FIG. 1 produces an electrically equivalent circuit. However, regardless of the particular circuit configuration for energizing parallel connected WLEDs 66, the ballast resistors 74 always waste power. Consequently, circuits such as that depicted in FIG. 1 having WLEDs 66 connected in parallel are an inefficient way to energize operation of WLEDs 66.
FIG. 2 depicts a number of WLEDs 66 connected in series with each other and with a ballast resistor 74. Connection of the WLEDs 66 in series is much more efficient because it limits power loss to that in a single ballast resistor 74. However, the LED power output terminal 62 of the LED driver 58 depicted in FIG. 2 must supply an output voltage that is approximately four (4) times greater than that supplied from the LED power output terminal 62 of the LED driver 58 in FIG. 1.
RGB LED Control
A LED driver 58 for RGB LEDs is slightly more complicated than that for WLEDs 66 because the three colored LEDs have different dimming threshold voltages. For example, the dimming threshold voltage for a red LED 84, such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, is approximately 1.9v, for a blue LED 94 is approximately 3.7v, and for a green LED 104 is approximately 3.7v. Resistances of three (3) ballast resistors 74 connected respectively between cathodes 86, 96 and 106 of the RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 and circuit ground 54 must be selected accommodate the different dimming threshold voltages of the RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104. Energy dissipated in the ballast resistors 74 means that driving RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 in parallel leads to a significant power loss.
A series connection for the RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 illustrated in FIG. 4 reduces power loss. In the typical circuit for series connected RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 depicted in FIG. 4, an anode 82 of the red LED 84 connects to the LED power output terminal 62 of the LED driver 58. In turn, the cathode 86 of the red LED 84 connects to an anode 92 of the blue LED 94. Similarly, the cathode 96 of the blue LED 94 connects to an anode 102 of the green LED 104. Finally, the cathode 106 of the green LED 104 connects through the ballast resistor 74 to circuit ground 54. While FIG. 4 illustrates a particular order for the RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104, those skilled in the art understand that the series connected RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 may be arranged in any order.
An essential requirement for a LED driver 58 for RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 intended for use in portable devices is that it be capable of supplying a specific combination of bias currents to the RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 so they emit white light. This essential requirement for a LED driver 58 for RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 is difficult because obtaining white light requires that a different amount of current flow through each of the RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104. The differing current requirement for producing white light from three (3) series connected RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104 prohibits using a series connection with the same current flowing through all three (3) RGB LEDs 84, 94, 104.

Method and IC driver for series connected R, G, B LEDs


A positive photoresist composition is disclosed, comprising (a) from 50 to 99 parts by weight of a polyhydric phenol compound which is a condensation product between a mixed phenol comprising o-cresol and at least one of 2,5-dimethylphenol and 3,5-dimethylphenol at a molar ratio of from 95/5 to 5/95 and an aldehyde and (b) from 1 to 50 parts by weight of a quinone diazide compound. The composition is excellent in sensitivity, resolving power, heat resistance, and resistance to dry etching.

In production of semi-conductor integrated circuits, magnetic bubble memory elements, etc., photoetching or lithography using energy rays, such as light (visible rays, ultraviolet rays, far ultraviolet rays), electron beams, ion beams, and X-rays is used. Resists used as a protecting film against etching in lithography- include a negatively working type and a positively working type, and the use of positive resists has recently been extending because they favor formation of finer patterns as compared with negative ones. Positive photoresists generally comprise a combination of a cresol novolak resin and a quinone diazide compound, which is insoluble in alkalis but is rendered alkali-solubilized on exposure to light.
There is a strong and increasing demand for resists for the formation of integrated circuits to have improved performance properties such as sensitivity, resolving power, heat resistance, and resistance to dry etching, with the tendency to high level of integration. In order to meet the demand, alkali-soluble novolak resins prepared from various phenol compounds have been proposed. For example, JP-A-60-176034 and JP-A-61-275748 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") teach to use a novolak resin prepared by condensation of m-cresol and xylenol with formaldehyde.
To increase resolving power, a resin is required to have a narrow molecular weight distribution and a low degree of dispersion so as to be sharply dissolved with a developer. To improve heat resistance and resistance to dry etching, it is effective to increase a molecular weight of the resin.
However, novolak resins mainly comprising m-cresol which have been made frequent use of as a resist base are apt to have a broad molecular weight distribution and a high degree of dispersion due to very high reactivity of m-cresol. Moreover, they have a limit of molecular weight because an increase in molecular weight in an attempt to improve heat resistance tends to be accompanied by gelation. Copolymers of m-cresol and xylenol have the same problems. Thus, sufficient improvements on resolving power, heat resistance and resistance to dry etching have not yet been reached.


A container cleanliness measurement apparatus capable of preventing particles from being adhered to substrates, while improving the operation efficiency of a container for housing substrates. An FOUP inspection apparatus includes a particle-separation promoting nozzle for promoting separation of particles adhered to an inner wall of an FOUP and to carries for holding peripheral portions of wafers inside the FOUP, a particle collecting nozzle for collecting particles separated from the inner wall of the FOUP, etc., and a particle counter for measuring an amount of collected particles. The particle-separation promoting nozzle and the particle collecting nozzle constitute a probe nozzle which is adapted to enter inside the FOUP.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container cleanliness measurement apparatus and method, and a substrate processing system. More particularly, this invention relates to a container cleanliness measurement apparatus for use with a container for housing substrates so as to be isolated from a surrounding environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor device manufacturing factory, there are installed in a clean room a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses between which semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "wafers") are transferred. To prevent dusts floating in the clean room from adhering to wafers that are being transferred, the wafers are received in a container, for example, in an FOUP (front opening unified pod), so as to be isolated from a surrounding environment.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the FOUP 90 is a container which is extruded into a U-shape as seen from above. The FOUP 90 includes a body 91 having a curved side surface and an opposite open side surface, and a lid 92 disposed to face an opening in the open side surface of the body 91 and adapted to open and close the opening. The lid 92 has a seal rubber of NBR or the like and is in close contact at its periphery with the body 91 via the seal rubber. The body 91 and the lid 92 are made of ABS or other resin. The body 91 has a plurality of plate-like carriers 94 extending from an inner wall surface of the body 91 toward a center part thereof and disposed parallel to one another (FIG. 9B).
The carriers 94 hold outer peripheral portions of rear surfaces of a plurality of wafers W when the wafers are housed in the FOUP 90. Thus, the wafers W are housed in the FOUP 90 so as to extend parallel to one another.
The present inventors confirmed the following. When plasma processing such as etching is performed on a wafer W, particles are adhered to a rear surface of the wafer W and deposits are adhered to a bevel portion thereof. Particles and deposits separated from wafers of a certain lot housed in the FOUP 90 are sometimes adhered to an inner wall surface of the body 91 and to the carriers 94. In a state that wafers W of the next lot are housed in the FOUP 90, the particles, etc. adhered to the inner wall surface of the body 91 and to the carriers 94 are separated therefrom and adhered to (secondarily contaminate) the wafers W of the next lot.
The particles, etc. adhered to the wafers W function as a micromask in etching and CVD processing, which causes problems with semiconductor devices. To obviate this, there has been developed a cleaning system for cleaning an FOUP in which processing on wafers of a certain lot is completed (see, for example, the following online article).
"FOUP cleaning system" on the web page of Technovision Inc., searched Aug. 6, 2007 on the Internet <URL:http://www.techvision.co.jp/products/foup.htm>
In this cleaning system, the entire FOUP 90 is cleaned using pure water and then dried to remove particles, etc. adhered to the inner wall surface of the FOUP and to the carriers 94.
Conventionally, however, whether or not the FOUP 90 must be cleaned is determined based only on the use time of the FOUP. Therefore, the FOUP 90 is cleaned even when substantially no particles, etc. are adhered to the inner wall surface of the FOUP 90 and to the carriers 94, i.e., even when there is substantially no possibility of secondary contamination. This results in a reduction in operation efficiency of the FOUP 90, which poses a problem.
In some cases, the FOUP 90 cannot be adequately cleaned with the cleaning system. Nevertheless, there is no means for confirming whether or not adequate cleaning has been performed. When the FOUP 90 not adequately cleaned is used again, there occurs a problem of secondary contamination.
The above problems are caused by the inability of accurate measurement of the cleanliness of the FOUP 90, i.e., the inability of measurement of an amount of particles adhered to the inner wall surface of the FOUP 90 and to the carriers 94.

Container cleanliness measurement apparatus and method, and substrate processing system


The invention relates to a pharmaceutical formulation of the crystalline sodium salt of 4′-[2-n-propyl-4-methyl-6-(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl]biphenyl-2-carboxylic acid (telmisartan), and to processes for the preparation thereof.

The compound telmisartan is known from European Patent EP 502 314 B1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,762, which is hereby incorporated by reference) and has the following chemical structure:

Telmisartan, and the physiologically acceptable salts thereof, have valuable pharmacological properties. Telmisartan is an angiotensin antagonist, particularly an angiotensin II antagonist which, by virtue of its pharmacological properties, may be used, for example, to treat hypertension and cardiac insufficiency, to treat ischemic peripheral circulatory disorders and myocardial ischaemia (angina), to prevent the progression of cardiac insufficiency after myocardial infarct, and to treat diabetic neuropathy, glaucoma, gastrointestinal diseases and bladder diseases. Other possible therapeutic applications can be found in EP 502 314 B1 and WO 02/15891, the contents of which are hereby referred to.
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is a thiazide diuretic which is taken orally to treat edema and high blood pressure. The chemical name of HCTZ is 6-chloro-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazin-7-sulfonamide-1,1-dioxide and the compound has the following structural formula:

Telmisartan is commercially obtainable under the trademark MICARDIS®, while a combination of telmisartan with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is commercially obtainable under the trademark MICARDIS® HCT (MICARDIS PLUS in Europe). Starting from the free acid of telmisartan, these formulations are produced by a complex spray drying process. Because of the limited solubility of the free acid, less complex methods of preparing an alternative preparation are difficult to achieve.
The aim of the present invention is to provide telmisartan in a form which enables a formulation of this active substance to be prepared in a less complex form. It has to be borne in mind that generally the production of a composition containing a pharmaceutically active substance is dependent on various parameters which are linked to the nature of the active ingredient itself. Without being tied thereto, examples of these parameters are the stability of effect of the starting material under different environmental conditions, the stability during the manufacture of the pharmaceutical formulation, and the stability in the final compositions of the pharmaceutical preparation. The pharmaceutically active substance used to prepare the abovementioned pharmaceutical composition should be as pure as possible. At the same time, its stability on long-term storage must be guaranteed under various environmental conditions. This is absolutely essential, in order to prevent pharmaceutical compositions being used which contain, in addition to the active substance proper, breakdown products thereof. In such a case, the actual content of active substance present in a preparation produced therefrom may be less than the specified amount.
Another aspect which is important in the production of solid preparations is that the active substance should have the most stable possible crystalline morphology for the pharmaceutical quality of a medicinal formulation. If this is not the case, the morphology of the active substance may change in certain circumstances under the conditions of manufacture of the preparation. Such a change may in turn affect the reproducibility of the manufacturing process and thus lead to final formulations which do not meet the high quality requirements imposed on pharmaceutical formulations. To this extent it should generally be borne in mind that any change to the solid state of a pharmaceutical composition which can improve its physical and chemical stability gives a significant advantage over less stable forms of the same drug.
The object of the invention is thus to provide a new pharmaceutical composition containing a stable form of telmisartan which complies with the abovementioned stringent requirements imposed on a pharmaceutically active substance.

Telmisartan sodium salt pharmaceutical formulation


Disclosed herein are improved devices, systems, and methods for the expression and collection of breast milk, such as human breast milk. A breast shield assembly for expression of breast milk may comprise a breast interface and an actuatable assembly interface fluidly coupled with a tube, wherein the breast interface is configured to engage the breast and the actuatable assembly interface is configured to removably couple to an actuatable assembly. The breast shield assembly may comprise an enclosed fluid reservoir extending between the breast interface and the actuatable assembly interface, the fluid reservoir physically separated from the expressed breast milk and filled with a driving fluid comprising a liquid. The breast shield assembly may further comprise a fill port configured to allow addition or removal of the driving fluid to or from the fluid reservoir.

Breast pumps are commonly used to collect breast milk in order to allow mothers to continue breastfeeding while apart from their children. Currently, there are two primary types of breast pumps: manually-actuated devices, which are small, but inefficient and tiring to use, and electrically-powered devices, which are efficient, but large and bulky. Many existing breast pumps are pneumatic systems, wherein a tube is attached to a drive system to transmit vacuum from the drive system to a breast fluidly sealed against a breast interface.
It would be desirable to provide improved breast pumps that are small, highly efficient, quiet, and comfortable. Additional features such as pump communication with personal computing or mobile devices, automatic milk production quantification and/or milk characterization, and automatic inventory tracking would be further desirable for enhanced user convenience. At least some of these objectives will be satisfied by the devices, systems, and methods disclosed below.

Systems and methods for expression of breast milk


A system and method for mitigating memory errors in a computer system. Faulty memory is identified and tested by a memory manager of an operating system. The memory manager may perform diagnostic tests while the operating system is executing on the computer system. Regions of memory that are being used by software components of the computer system may also be tested. The memory manager maintains a stored information about faulty memory regions. Regions are added to the stored information when they are determined to be faulty by a diagnostic test tool. Memory regions are allocated to software components by the memory manager after checking the stored information about faulty memory regions. This ensures a faulty memory region is never allocated to a software component of the computer system.

The reliability of a computer system is only as good as the underlying hardware of the system. Faults in the Random Access Memory (RAM) of a computer system, whether the faults are permanent or transient, often manifest themselves in the form of software instability and crashes. When applications or the Operating System (OS) of the computer system crash, the user may assume the cause is software related and therefore blame the software developer for the instability of their computer system. This not only hurts the reputation of the software developer in the marketplace, but it also requires the company to provide customer service to help users resolve problems that arise from RAM failures.
Aside from the harm to the software developer caused by faults in RAM, there is the possibility that a fault could result in corruption of the user's data or other undesired and unforeseen consequences.
To reduce memory errors, it is known to perform diagnostic tests on RAM at start-up. These tests are performed before the operating system is executing because they alter the contents of the memory, which would interfere with an executing operating system or other software components. For this purpose, some memory chips include circuitry to perform built-in self test (BIST) and can provide information identifying faulty pages in the memory to a memory manager in the operating system. Alternatively, some operating systems have incorporated memory tests such that the operating system itself can identify faulty pages in memory. The memory manager can then maintain stored information about faulty pages in the memory. When an application requests that memory to be allocated to it, pages that have been identified as faulty are not allocated.
It is also possible for memory tests to be implemented as application programs. These implementations generally don't have as much access to the memory and system resources as memory tests that are integrated into the OS—especially the kernel of the OS.
Some computer systems use memory that can correct errors through the use of error correcting coding (ECC). Each ECC has a strength that indicates a number of bit errors in a unit of data read from memory that can be corrected by the code. When more errors than can be corrected occur in a unit of memory, then the errors cannot be corrected. Though, the ECC may nonetheless reveal that an error occurred, such that additional faulty pages may be identified as the operating system is running


A photoelectric conversion apparatus including (A) a semiconductor integrated circuit, for photoelectrically converting an incident optical signal, that includes a first temperature dependent element having a characteristic which exhibits a predetermined change in accordance with a change in temperature and a detection circuit for detecting temperature information, (B) a device arranged outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and (C) at least one second temperature dependent element which is arranged inside the device and has a characteristic which exhibits a predetermined change in accordance with a change in temperature. The detection circuit detects temperature information of the first temperature dependent element and temperature information of the at least one second temperature dependent element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit and photoelectric conversion apparatus for of converting an optical signal into an electrical signal.
2. Related Background Art
A semiconductor component such as a semiconductor integrated circuit in a photoelectric conversion apparatus has a circuit for detecting changes in ambient temperature which the apparatus uses to correct operation characteristics in accordance with changes in the temperature. For example, ambient temperature changes are detected by a method as shown in FIG. 1, in a device such as an autofocus sensor (to be referred to as an AF sensor hereinafter) which must perform high-precision processing over a large temperature change range from -20.degree. C. to +60.degree. C. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an autofocus-associated part of a conventional camera.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a camera unit 601. The camera unit 601 comprises a thermometer 602 arranged outside a package 605, an AF sensor IC 604 having a photoelectric conversion element 608, a thermometer circuit 603 mounted on the package 605 of the AF sensor IC 604, a lens 610 and a secondary image formation lens 606 for receiving an incident optical signal from a subject image, a microcomputer 607 for processing an image signal, and a lens control unit 609 for controlling the position of the lens 610.
The camera unit 601 receives a subject image signal via the secondary image formation lens 606, forms images A and B corresponding to right and left lenses constituting the secondary image formation lens 606 on the photoelectric conversion element 608 of the AF sensor IC, performs correlation calculation for the subject image signal by the microcomputer 607, and controls the focal point of the camera lens 610 by operation of the lens control unit 609 to calculate the distance from the lens 610 to the subject to be photographed.
The influence of changes in ambient temperature on the camera unit 601 includes changes in characteristics of the secondary image formation lens 606 upon thermal expansion/shrinkage. If the characteristics of the secondary image formation lens 606 change depending on the ambient temperature, a subject image signal to be formed into an image on the photoelectric conversion element 608 of the AF sensor IC changes in focal length and exhibits changes that depend on the temperature.
For this reason, appropriate distance measurement can be attained only when a subject image signal is sent to the microcomputer 607, an ambient temperature outside the package 605 is detected by the thermometer 602, and an image signal output from the photoelectric conversion element 608 is properly corrected by the microcomputer 607.
The influence on the AF sensor IC 604 itself by ambient changes caused by changes in temperature of the AF sensor IC 604 itself must also be considered. The magnitude of dark current noise of the photoelectric conversion element 608 inside the AF sensor IC 604 influences the precision of the AF sensor IC 604. As the temperature of the AF sensor IC 604 rises, the dark current noise increases at a predetermined ratio. The temperature of the AF sensor IC 604 is measured by the thermometer 603 on the package 605, the value is sent to the microcomputer 607 together with a subject image signal, and dark current noise correction corresponding to the temperature value is performed for the image signal, thereby measuring the distance with high precision.
In the prior art, however, since the temperature of the AF sensor IC 604 is measured on the package 605, the temperature of the AF sensor IC 604 itself cannot be accurately measured. The AF sensor IC 604 generally exhibits a temperature that is different from the temperature of the package 605 and an external temperature due to power consumption of the AF sensor IC 604. More specifically, the temperature of the AF sensor IC 604 is higher than the respective temperatures of the package 605 and like elements due to heat generated from operation of the AF sensor IC 604, and the heat dissipates via the package 605 or air. In other words, the temperature on the semiconductor substrate of the AF sensor IC 604 cannot be accurately measured by monitoring only the temperature of the package 605 and an external temperature.
Hence, to accurately correct dark current noise for the purpose of high-precision distance measurement, the temperature on the semiconductor substrate of the AF sensor IC 604 itself must be measured.
Also, the temperature of the package 605 itself is different from the external ambient temperature, and thus the thermometer 602 for ambient temperature measurement also must be employed. The thermometer 602 for ambient temperature measurement and the thermometer 603 for the AF sensor IC 604 must be separately adopted, which leads to a large number of components and high cost.


A method for operating on bits of a memory cell, the method comprising providing a memory cell that has two separated and separately chargeable areas on first and second sides of the cell, each chargeable area defining one bit, applying an injection pulse and a verify pulse on the first side of the cell, and before the first side of the cell has reached a verify level, applying an injection pulse and a verify pulse on the second side of the cell.

Non-volatile memory (NVM) cells, such as those used in erasable, programmable read only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable, programmable read only memories (EEPROMs), and flash EEPROM memories, generally may have one single chargeable area.
Another type of non-volatile cell, called a nitride, read only memory (NROM) cell, may have two separated and separately chargeable areas, each defining one bit. The separately chargeable areas are found within a nitride layer formed in an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) stack underneath the gate. The ONO stack may overlie a channel situated between a pair of bit lines. In order to program a bit, channel hot electrons (CHE) are injected into the nitride layer. This is generally accomplished by the application of a positive gate voltage and positive drain voltage, the magnitude and duration of which are determined by different factors related to the amount of programming required.
Erasing a bit is generally accomplished by the application of a negative gate voltage and positive drain voltage, the magnitude and duration of which are determined by different factors related to the amount of erasing required. Different types of erasing mechanisms may be used to erase bits in NROM cells. One technique is hot hole injection, described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,711, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In this technique, application of an erase voltage to a bit line may create holes by band-to-band tunneling in the junction of the bit line with the channel. A lateral field in the area of the junction surface may accelerate the holes such that they become hot holes. A vertical field generated by the negative gate voltage then pulls the hot holes into the nitride layer.
Charge injection, whether CHE injection or hot hole injection, must be controlled to insure proper device operation. In general, step and verify algorithms are implemented, wherein charge is injected at a certain bias (voltage level) followed by a verify operation to ascertain whether the bit has reached a desired voltage level (e.g., program verify or erase verify voltage level). If the desired voltage verify level has not been achieved, stronger charge injection may be initiated via a higher bias and vice versa.
However, in tunneling-enhanced hot hole injection, the other junction in the transistor, to which holes are not injected, should remain unbiased as possible, in order to prevent possible "punch through", i.e., contact of the two junction depletion regions, which may slow down the charge injection process, due to the decrease of the junction lateral field. Thus, in NROM cells that comprise two physical bits per cell, and which incorporate a tunneling-enhanced hot hole injection mechanism, hole injection may not be performed simultaneously on both sides of the memory cell. This prolongs the time it takes to carry out the injection operation, and the time is prolonged even more by the step and verify algorithms. It would thus be desirable to reduce the time needed to perform the injection operation.
One option to enhance the hole injection flow may involve using relatively large voltage increments between consecutive steps of the step and verify algorithm. However, the large voltage increments may result in bad control over the injection process.
Another solution involves applying relatively large voltage increments between initial steps of the step and verify algorithm for many cells in parallel, until a first cell or selected group of cells reaches a target. The rest of the memory array is then programmed/erased with smaller increments until the full array is done.
Yet another technique samples a small amount of cells in the array to determine their behavior characteristics upon the application of pulses to program or erase. After learning how the threshold voltage changes in accordance with the pulses, the rest of the array may be programmed (or erased) en masse with a significantly reduced number of pulses and verifies.
Still another method employs multiple verify levels in an effort to obtain a faster convergence to the final pulse level. However, this method may require a more intricate design and a longer verify time.
In all of the prior art methods, each programming/erasing step is performed on both the right and left side of the memory cells. Accordingly, the basic time penalty of having to finish one side before applying pulses to the other side has not yet been circumvented.

Alternating application of pulses on two sides of a cell


Methods are provided for identifying nucleic acids. Methods of the invention are useful for identifying and analyzing nucleic acids, especially variants of single nucleotide polymorphisms, that are indicative of disease or the predisposition for disease.

The capacity to diagnose disease is of central concern to human, animal and plant genetic studies, and particularly to inherited disease diagnostics. Genetic disease diagnosis typically is pursued by analyzing variations in DNA sequences that distinguish genomic DNA among members of a population. If such variations alter the lengths of the fragments that are generated by restriction endonuclease cleavage, the variations are referred to as restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Where a heritable trait is linked to a particular RFLP, the presence of the RFLP can be used to predict the likelihood that the trait will be expressed phenotypically. Statistical methods have been developed to permit the multilocus analysis of RFLPs such that complex traits that are dependent upon multiple alleles can be mapped. See S. Lander et al., 83 PROC. NAT'L ACAD. SCI. (U.S.A.) 7353-57 (1986); S. Lander et al., 84 PROC. NAT'L ACAD. SCI. (U.S.A.) 2363-67 (1986); H. Donis-Keller et al., 51 CELL 319-37 (1987); S. Lander et al., 121 GENETICS 185-99 (1989).
In some cases, DNA sequence variations are in regions of the genome that are characterized by short tandem repeats (STRs) that include tandem di- or tri-nucleotide motifs. These tandem repeats are also referred to as variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms. These polymorphisms are used in a large number of genetic mapping studies.
A third class of DNA sequence variations results from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), also referred to as single base polymorphisms, that exist between individuals of the same species. Such polymorphisms are far more frequent, at least in the human genome, than RFLPs or STRs and VNTRs. In some cases, such polymorphisms comprise mutations that are a determinative characteristic in a genetic disease. Indeed, such mutations may affect a single nucleotide present in a coding sequence sufficiently to cause the disease (e.g., hemophilia, sickle-cell anemia). An example of a single nucleotide polymorphism which predisposes a disease is the three-allelic polymorphism of the apolipoprotein E gene. This polymorphism is due to single base substitutions at two DNA loci on the Apo E gene (Mahley, 240 SCI. 622-30 (1988)). It may explain as much as 10% of the phenotypic variation observed in serum cholesterol levels. More that 90% of patients with type III hyperlipoproteinemia are homozygous for one of the APO E alleles.
In many cases, however, single nucleotide polymorphisms occur in non-coding regions. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in non-coding regions are often still useful as markers for predisposition to disease if a proximal relationship exists between the single nucleotide polymorphic locus and a disease-related gene. A disease-related gene is any gene that, in one or more variant is associated with, or causative of, disease. Despite the central importance of polymorphisms in modern genetics, no practical method has been developed which permits enumerative analysis of disease-associated polymorphic sites.
There is particular interest in molecular mechanisms for the diagnosis of cancer. Cancer is a disease characterized by genomic instability. The acquisition of genomic instability is thought to arise from a coincident disruption of genomic integrity and a loss of cell cycle control mechanisms. Generally, a disruption of genomic integrity is thought merely to increase the probability that a cell will engage in the multistep pathway leading to cancer. However, coupled with a loss of cell cycle control mechanisms, a disruption in genomic integrity may be sufficient to generate a population of genomically unstable neoplastic cells. A common genetic change characteristic of the early stages of transformation is a loss of heterozygosity. Loss of heterozygosity at a number of tumor suppressor genes has been implicated in tumorigenesis. For example, loss of heterozygosity at the P53 tumor suppressor locus has been correlated with various types of cancer. Ridanpaa et al., 191 PATH. RES. PRACT. 399-402 (1995). The loss of the apc and dcc tumor suppressor genes has also been associated with tumor development. Blum, 31A EUROP. J. CANCEr 1369-72 (1995).
Loss of heterozygosity is therefore a potentially useful marker for detecting the early stages of cancer. However, in the early stages of cancer only a small number of cells within a tissue have undergone transformation. Genetic changes characteristic of genomic instability theoretically can serve as markers for the early stages of, for example, colon cancer, and can be detected in DNA isolated from biopsied colonic epithelium and in some cases from transformed cells shed into fecal material. Sidransky et al., 256 SCI., 102-105 (1992).
Detection methods proposed in the art are time-consuming and expensive. Moreover, methods according to the art cannot be used to identify a loss of heterozygosity or microsatellite instability in small subpopulation of cells when the cells exist in a heterogeneous (i.e., clonally impure) sample. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,676, it is stated that tissue samples in which a mutation is to be detected should be enriched for tumor cells in order to detect the loss of heterozygosity in a p53 gene.
The present invention provides molecular assays for the detection of nucleic acids, especially nucleic acids that are indicative of disease.

Methods for the detection of nucleic acids

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research


Television broadcast transmitters are often operated at remote sites and must be remotely controlled. The transmitters often include exciters driving high-power amplifiers. The exciters and high-power amplifiers produce incidental phase modulation of the broadcast signals. An exciter for generating modulated carrier signals at a television video carrier frequency may include compensation for incidental phase modulation in the exciter itself and in the following amplifiers. Such an exciter includes a first modulator for modulating video onto an IF carrier, which is coupled through a power splitter to a second modulator. The second modulator is switched at a frequency equal to the sum of the video and intermediate frequencies to produce the desired modulated carrier. The output of the power divider is coupled to an envelope detector which reconstitutes the video. The reconstituted video is applied to the control input of a phase modulator coupled to the second mixer for producing a phase compensation of the modulated carrier in response to the video amplitude. Remote control of the power output of the exciter is provided by a motorized attenuator. A corresponding adjustment of the incidental phase correction is achieved by connecting the motorized attenuator between the first modulator and the power divider. In order to provide increased phase control range, improved video-frequency rejection and reduced incidental amplitude modulation, the phase modulator is coupled between the carrier-frequency generator and the second modulator. The phase modulator may also be coupled between the power splitter and the second modulator.

This invention relates to broadcast and high-power electromagnetic-signal amplifiers including incidental phase correction responsive to the amplitude modulation.
Television broadcast transmitters amplitude-modulate video information signals onto carriers at predetermined standard frequencies. Such transmitters and their associated antennas are normally located where the best possible broadcast coverage can be obtained. Frequently, the transmitter site is remote from the studio where the video signals are generated. Consequently, remote control of the most important transmitter parameters is required. Ideally, a remote control, such as that of transmitter output power, should not cause a degradation of the transmitted signal in other respects.
Broadcast transmitters often include an exciter which modulates video onto a carrier at the desired output frequency, but at a power level less than that desired. High-power radio-frequency amplifiers are used to amplify the output of the exciter and apply it to the antennas. The voltage and current excursions in the high power amplifiers are large, and consequently distortions of the transmitter output occur. It is customary to predistort the exciter output to compensate for the expected distortion in the high power amplifier stages. Thus, it is known to use resistor-diode networks to correct the exciter signal to compensate for differential gain, i.e., gain changes at particular video frequencies which are dependent upon the amplitude of low-frequency video signal components. It is also known to use resistor-diode networks to compensate for differential phase distortion, i.e., phase changes in high-frequency video signals resulting from low-frequency amplitude excursions. One form of distortion which is particularly severe in high-power radio frequency amplifiers is incidental phase distortion, in which the phase of the carrier passing through the high power stage is shifted in an amount depending upon the signal amplitude. This is in effect a variable delay dependent upon signal amplitude, and is believed to result from changes in the effective capacitance and/or the input impedance of the amplifiers with signal level.
It is known to use a controllable phase modulator coupled between the carrier signal generator and the output modulator of the exciter and to apply video from the video source to the control input of the phase modulator in order to predistort the exciter output to compensate for the expected incidental phase modulation in the high-power amplifiers. In this arrangement, no possibility for simultaneous adjustment of transmitter output power and incidental phase correction exists.
It is also known to modulate the video onto an intermediate-frequency (IF) carrier, which in turn is used to drive a second modulator or mixer which converts the signal to a high frequency for driving the transmitter power amplifier device. In this arrangement, both the differential gain correction and the phase modulator for incidental phase correction operate on the modulated IF carrier. The video signal required for driving the phase control terminal of the phase modulator to achieve incidental phase correction is reconstituted from the modulated IF carrier by a video detector to which a sample of the modulated IF carrier is applied. In this arrangement, the limited bandwidth of the phase modulator may undesirably attenuate the band edges of the modulated IF carrier. Also, unwanted amplitude modulation of the modulated IF carrier may occur in response to the reconstituted video control signal because of unavoidable amplitude responses of the phase modulator.
It is desirable to operate the exciter in a manner which allows remote control of the transmitter output power without degradation of the incidental phase correction. It is also desirable to operate an exciter in a manner which reduces the effect of bandwidth limitations of the phase modulator on the output signal. Similarly, it is advantageous to have a phase modulator which is smaller and which provides more control range than heretofore.

Exciter having incidental phase correction compensation in consonance with output power level


A method for detecting the topology of electrical wiring between at least two field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) includes implementing a first receive register on a second interface pin; implementing a first send register on a first driver; activating the first driver via a first activation signal; emitting, by the first driver, a first signal, wherein the first signal is defined by the first send register; reading out, by a first receive register, whether the first signal is received at the second interface pin; and allocating the second interface pin to the first interface pin if the first signal from the first driver is received at the second interface pin.

Inter-FPGA communication via a 32-bit bus is known from page 451, the part relating to DS5203, of the 2017 product catalog for dSPACE.
A disadvantage of the prior art is the great degree of complexity involved in testing whether the lines required for communication are correctly wired and intact. Incorrect wiring can lead to communication errors or the destruction of the FPGAs.

Method for detecting the topology of electrical wiring

DSPACE DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING AND CONTROL ENGINEERING GMBH