146 results about "Gain-switching" patented technology

A high performance imaging system for diffuse optical tomography is disclosed. A dense grid utilizing sources, e.g., light emitting diodes (“LEDs”), that achieve high performance at high speed with a high dynamic range and low inter-channel crosstalk are complemented by a system of discrete, isolated receivers, e.g., avalanche photodiodes (“APDs”). The source channels have dedicated reconfigurable encoding control signals, and the detector channels have reconfigurable decoding, allowing maximum flexibility and optimal mixtures of frequency and time encoding and decoding. Each detector channel is analyzed by dedicated, isolated, high-bandwidth receiver circuitry so that no channel gain switching is necessary. The resulting improvements to DOT system performance, e.g., increased dynamic range and decreased crosstalk, enable higher density imaging arrays and provide significantly enhanced DOT image quality. A processor can be utilized to provide sophisticated three dimensional modeling as well as noise reduction.

An energy-efficient method and system for processing target material such as microstructures in a microscopic region without causing undesirable changes in electrical and / or physical characteristics of material surrounding the target material is provided. The system includes a controller for generating a processing control signal and a signal generator for generating a modulated drive waveform based on the processing control signal. The waveform has a sub-nanosecond rise time. The system also includes a gain-switched, pulsed semiconductor seed laser for generating a laser pulse train at a repetition rate. The drive waveform pumps the laser so that each pulse of the pulse train has a predetermined shape. Further, the system includes a laser amplifier for optically amplifying the pulse train to obtain an amplified pulse train without significantly changing the predetermined shape of the pulses. The amplified pulses have little distortion and have substantially the same relative temporal power distribution as the original pulse train from the laser. Each of the amplified pulses has a substantially square temporal power density distribution, a sharp rise time, a pulse duration and a fall time. The system further includes a beam delivery and focusing subsystem for delivering and focusing at least a portion of the amplified pulse train onto the target material. The rise time (less than about 1 ns) is fast enough to efficiently couple laser energy to the target material, the pulse duration (typically 2-10 ns) is sufficient to process the target material, and the fall time (a few ns) is rapid enough to prevent the undesirable changes to the material surrounding the target material.

A gain switching determination circuit (250) compares / determines a comparative input voltage (Vc) from an inter-stage buffer (230) with a first hysteresis characteristic, and outputs a gain switching signal (SEL) based on the comparison / determination result to first and second transimpedance amplifier core circuits (210, 220), thereby switching the gains of the core circuits. This obviates holding a comparison input voltage with long response time in a level holding circuit for gain switching determination, which allows instantaneous gain switching determination and instantaneous response corresponding to burst data.

A current to voltage conversion circuit for improving the speed of a photoelectric conversion device and frequency characteristics of an amplifier by improving a method for switching the gain of an amplification circuit for a photo detector integrated circuit (PDIC). Photocurrent generated in the photoelectric conversion device, such as a photodiode, is transferred to the amplifier by means of current mirroring, so as to raise a bias voltage to the photoelectric conversion device and enhance a response speed thereof. Further, the amount of current generated in the photoelectric conversion device is adjusted through control of a resistance ratio of a current mirror circuit. Therefore, a fixed feedback resistor can be used for the amplifier irrespective of modes, so as to enhance frequency characteristics of the amplifier.

A correction LED is provided to illuminate a light receiving sensor array, and a calculation controlling circuit calculates correction values at the respective illuminance levels based on sensor output levels expected at the respective illuminance levels and actual sensor output levels while successively turning the correction LED on at a plurality of illuminance levels whose illuminance ratios are at least known, and corrects a sensor output level by the corresponding correction value to obtain a measurement output at the time of an actual measurement. The discontinuity of an input / output characteristic resulting from the switching of gains of an amplifier for amplifying a photocurrent and the non-linearity caused by the saturation of the photoelectrically converting characteristic of the optical sensor and the exponential characteristics of the optical sensor and the amplifier can be corrected without employing a large-scale construction such as a bench. The non-linearity can be highly precisely and efficiently corrected in a measuring apparatus realized as a spectral luminometer or a spectral colorimeter without requiring a special facility.

As the gain control amplifiers for amplifying the reception signal, the step amplifiers are used. Two sets of these step amplifiers are provided and are then controlled to be used alternately. When switching of the gain occurs, after the gain is switched with the step amplifier not operated and offset is cancelled, the amplifier to which the reception signal is inputted is switched. Accordingly, the step amplifier can be used as the gain control amplifier for amplifying the reception signal to provide almost constant power consumption even when the gain is changed depending on the intensity of reception signal in the semiconductor integrated circuit device for communication to form a wireless communication system of dual-mode or more modes including the W-CDMA system. As a result, the operation life of battery, namely, the reception waiting period and communication period by single charging process can be expanded.

A converter device which is configured by connecting three converter circuits in parallel is provided between a secondary battery serving as a first power supply and a fuel cell serving as a second power supply. A control unit includes a PID control module which controls the converter device by PID control, for executing desired voltage conversion; a module for modifying the number of drive phases which changes the number of drive phases of the converter device in response to an electric power passing through the converter device; and a gain switching module which switches feedback gains in the PID control when the number of drive phases is changed.