A system and method for monitoring all the characteristic parameters of a DWDM communication system is implemented with two variants. Firstly, this is achieved by means of a specific grating spectrometer displaying a high resolution and a high-speed sampling of the measured values, and secondly by the application of an opto-electronic cross correlator as a purely electronic solution. The grating spectrometer is expediently a particular system in a mixed array according to Ebert and Fastie, where...

A charge generated in response to the quantity of the incident light into the photodiodes PD is accumulated in an integrating capacitor of an integrating circuit 10, and a voltage V.sub.10 in response to the quantity of the accumulated charge is outputted. The voltage V.sub.10 is inputted into a comparison circuit 20 and is compared with a prescribed threshold voltage therein. When the inputted voltage reaches the threshold voltage, a saturation signal F.sub.1 showing the same is outputted. A ce...

A system and method for sensing ambient light. The system has a first sensor for measuring a first ambient light level and a second sensor for measuring a second ambient light level. A processor in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor is configured to determine a relative intensity change in the ambient light levels for each of the first and second sensors. The processor also determines an ambient stability probability in response to the relative intensity changes in order t...

A CMOS image sensor that has reduced transistor count is disclosed. The individual pixels are formed by a pinned photodiode and a transfer transistor. An output node receives the signal from the photodiode via the transfer transistor. The output node is shared between multiple pixels. Further, a reset transistor is coupled between a selectable low voltage rail V.sub.ss or a high voltage reference V.sub.ref and the output node. The gate of an output transistor is then coupled to the output node. ...

A sensor includes a gain stage with a differential amplifier with an adjustable gain. The differential amplifier may change its gain in response to the magnitude of a signal readout from the pixel array. The differential amplifier includes an input transistor with an adjustable transconductance. A transconductance controller can change the bias currents supplied to one or more sets of parallel transistors in the input transistor and consequently change the transconductance, and power consumption...

The invention relates to a photocathode and the like having such structure for holding a photocathode plate on a light transparent member with good reliability and workability. In the photocathode, claw portions of a holding member fixed to the light transparent member is pressed against the lower surface of a supporting plate so that a photocathode plate is sandwiched between the light transparent member and the supporting plate. Thus, the supporting plate is pressed against the photocathode pl...

A position and/or movement sensor for measuring a position or movement of a first object relative to a second object comprises a measuring device including a first member coupled to the first object; a second member coupled to the second object; and one or more first spring elements coupled between the first and second members; one or more stop members for limiting movement of the first member relative to the second member in at least one linear direction and/or about at least one pivot axis; an...

A method and apparatus for providing a photomultiplier power supply having a transformer with multiple secondary windings forming cells that can provide voltage ratios to a photomultiplier element in which the ratios can be adjusted by the method of connection to the cell, by the number of turns in the transformer, or by a combination of both.

An image reader includes a first image-reader unit, mounted on a body of the image reader, for reading image information of an original document on a first image-reader section, a closing unit which is openably supported on the body of the image reader through a closing device, a second image-reader unit, mounted on the closing unit, for reading image information of an original on a second image-reader section, and a closed-state detector for detecting a closed state of the closing unit. The clo...

Speckle based optical navigation is improved by increasing the collection efficiency of the photodetector through the introduction of a lightpipe or reflector technology. For example, the use of elliptical sidewalls and diffraction gratings in conjunction with a lightpipe leads to improvements in collection efficiency.