In this letter, we propose an approximate calculation formula for the resonant frequency of a microstrip antenna with meshed ground plane, which is derived by perturbational technique and is expressed by a simple closed form. The calculated results are in good agreement with FDTD-calculated and measured ones. Therefore, it is confirmed that the proposed formula is valid for approximate evaluation of the resonant frequency of microstrip antenna with meshed ground plane.

In this paper, we review recent developments in interferometric fiber-optic gyroscopes for industrial applications. These gyroscopes use only elliptical-jacket or elliptical-core polarization-maintaining-fibers to make their optical systems immune to environmental effects, and they use open-loop or closed-loop signal processing circuitry. We have begun mass production of a gyroscope for automotive navigation and location systems. The more accurate gyroscopes have been applied to a number of consumer applications such as attitude control systems of unmanned agricultural helicopter, pipe-mapping and north-finding systems. For further enhancement in terms of size, cost, and accuracy, we have developed an application specific integrated circuit and an integrated optical circuit.

The linear complementarity problem (LCP) is one of the most widely studied mathematical programming problems. The theory of LCP can be extended to oriented matroids which are combinatorial abstractions of linear subspaces of Euclidean spaces. This paper briefly surveys the LCP, oriented matroids and algorithms for the LCP on oriented matroids.

When a micromachine works inside a narrow space inside tubes and equipment such as a microfactory, a microdevice that has a visual function is indispensable. To monitor the minute shapes of microfabrication and microassembly process that are impossible to observe, fiber-optic sensors and actuators for environmental recognition devices have been developed. The devices are designed to allow stereoscopic and microscopic observation and to measure the dimensions of microparts. To achieve these goals and to realize minute structures and functions, we developed environmental recognition devices for microfabrication process with functions of far and near field observation, tactile sensing and tip articulation, for microassembly process with functions of stereoscopic observation and tip articulation. The results show that easy and safe environmental recognition is possible in the narrow spaces of a microfactory.

This letter proposes a combined input- and crosspoint-queued (CIC) switch in which virtual output queuing (VOQ) is used at each input port. This CIC switch has a large buffer at each input port and a small buffer at each crosspoint. It does not require high-speed memory access or high-speed internal cell transmission lines. Since the performance of the CIC switch depends on the scheduling algorithms, we propose new scheduling algorithms for the CIC switch. Numerical results show that the mean cell delay time performance of the CIC switch using the proposed scheduling algorithms is better than that of an input-queued ATM switch. In addition, the required buffer size for the CIC switch using the proposed scheduling algorithms is smaller than that for a crosspoint-queued ATM switch.

This paper describes a method for estimating current and voltage distributions by scanning with a probe. The method takes advantage of the phenomenon that the coupling between the current and the probe varies with the direction of the probe. The current and voltage are estimated by calculating the probe vector output for each of four directions. Both the current and voltage vector distributions can thus be estimated at the same time by using a single probe. The estimated distributions in a digital IC package and a microstrip line showed that this method produces reliable results. The simple structure of the probe should make it easy to reduce its size.

In this study, the influence of the location of ground plane on the noise (crosstalk) induced on twisted-pair-wire (TPW) by parallel wire is experimentally and theoretically discussed by paying attention to the capacitive coupling between TPW and parallel wire. The capacitance is obtained by applying the finite element method (FEM) to the calculation of electric field intensity. It is confirmed that the calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental results within 0.5 dB. It is concluded that the closer the TPW is to the ground plane, the smaller the induced noise on the TPW becomes.

This paper explains a mechanism of common-mode generation on a printed circuit board with a narrow ground pattern. A transmission line has its value of degree of unbalance. At a connection point of two transmission lines having different degrees of unbalance, common mode voltage is generated proportional to the difference, and it drives common mode current. The authors propose a method to evaluate common mode current distribution and verify it by measurement. Although calculated common mode current is larger than measured one by a few dBs, both of them are proportional to the degree of unbalance. An EMI reduction technique, 'unbalance matching,' is also proposed.

In this paper, the evaluation of emission from a PCB by using crosstalk between a low frequency signal trace and a digital signal trace is investigated. These signal traces are closely routed in parallel to each other on the different several signal planes in the PCB. It is shown experimentally that the coupled signal trace with a cable section causes drastic increase of emission from the PCB. From the measurement results of current distribution on the cable section, it is shown that this current distribution contributes to the increase of emission from the PCB. Therefore, emission increasing by coupling between signal traces is evaluated by crosstalk between them. The measurement results of radiation and the calculation results of crosstalk on the PCB (deviation from results of the PCB which is referred, respectively) agree with each other within 2 dB range or 3.5 dB range. This result shows that reduction effect of emission from the PCB can be predicted by calculation results of crosstalk. Moreover, it is shown that evaluation of emission level by using crosstalk is useful to decide PCB's structure for reduction of emission from a high-density assembled PCB. From the viewpoint of practical application, it is effective for the reduction of emission from a PCB to separate a low frequency signal trace from a high-speed digital signal trace by ground plane of a PCB.

Optical-MSSW interaction has received wide interest for realization of thin film devices for optical signal processing at microwave signal frequency. In this paper, a device structure to obtain optical-MSSW interaction in a three-dimensional optical waveguide using a multilayered garnet structure is proposed and analyzed. The multilayered structure enables optimization of the waveguide parameters, separately, for optical and MSSW propagation. Interaction in a three-dimensional optical waveguide is promising for integration of the device with other optical integrated circuits. Optical and MSSW propagation characteristics in the multilayered device are investigated and the optical mode conversion characteristics between the Ezpq and the Expq modes supported by the three-dimensional optical waveguide are derived. The dependence of the mode coupling coefficient on the waveguide parameters, such as the film thicknesses, waveguide width, saturation magnetization, and the MSSW power is also analyzed. It is demonstrated through a numerical example that, by proper selection of the waveguide parameters, it is possible to achieve practical device dimensions.

The wall admittance of an arbitrarily shaped microstrip antenna is generally formulated. As examples, elliptical microstrip antennas with and without a circular slot are calculated. The wall admittance is determined by the spectral domain analysis in order to consider the effect of the dielectric substrate. The electromagnetic fields within the cavity are expanded in terms of the eigenfunctions in the cylindrical coordinate system and their expansion coefficients are determined by applying the impedance boundary condition at the aperture in the sense of the least squares. The calculated input impedance and axial ratio agree fairly well with the experimental data. The proposed method is valid for the microstrip antennas with a patch whose geometry deviates from the particular coordinate system, such as single-feed circularly polarized microstrip antennas.

This paper describes the roles and benefits of an ATM transport network composed of ATM transport systems, such as ATM cross-connect systems and/or ATM add-drop multiplexers. The ATM transport network is an economical way of providing the ATM public network and a virtual path service for enterprise users. This paper exemplifies the effectiveness of a VP grooming function in the ATM transport system by comparing it to the network costs with direct fiber connection, an alternative to VP grooming. Main and junction module architecture for the ATM cross-connect system is proposed to realize an economical network that supports small to large traffic. For implementing a large-scale cross-connect switch, a cell congestion control method that employs re-arrangement control and a concentration network is proposed. Implementation of multiple service classes and VP protection switching in the ATM cross-connect system are mentioned. We also describe an SDH signal transmission method based on ATM cells, that offers a cost effective and reliable transport network.

The ATM Virtual Path(VP)-based transport network is a candidate for the future multi-reliability and broadband integrated service infrastructure. This paper compares the performance attributes of the VP transport network with those of the conventional SDH network and future optical path-based transport network. This paper shows that the VP-based network is superior in terms of path-grooming efficiency and connection capability, and will still play an important role when WDM technologies are introduced to carrier networks. This paper also describes the recently fabricated VP Cross Connect(VP-XC) system configuration and the VP Automatic Protection Switching(APS) performance of the XC.

A 5-pole lumped element bandpass filter (BPF) of center frequency 264.05 MHz and fractional bandwidth (FBW) 0.76% is designed and fabricated using YBa2Cu3O7-d (YBCO) thin films deposited on both sides of a MgO substrate(40 mm 40 mm 0.5 mm). The return loss, minimum insertion loss and ripple were measured to be 20.0 dB, less than 0.1 dB and less than 0.1 dB at 70 K, respectively. These results verify both the compactness and low loss characteristics in the VHF band. The simulated frequency response, where the frequency dependences of inductance (L) and capacitance (C) elements and housing effect are taken into account, is in good agreement with the measured frequency response.

A portable cryo-system using a high-Tc SQUID for the measurement of the remanant magnetic field of a rock specimen was designed and fabricated. The sensing surface of the SQUID faces upward in our system, although the system for bio-magnetics faces down. The SQUID is cooled by liquid nitrogen via a sapphire heat transfer rod. The total heat transfer of the system was measured by means of a boiling-off method and was found to be 1.65 W. It was demonstrated that the system can be operated for more than 17 hours without any maintenance such as filling with liquid nitrogen. The system was applied to the measurement of the remanent magnetic field distributions of rock samples cored from deep underground. We have successfully measured the distributions.

We report on progress in the development of high current density NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions for application as submillimeter wave SIS mixers. A ultra-high current density up to 120 kA/cm2, roughly two orders of magnitude larger than any reported results for all-NbN tunnel junctions, was achieved in the junctions. The magnetic field dependence and temperature dependence of critical supercurrents were measured to investigate the Josephson tunneling behaviour of critical supercurrents in the high-Jc junctions. We have developed a low-noise quasi-optical SIS mixer with the high-current density NbN/AlN/NbN junctions and two-junction tuning circuits which employ Al/SiO/NbN microstriplines. The tuning characteristics of the mixer were investigated by measuring the response in the direct detection mode by using the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and measuring the response in the heterodyne detection mode with the standard Y-factor method at frequencies from 670 to 1082 GHz. An uncorrected double sideband receiver noise temperature of 457 K (12hν/kB) was obtained at 783 GHz.

Optical time- and wavelength-domain paths in future very-high-speed optical communications networks are discussed taking into account trends in current optical transmission and optical signal processing technologies. It is important to investigate optical STM cross-connect systems for time-domain paths in the earlier research phase to ensure the deployment of optical cross-connect technology. The configuration of an optical cross-connect system and the issues that need to be investigated are presented. We also report, for the first time, a preliminary experiment of an optical STM cross-connect system, using 20 Gbit/s optical signals.

Measuring the cross-track profiles of a microtrack created by DC erasing both sides of a recorded track, the linear recording density dependence of the written track fringe width and that of the read track fringe width were successfully separated, both of which are usually observed in combination. It was clarified that when a thin-film head is used for reading, the read track fringe width increases as the linear recording density decreases, whereas it remains almost constant when an MR head with wide shielding layers is used. It was also clarified that the record head fringe width for a thin-film inductive head is less dependent on the linear recording density. The effects of several heads with different pole shapes on track edge phenomena were also evaluated, by partially DC erasing a written track from the track edge and measuring the change in the residual track output. It was found that the fringe field width of a record head changes depending on the pole shape, and the trimming of record head poles is very effective in reducing head field fringe effects.

A parallel detailed router based on the area division is one of important tools to overcome the increase of CPU time required for routing of a very large multilayer SOG. In order to conduct routing in each divided area independently, fictitious terminals are introduced on the border of each divided area, and routes connected to the fictitious terminals are concatenated to complete the final detailed routes. In this paper, we consider a problem how to position such fictitious terminals on borders, so as to make each detailed routing in a divided area easy. We formulate this problem as a minimum cost assignment problem, and propose an iterative improvement algorithm. We also give some experimental results which indicate the effectiveness of the algorithm.

The Matrix-Pencil (MP) method is applied to the estimation of the undesired radiation from the microstrip line discontinuities. The Q factors are obtained from the complex resonant frequencies estimated from FDTD transient field by using MP. The number of the damped oscillations is estimated by using MDL which is widely used as an information theoretic criterion for the model order estimation.