This paper reports on a new dynamic scanning force microscope (SFM), in which the piezoelectric microcantilever is utilized for the lever excitation and displacement sensing. Piezoelectric cantilevers can detect their deflection without external sensing elements and be vibrated with no oscillator outside. The cantilever integrated with the deflection detector and the oscillator changes the conventional construction of a dynamic SFM and expands its range of applicability. The microcantilever used consists of a ZnO layer sandwiched with Au electrodes deposited on a thin beam of thermally grown SiO2. The length, width and thickness of the lever are 125 µm, 50 µm and 3.5 µm, respectively. We have characterized this cantilever by measuring the charge spectrum and the frequency dependence of the admittance. From the charge spectrum the mechanical quality factor measured 300 in free vibration. Typical piezoelectric constant of the ZnO film was estimated approximately as 80% of single-crystal's value. The piezoelectric cantilever can be vibrated by applying the voltage with the frequency near the resonance to the piezoelectric layer. The excited amplitude per unit voltage at the resonance frequency was calculated as about 5 µm/V. The cantilever amplitude can be detected by measuring the current between electrodes, since the admittance depends on the quality factor. We have constructed a dynamic SFM without external oscillator and detector, and successfully obtained the surface images of a sol-gel derived PZT film in the cyclic contact operation mode. The longitudinal resolution of the SFM system was 0.3 nm at a 125 Hz bandwidth.

In this letter, we propose a simple voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with circuitry combining a Miller integrator and an RS flip-flop circuit. With the VCO, the control voltage can be varied over a broad range, and the oscillation frequency varies in proportion to the control voltage. The maximum voltage is up to 1000 times the minimum, and the calculated design values and measured values agree well. This VCO can be applied to FM modulators, FSK modulators, and other systems.

This paper describes an advanced rule-embedded neural network (RENN+) that has an extended framework for achieving a very tight integration of learning-based neural networks and rule-bases of existing if-then rules. The RENN+ is effective in pattern recognition with ill-posed conditions. It is basically composed of several component RENNs and an output RENN, which are three-layer back-propagation (BP) networks except for the input layer. Each RENN can be pre-organized by embedding the if-then rules through translation of the rules into logic functions in a disjunctive normal form, and can be trainded to acquire adaptive rules as required. A weight-modification-reduced learning algorithm (WMR) capable of standard regularization is used for the post-training to suppress excessive modification of the weights for the embedded rules. To estimate the effectiveness of the proposed RENN+, it was used for pattern recognition in a radar system for detection of buried pipes. This trial showed that a RENN+ with two component RENNs had good recognition capability, whereas a conventional BP network was ineffective.

Recognition of hand drawn shapes is beneficial in drawing packages and automated sketch entry in hand-held computers. Although it is possible to store and retrieve drawings through the use of electronic ink, further manipulation of these drawings require recognition to be performed. In this paper, we propose a new approach to invariant geometric shape recognition which utilizes a fuzzy function to reduce noise and a neural network for classification. Instead of recognizing segments of a drawing and then performing syntactical analysis to match with a predefined shape, which is weak in terms of generalization and dealing with noise, we examine the shape as a whole. The main concept of the recognition method is derived from the fact that internal angles are very important in the perception of the shape. Our application's aim is to recognize and correctively redraw hand drawn ellipses, circles, rectangles, squares and triangles. The neural network learns the relationships between the internal angles of a shape and its classification, therefore only a few training samples which represent the class of the shape is sufficient. The results are very successful, such that the neural network correctly classified shapes which were not included in the training set.

A system for measuring the low frequency amplitude and phase noises was set-up, with employing a phase sensitive detector and phase-shifter. It is noted that both noises were partly correlated. The phase noise was explained by the transit time fluctuation due to the fluctuating diffusion coefficient. The amplitude noise reduction was demonstrated by applying the inverted output of the phase noise to the amplitude noise.

Broadband antennas such as biconical antennas and log-periodic dipole antennas are generally used in automatic EMC measurements. However, these broadband antennas have not been used for accurate measurement because accurate specifications for them are lacking. Therefore, more accurate analysis is urgently required by the CISPR (International Special Committee on Radio Interference), to establish the specifications for broadband antennas for EMC measurements. In this paper, the AF of biconical antennas is calculated by using Moment Methods. The frequency characteristics and antenna height dependency of AF are presented. AF is also measured and compared to the data obtained by the calculations. Good agreement between the calculations and measurements is achieved, indicating the usefulness of our computation method. In addition, the effect of antenna separation distance and transmitting antenna height on AF is investigated. The calculated AF deviation from the reference value is nearly 0dB except for certain antenna arrangements. In these antenna arrangements, the field becomes null at the receiving antenna and widely varies in magnitude and phase around the null points. Therefore, the antenna is immersed in a non-uniform field, while the AF is defined on the assumption of a uniform field. Consequently, the erroneous AF will be derived from measurements around these null points and it will be greatly different from that obtained at other antenna heights. Thus, it is better to avoid these conditions during actual measurements. The effect of the ground plane on AF is also evaluated. AF is shown to be seriously affected by the ground plane especially at frequencies around 90MHz. It should be noted that AF deviation has crests corresponding to the null field at 300MHz. The obtained data will be useful in establishing specifications of biconical antennas for EMC measurements.

Micro-tribology is a key technology in micro-machine. Atomic-scale wear and friction fluctuations degrade the performance of micro-machines. New wear-resistant, low friction materials should be useful in reducing micro- and macro-tribological wear and friction fluctuations. Our investigation of the frictional characteristics of polished CVD diamond films by FFM (friction force microscope), AFM (atomic force microscope) and conventional reciprocating tribometer and trial micro processing of diamond produced three main results. First, the friction coefficient of diamond film increases rapidly with decreasing load in the micro-load region. This is partially due to the surface tension of adsorbed water on the surface under high humidity. In the macro-load region also, the friction coefficient increases with decreasing load, but, in this case it is due to elastic deformation. The second result is that diamond film has excellent wear resistance in the micro-load region compared with silicon and diamond-like carbon (DLC) film. Finally, a micro-diamond gear and diamond shaft were fabricated by laser machining and thermo-chemical etching, and then assembled.

Results of an empirical investigation of the shielding properties of a small pre-fabricated reinforced concrete building are presented. The electric field attenuation was measured in the frequency range of approximately 20kHz to 500MHz. The experiments were performed in collaboration with the Italian National Board of Post an Telecommunications (ISPT). An equivalent stick model has been analyzed in frequency domain by numerically solving a set of electric field integral equations. The influence of the real reinforcement mesh (dimensions, spatial disposition, electrical parameters) on the attenuation of the electric field has been investigated. A comparison between computed and measured results is presented.

It has become very important to study the lightning surges that were induced in subscriber telecommunication equipment because of the increase of susceptible circuits to the over voltage. The test generator is desire to be developed evaluating the resistibility of equipments against lightning surges. This paper proposes a new lightning-test method for subscriber telecommunication equipment. The waveform of the test generator simulates that of the induced lightning surge voltage caused by a nearby return stroke. The output impedance of the surge generator is determined to match the common-mode impedance of telecommunication lines. The damaged condition of circuit parts and the trouble occurrence rate estimated by using this method agree well with actual observations.

Theoretical and experimental investigations of dipole antenna factors were carried out with special interest in their height patterns, since difference between them is a main cause of disagreement in EMI measurement results obtained with different antennas types. Antenna factors were expressed by matrix representation and their dependence on antenna dimensions and balun construction were numerically evaluated with the moment method. Those analyses revealed that antenna dimensions and balun characteristics have little effect on antenna factor height patterns. Slight influence was observed only at frequencies around 30MHz, when an antenna was placed less than 1.5m above a metal ground plane.

The potential attenuation process of charged human body (HB) is analyzed. A two-dimensional circuit model is presented for predicting the potential attenuation characteristics of the HB charged on the floor. The theoretical equation for the HB potential is derived in the closed form in the Laplacian transformation domain, and the numerical inverse Laplace transform is used to compute it. The half-life or relaxation time of the HB potential for decay is numerically examined with respect to the electrical parameters of shoes. The experiment is also conducted for verifying the validity of the computed result.

The wave forms of electric and magnetic fields radiated by short gap discharges are measured to analyze electrostatic discharge (ESD) events in the near-field zone with the monopole antennas, the loop antenna and the 5.5GHz bandwidth waveform digitizer. The antenna outputs are corrected by the measured characteristics of the antennas. The relations between the measured electric field and the discharge currents are discussed.

The effects of Gaussian electromagnetic noise and non-Gaussian one on TV picture degradation are studied by using a composite noise generator which can control noise parameters. Three kinds of still pictures and four kinds of motion pictures are tested, and the picture degradation is subjectively evaluated with five-grade impairment scale. The tendency of the picture degradation against the every picture is almost the same. But MOS (Mean Opinion Score) between still picture and motion picture degradation is different in some measure when the power of burst noise is small.

On mutually coupling lines, the transmission signal is dispersively propagated by crosstalk coupling between lines and shows complex propagation characteristics caused by reciprocal reflections. Usually, the differential equation and the integral equation have been applied to analyze the solutions of transmission lines. In this paper, we propose a different analytical method of the propagation characteristics of signal and crosstalk noise. By setting up crosstalk coupling line as a sectionally divided digital transmission network and by using the signal flow graph and the difference equation, the propagation characteristics in the frequency domain, the space domain and the time domain on mutually coupling lines can be obtained. To verify the validity of this method and analyze the complex propagation problems, we first study the crosstalk characteristics of a twisted pair cable via the third circuit by unidirectional coupling. Subsequently we will analyze the coupling theory of bidirectional coupling lines.

Electromagnetic environments generated by power transmission system, possibilities of the interference and its mitigation method was introduced. In the frequency region below 10kHz, concern for DC and AC electric and magnetic field are described. In the frequency range above 10kHz, concern for discharges on power apparatus, electromagnetic emvironments generated by carrier system and fault locating system and passive interference are described. Electromagnetic environment caused by load equipments, that is harmonics, and undesirable electromagnetic emission from power converting units are described finally.

Concerned is a spectral profile of electromagnetic (EM) emission from a signal line on a high-speed digital circuit. The authors have proposed and examined an a priori method to predict the peak frequencies on spectral profile of EM emission from printed circuit boards (PCBs). Profile of an EM spectrum is determined by the resonance of digital circuits. It is the purpose of this paper to investigate the parameters that determine the spectral profile of EM emission from a signal line on a PCS. In this paper, measurements and calculations of EM spectra were carried out for different load capacitances. EM emissions were measured with a small loop antenna at a 50mm from the surface of the PCB. Measured EM spectra had two peaks. Calculated EM spectra, which was based on transient current given by the analog simulator SPICE, had two peaks too. Results of calculations of EM spectra for different internal capacitances of an IC tell that lower peak frequency is determined by the resonance frequency of the resonant loop which is composed of an IC package and a decoupling capacitor. Comparison with measured EM spectra and calculated EM spectra for different load resistances tell that sharpness of the other peak depends on Q factor of a resonant loop which includes a signal line. Therefore the peak frequencies of EM emission spectrum can be predicted as two resonance frequencies of two resonant circuits.

A negation-limited circuit is a combinational circuit which includes at most [log(n1)] NOT gates. We show a relationship between the size of negation-limited circuits computing clique functions and the number of NOT gates in the circuits.

The availability of new technologies in the computer and network industry has allowed us to benefit from a wider choice when building new information systems. This paper presents Japan Airlines' challenge to develop a new information network and management infrastructure based on the new technology. Compared with the existing main-frame environment, the new infrastructure will give us a more comfortable and economic network computing environment. Once we think about network management, there are so many issues to be solved. All existing network elements have their own management consoles with different interfaces and commands. Net managers are swimming in the pool of system consoles looking for the one that exactly tells them what is going on at the user site. The industry standard SNMP offers us a much better environment. However, there is still a long way to go before reaching a world where net managers find a single management console with a single object to manage that is composed of all network elements.

Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) optical switching networks are one of most attractive technologies in optical interconnections. By combining with time-division multiplexing (TDM) and space-division multiplexing (SDM) technologies, remarkably high-throughput interconnections may be accomplished. In this paper, we propose WDM switching networks with time-division multiplexed optical signals by using free-space optics. We also propose novel WDM interconnections, including multiple-wavelength light-sources, optical fibers and wavelength-selectable detectors. We successfully confirmed basic principles for the WDM interconnections.

Soliton transmission control has already proved to be an outstanding technique and enable a soliton to be transmit over one million kilometers. This technique is not only applicable to vast distances but also to shorter distances where the amplifier spacing is greater than that of conventional systems. A combination of time and frequency domain control eliminates the noise accumulation and timing jitter caused by soliton interaction and the Gordon-Haus effect, that are the main impediments to extending the transmission distance. In this paper we describe soliton control techniques applied over an astronomical transmission distance of 180,000,000 km, and to a terrestrial system with a large amplifier spacing of up to 100km. We also report the possibility of realizing a sub-tera bit/s soliton transmission system operating over more than 5,000 km in which the soliton self-frequency shift is controlled with the soliton control technique.