Simulation and design methodology for a 50-Gb/s multiplexer/demultiplexer package

A 50 Gb/s package for SiGe BiCMOS 4:1 multiplexer and 1:4 demultiplexer targeting SONET OC-768 serial communication systems is introduced in this work. The package was designed to facilitate bit-error-rate tests and constructed with high-speed coaxial connectors, transmission lines on ceramic substrate, ribbon bonds for chip-to-package interconnects, and a metal composite housing. Numerical simulations were conducted to guide the package design, and both small signal measurements and operational tests were performed thereafter to verify the design and modeling concepts. To keep the model structure under the existing computing capability, the simulation was segmented into three sections - coaxial connector to transmission line, transmission line alone, and transmission line to ribbon bond, and then the results were assembled to predict the performance of the entire package. The package was operated up to 50 Gb/s with low degradation to input digital waveforms and free of error.     

Phase Transformations in Dicalcium Silicate: II, TEM Studies of Crystallography, Microstructure, and Mechanisms

The crystallography, microstructures, and phase transformation mechanisms in dicalcium silicate (Ca₂SiO₄) were studied by TEM. Three types of superlattice structures were observed in the α'_L and β phases. Almost all β grains were twinned and strained. Symmetry-related domain structures inherited from previous high-temperature transformations were observed in β grains. Both the α→α'_H and α'_L→β transformations were considered to be ferroelastic, and spontaneous strains were calculated. In terms of the crystal structures, the major driving force for the β→γ transformation is proposed to be strains and cation charge repulsions in the β structure. This mechanism can be displacive, but it needs to overcome a comparatively high energy barrier.     

Phase stability of ternary blends

The phase behavior of ternary blends of tetramethyl polycarbonate (TMPC), polycarbonate (PC), and styrenic polymers has been examined by experiment and analyzed in terms of thermodynamic theories. The phase boundaries were predicted using both the modified Flory-Huggins theory and the lattice fluid theory. The boundaries predicted using the lattice fluid theory agree best with the experimental results. The experimental phase behavior of ternary blends was compared with binary blends having exactly the same chemical components and compositions except that the TMPC and PC units were present in the form of a copolycarbonate in the binary. The miscible region of these ternary blends is much narrower than that of the corresponding binary blends, even though the entropic and energetic terms of such ternary blends are more favorable than those of the binary blends. It is shown that a negative value of noncombinatorial free energy in multicomponent systems is not a sufficient condition for miscibility, because of asymmetries of mer-mer interactions. A comparison of the stability conditions for these binary and ternary blends shows that increasing the degrees of freedom tends to destabilize the mixture.     

Droplet de-entrainment by inertial impaction on vertical rods in an air-droplet mixture flow

We experimentally investigate the de-entrainment of droplets by inertial impaction on an array of vertical rods in an air-droplet mixture flow. The de-entrainment efficiencies are measured for a single rod, for a single row of rods, and for a multi-row of rods. We investigate the effects of the droplet mass flux (0.5–5.4 kg/m² s), the droplet Weber number (3000–8000), the air velocity (0–6 m/s), the rod geometry, and the surface roughness on the de-entrainment, and the rod diameter-to-pitch ratio effect on the de-entrainment. The results for a single rod show that the de-entrainment efficiency decreases slightly as the droplet mass flux increases; however, in our experimental ranges, there is negligible dependence on the droplet Weber number, the air velocity, and the surface roughness. The rod geometry affects the de-entrainment efficiency. The results for a single row of rods show that the existence of neighboring rods promotes de-entrainment due to droplet splashing, and we develop a correlation to show the effect of diameter-to-pitch ratio on the de-entrainment. Using information on the de-entrainment efficiencies of a single rod and those of a single row of rods, we propose a correlation that predicts the de-entrainment efficiency for a multi-row of rods with a staggered array. The RMS errors of the correlation from the de-entrainment efficiencies experimentally obtained are within 13.5%.     

An enhanced zone 3 algorithm of a distance relay using transient components and state diagram

Zone 3 of a distance relay is used to provide the remote backup protection in case of the failure of the primary protection. However, the risk of maloperation under stressed conditions such as heavy loading, voltage, and transient instability is quite high. Zone 3 is used in combination with the derivatives of the voltage and current, etc. to prevent maloperation. At times, the impedance characteristics that restrict the tripping area of relay are used to avoid maloperation due to load encroachment. This work presents a novel zone 3 scheme based on combining the steady-state components (i.e., 60 Hz) and the transient components (TCs) using a state diagram that visualizes the sequence of studies that emanate from the sequence of events. The simulation results show that the novel zone 3 distance relay elements using the proposed method operate correctly for the various events.     

Aging and memory for words and action events: Effects of item repetition and list length.

We were concerned with the effects of item repetition, list length, and class of item on free recall in elderly as compared with young adults. In Experiment 1, samples of young and elderly adults recalled a list of 27 words and a list of 27 action events (minitasks performed by the subjects). Some items were presented once and some twice. Although the younger subjects showed better recall on both types of lists, the older sample benefited from item repetition as much as did the younger sample. This finding was replicated in Experiment 2. A second finding in Experiment 2 was a significant aging effect in the recall of long but not of short lists of both words and action events. The absence of an Age?×?Repetition Effect interaction was ascribed to the strength nature of the repetition manipulation. The age effects in the recall of the long lists were attributed to possible deficits in retrieval proficiency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)