A transparent electrode capacitance sensor includes a transparent resin substrate; at least one transparent electrode formed on the transparent resin substrate; a pseudo auxiliary electrode formed in at least a portion of an outer periphery of the transparent electrode; and a lead wire connected to the pseudo auxiliary electrode, wherein the pseudo auxiliary electrode is thicker than the transparent electrode, and includes the same material as the transparent electrode.

The present disclosure relates to wireline communication systems, and in particular to aspects of a method and a line estimation device for estimating a characteristic impedance of a section of a transmission medium. The method comprises determining, by a test equipment having a test port with known impedance Z.sub.ref, an S.sub.11 scattering parameter vector S.sub.11ref[f] of the transmission medium, indexed by frequency f. The method also comprises generating, based on Z.sub.ref and S.sub.11ref[f], a model of reflection in the transmission medium corresponding to an observation of the transmission medium via a test port having a test impedance Z.sub.T, and also estimating the characteristic impedance of the section as a value of Z.sub.T which minimizes a difference between a reflection value of the model of reflection and a respective target reflection value of the section.

A tool for use in a borehole in a geological formation may include a chassis, a drill collar surrounding the chassis, a port plug coupled between the drill collar and the chassis, RF antennas carried by the drill collar, and a multi-chip module (MCM) electronics package(s). The electronics package(s) may include a hermetically sealed electronics housing positioned between the chassis and the drill collar, a substrate within the electronics housing, RF transmitter circuitry on the substrate to cooperate with at least one first RF antenna to transmit RF signals into the geological formation, and RF receiver circuitry on the substrate to cooperate with at least one second RF antenna to receive RF signals from the geological formation. Furthermore, an electronics housing mount may couple the electronics housing with the port plug, and the electronics housing mount may have a passageway extending therethrough for receiving the port plug.

Embodiments of synchronous detection circuits and methods are provided for extracting magnitude and phase information from a waveform. One embodiment of a synchronous detection circuit includes a driver circuit, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a controller. The driver circuit is configured to supply an input waveform at an input frequency to a load. The ADC is coupled to receive an output waveform from the load, and configured for generating four digital samples, each spaced 90 apart, for every period of the output waveform. The controller is configured for setting an oversampling rate (OSR) of the ADC, so that the ADC generates an integer number, M, of sub-samples for each digital sample generated by the ADC, where the integer number, M, of sub-samples is inversely proportional to the input frequency of the input waveform. The controller is further configured to use the digital samples generated by the ADC to extract magnitude and phase information from the output waveform.

Embodiments of synchronous detection circuits and methods are provided for extracting magnitude and phase information from a waveform. One embodiment of a synchronous detection circuit includes a driver circuit, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a controller. The driver circuit is configured to supply an input waveform at an input frequency to a load. The ADC is coupled to receive an output waveform from the load, and configured for generating four digital samples, each spaced 90 apart, for every period of the output waveform. The controller is configured for setting an oversampling rate (OSR) of the ADC, so that the ADC generates an integer number, M, of sub-samples for each digital sample generated by the ADC, where the integer number, M, of sub-samples is inversely proportional to the input frequency of the input waveform. The controller is further configured to use the digital samples generated by the ADC to extract magnitude and phase information from the output waveform.

A self-contained metrology wafer carrier systems and methods of measuring one or more characteristics of semiconductor wafers are provided. A wafer carrier system includes, for instance, a housing configured for transport within the automated material handling system, the housing having a support configured to support a semiconductor wafer in the housing, and a metrology system disposed within the housing, the metrology system operable to measure at least one characteristic of the wafer, the metrology system comprising a sensing unit and a computing unit operably connected to the sensing unit. Also provided are methods of measuring one or more characteristics of a semiconductor wafer within the wafer carrier systems of the present disclosure.

Capacitive detection using a luminescent gas in the detection circuit is used to simultaneously detect and display an image of an object hidden behind an obscuring surface. The gas tube and electrode are arranged so that the gas tube may be rotated under the electrode to scan a larger area. The illumination provided by the gas is based on the level of capacitance detected as the gas tube rotates. The shape of a hidden object is visually displayed by the gas. In another arrangement, an electrode pad is rotated and has a light indicator device, such as an array of LEDs, co-located at the rotating electrode which receives the level of capacitance detected by the rotating electrode. The electrode and co-located visual displays are rotated at the persistence-of-vision rate of a user so a continuous display results.

Capacitive detection using a luminescent gas in the detection circuit is used to simultaneously detect and display an image of an object hidden behind an obscuring surface. The gas tube and electrode are arranged so that the gas tube may be rotated under the electrode to scan a larger area. The illumination provided by the gas is based on the level of capacitance detected as the gas tube rotates. The shape of a hidden object is visually displayed by the gas. In another arrangement, an electrode pad is rotated and has a light indicator device, such as an array of LEDs, co-located at the rotating electrode which receives the level of capacitance detected by the rotating electrode. The electrode and co-located visual displays are rotated at the persistence-of-vision rate of a user so a continuous display results.

A calibration apparatus, for calibration of a measurement device, is provided. The calibration apparatus includes a calibration device configured to calibrate the measurement device. The calibration device also includes a verificationH device configured to verify the calibration of the measurement device. The calibration device also includes a switch configured to switch between a connection of the measurement device to the calibration device and a connection of the measurement device to the verification device.

A method of locating a conductive target from a wellbore includes generating a current flowing across an insulated gap in a downhole tool positioned in the wellbore, measuring an azimuthal magnetic field with at least one external magnetometer located proximate the exterior of the downhole tool, measuring a secondary magnetic field using a magnetometer disposed inside the downhole tool, computing at least one of a direction and a distance to the conductive target.