Disclosed is an apparatus for estimating disturbance flowing into a control system on the basis of input/output data. The apparatus includes an input unit, and an estimator configured to, when input data (u) is provided to the control system through the input unit and thus output data is acquired, estimate the input data (u) from the acquired output data, based on a system model matrix corresponding to an input/output relation model of the control system. Accordingly, efficiency of the apparatus may be improved.

A data propagation system stores operator/machine/implement combinations, and corresponding settings data indicative of settings on the machine or implement for the corresponding combination. When a machine is connected to an implement, an identity of an operator is detected, along with an identity of the machine and an identity of the implement. The data propagation system determines whether settings data is available for that operator/machine/implement combination. If so, the settings data is obtained and the machine and implement are automatically controlled based upon the retrieved settings data.

A data propagation system stores operator/machine/implement combinations, and corresponding settings data indicative of settings on the machine or implement for the corresponding combination. When a machine is connected to an implement, an identity of an operator is detected, along with an identity of the machine and an identity of the implement. The data propagation system determines whether settings data is available for that operator/machine/implement combination. If so, the settings data is obtained and the machine and implement are automatically controlled based upon the retrieved settings data.

Systems and methods of optimizing wafer transport and metrology measurements in a fab are provided. Methods comprise deriving and updating dynamic sampling plans that provide wafer-specific measurement sites and conditions, deriving optimized wafer measurement paths for metrology measurements of the wafers that correspond to the dynamic sampling plan, managing FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) transport through the fab, transporting wafers to measurement tools while providing the dynamic sampling plans and the wafer measurement paths to the respective measurement tools before or as the FOUPs with the respective wafers are transported thereto, and carrying out metrology and/or inspection measurements of the respective wafers by the respective measurement tools according to the derived wafer measurement paths. Quantum computing resources may be used to solve the corresponding specific optimization problems, to reduce the required time, improve the calculated solutions and improve the fab yield and accuracy of the produced wafers.

An information collecting system includes a first device including a counter, a second device that collects data from one or more sensing devices in response to a command from the first device, and a third device including a time-measuring unit that manages time. The first device adds, to the data collected by the second device, a first count value output from the counter at a timing when the second device collects the data, to generate a first data set. The third device adds, to the first data set, a correspondence relationship between a time output from the time-measuring unit and a second count value output from the counter of the first device.

Techniques for controlling operation of sensors at a physical premises are described. The techniques process received messages corresponding to a prediction of an impending event and produce commands that modify operation of one or more specific sensors at the physical premises, send the commands that modify the operation of the one or more sensor devices at the physical premises at a period of time prior to a likely occurrence of the predicted insurable event, collect sensor information from the plurality of sensor devices deployed at the premises, and store the sensor information in a remote persistent storage system.

A diagnostic tool, a computer software program, and a method for determining an interruption in a plant with at least one device includes determining a plant status at a recording time by recording at least one plant status value and transmitting the plant status to the diagnostic tool, determining a device status at a recording time by recording at least one device status value and transmitting the device status to the diagnostic tool, assigning a shared time base to the transmitted device status and the transmitted plant status, and correlating the transmitted device status and the transmitted plant status by coordinating the device status and the plant status on the shared time base.

A motor drive circuit comprises a motor having a plurality of phases, a switching circuit comprising a plurality of electrical switches, a motor current controller that generates voltage demand signals to be passed to a drive circuit for the switches that in turn generate pulse width modulated switching signals for the switching circuit that cause the switches to selectively connect the phases to a power supply so as to cause current to flow through the phases of the motor, and a motor torque controller that produces a demand signal that is fed to an input of the current controller, the motor current controller responding to an error signal that is at least partially dependent on the value of the demand signal. The torque controller in use updates the demand signal at a first sample rate. The motor drive circuit further comprises a downsampling circuit that in use modifies the demand signal under certain operating conditions so that the demand signal is only updated at a second sample rate that is lower than the first rate.

An apparatus for controlling fluid flow, and in particular fluid flow through a microfluidic multi-port control valve assembly of a High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) unit includes a localized data repository for storing cumulative wear indications of components of the apparatus. The stored information may travel with the apparatus to enable predictive failure of components of the apparatus.

An apparatus for controlling fluid flow, and in particular fluid flow through a microfluidic multi-port control valve assembly of a High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) unit includes a localized data repository for storing cumulative wear indications of components of the apparatus. The stored information may travel with the apparatus to enable predictive failure of components of the apparatus.