A vehicle is supplied by a first electrical energy storage unit on board the vehicle, and a ground electrical network providing an energy supply by application of a supply voltage through electrical distribution. The first energy storage unit is controllable under a generator regime or a receiver regime. The supply voltage is adjusted, in the generator regime, by applying an algebraically additive supply voltage originating from the first electrical storage unit to the distribution, to maintain a supply voltage above a minimum threshold. In the receiver regime, if a surplus of supply voltage originating at least partially from a second storage unit in the generator regime is detected above the minimum threshold, this surplus is channeled energetically to the first energy storage unit of the vehicle if it is required for operating the vehicle and enables maintaining the supply voltage below a maximum threshold and above the minimum threshold.

A power generation and control system is easily installed in a consumer household, a business, or an end-user establishment for generating power and preventing power from flowing to a power grid from a consumer circuit during a power outage. A communications transceiver is adapted to transmit a permission signal for allowing power generation only after the control system has been installed. The control system can be adapted to replace an existing circuit breaker in a household circuit breaker box and prevents power from traveling from consumer power generators to the grid during a power outage. In the same manner that end-users can add appliances to existing circuits, end-users can easily add additional power generation devices without hiring a professional electrician and without worrying about causing harm to utility workman during power outages.

A system and method for combining power from DC power sources. Each power source is coupled to a converter. Each converter converts input power to output power by monitoring and maintaining the input power at a maximum power point. Substantially all input power is converted to the output power, and the controlling is performed by allowing output voltage of the converter to vary. The converters are coupled in series. An inverter is connected in parallel with the series connection of the converters and inverts a DC input to the inverter from the converters into an AC output. The inverter maintains the voltage at the inverter input at a desirable voltage by varying the amount of the series current drawn from the converters. The series current and the output power of the converters, determine the output voltage at each converter.

The switch device includes a control switch that turns on/off an electrical connection between an apparatus and the power supply, a condition judging circuit that judges conditions of driving the control switch, an electric wave reception circuit that receives an electric wave, and a power supply circuit that generates power from the electric wave received by the electric wave reception circuit. An electric wave transmission device that transmits an electric wave for making the switch device operate is arranged in a space, whereby the electric wave can be received by the electric wave reception device in the specific space. The switch device controls the control switch to be turned off/on when the electric wave is received. Alternatively, when the electric wave is not received, the switch device turns on/off the control switch.

An electric power conversion apparatus includes a channel case in which a cooling water channel is formed; a double side cooling semiconductor module that has an upper and lower arms series circuit of an inverter circuit; a capacitor module; a direct current connector; and an alternate current connector. The semiconductor module includes first and second heat dissipation metals whose outer surfaces are heat dissipation surfaces, the upper and lower arms series circuit is disposed tightly between the first heat dissipation metal and the second heat dissipation metal, and the semiconductor module further includes a direct current positive terminal, a direct current negative terminal, and an alternate current terminal which protrude to outside. The channel case is provided with the cooling water channel which extends from a cooling water inlet to a cooling water outlet, and a first opening which opens into the cooling water channel.

A waterproof controller used for electric power steering includes a shell, a chamber, at least one sealing block, a circuit board, at least one cable, and at least one board mounting accessory. The chamber is formed in the shell. The sealing block is disposed on the shell, and includes at least one hole. The circuit board is accommodated in the chamber. The cable includes a first terminal and a second terminal opposite to the first terminal. The first terminal passes through the hole of the sealing block. The board mounting accessory covers the second terminal, in which the board mounting accessory and the second terminal insert into the circuit board together.

A power semiconductor has power terminals arranged in a row at one side of the housing, with control terminals arranged in a row at the other side of the housing. The spacing between adjacent power terminals is greater than the spacing between adjacent control terminals.

A converter power unit comprises: a heat sink; n power switch modules on the heat sink; a first group of laminated bus bars comprising a first and a second bus bar; a capacitor group comprising m capacitor; a second group of laminated bus bars comprising a third and a fourth bus bar, the first bus bar is connected with the third bus bar, the second bus bar is connected with the fourth bus bar; providing that vertical projection areas projected by an area occupied by the n power switch modules and projected by the capacitor group on a first plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the capacitor group are defined as a first and a second projection areas respectively, the first and the second projection area have an overlapped area. The present application can reduce the stray inductances in the commutating loop of the converter.

A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The major components and subassemblies self-interconnect by integral guide and connection features effecting “slide lock” and “snap lock” self-interconnection. The major components and subassemblies self-ground by establishing an interference fit with exposed, resilient, embossed portions of wire mesh.

A power inverter includes a power semiconductor module that includes a power semiconductor device, a control circuit board that outputs a control signal used for controlling the power semiconductor device, a driver circuit board that outputs a driving signal used for driving the power semiconductor device, a conductive metal base plate arranged in a space between the driver circuit board and the control circuit board in which a fine and long opening portion is formed, wiring that connects the driver circuit board and the control circuit board through the opening portion and delivers the control signal to the driver circuit board, and an AC busbar that is arranged on a side opposite to the metal base plate through the driver circuit board and delivers an AC current output from the power semiconductor module to a drive motor. At least a portion of the AC busbar that faces the opening portion extends in a direction directly running in a longitudinal direction of the fine and long opening portion.

An apparatus includes a case capable of receiving a plurality of capacitive elements, each capacitor element having at least two capacitors, and each capacitor having a capacitive value. The apparatus also includes a cover assembly with a peripheral edge secured to the case. The cover assembly includes, for each of the plurality of capacitive elements, a cover terminal that extends upwardly from the cover assembly generally at a central region of the cover assembly. Each cover terminal is connected to one of the at least two capacitors of the respective one of the plurality of capacitive elements. The cover assembly also includes, for each of the plurality of capacitive elements, a cover terminal that extends upwardly from the cover assembly at a position spaced apart from the cover terminal generally at the central region of the cover assembly.

An electric power tool includes: a motor; a manipulation input receiving unit which receives a user manipulation input for rotating the motor; a mode changeover unit that has one manipulation portion which manipulated by the user; a rotation drive force transmitting unit that switches a transmission mechanism to one of the transmission mechanisms corresponding to the set position of the manipulation portion and transmits a drive force of the motor to a tool output shaft via the switched transmission mechanism; an electric signal output unit that outputs an electric signal corresponding to the set position of the manipulation portion; and a motor control unit that sets the control method of the motor to a control method preset for the electric signal, among a plurality of different types of control methods, based on the electric signal, and controls the motor by the set control method, based on manipulation by the user.

A power converting apparatus including a power converter that converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage and applies the AC voltage to an AC rotating machine and a control unit that controls the power converter based on an operation command from the outside is provided. The power converting apparatus includes: a first calculating unit that calculates and outputs, from a d-axis current detection value and a q-axis current detection value detected by the AC rotating machine and current command values based on the operation command, first voltage command values to the power converter, magnetic fluxes of the AC rotating machine, and an angular frequency; and a second calculating unit that sets, as an initial value, at least one of the magnetic fluxes and the angular frequency input from the first calculating unit and calculates and outputs second voltage command value to the power converter and an angular frequency.

An electric power tool includes a motor that rotary drives an output shaft; an operation unit to input a drive command of the motor; a torque setting device that sets an upper limit value of a rotational torque of the output shaft in accordance with a torque setting command; and a control device that drives the motor in one of a forward direction and a reverse direction in accordance with the drive command, and stops driving of the motor when the rotational torque of the output shaft has reached the upper limit value set by the torque setting device during driving of the motor. The torque setting device is configured to set the upper limit value such that the upper limit value during driving of the motor in the forward direction and the upper limit value during driving of the motor in the reverse direction are different.

A lower limit value setting unit (52) variably sets a lower limit value (Vth) of a target voltage (Vh*) in a range of a voltage that is higher than the maximum value of voltages (Vb1, Vb2) of power storage devices and is not affected by a dead time provided for converters, based on temperatures (Tb1, Tb2) and required electric powers (Pb1*, Pb2*). A maximum value selection unit (53) sets the maximum value among the voltages (Vb1, Vb2) of the power storage devices and required voltages (Vm1*, Vm2*) of motor-generators, as the target voltage. A target voltage limiting unit (54) compares the target voltage with the lower limit value (Vth), and if the target voltage is lower than the lower limit value (Vth), the target voltage limiting unit (54) sets the lower limit value (Vth) as the target voltage (Vh*).

The present application discloses a control circuit for a power tool and a method for manipulating the power tool. The control circuit has a detection circuit for battery packs, a calculating control circuit, a battery capacity indicating circuit for indicating the calculation result of the battery capacity, and a current measure and calculating circuit for measuring the current flowing through motors. The calculation result further includes the voltages consumed by the battery pack internally and the discharge loop. The method for manipulating the power tool includes pressing the switch to electrically connect the motor and the battery pack, measuring the parameters of the battery pack and allowing the motor to operate or not according the measured parameters. Further, after the motor is in operation, the battery capacity is calculated and the results are displayed.

A motor current detection apparatus in the present invention includes: a current detection unit, a first filter, and a second filter. The detection unit detects a conduction current flowing from a battery to a brushless motor and outputs a conduction current signal corresponding to the detected conduction current. The first filter extracts a first current signal which is included in the conduction current signal outputted from the detection unit and is a signal component in a frequency band equal to or lower than a predetermined first cutoff frequency. The second filter extracts a second current signal which is included in the conduction current signal outputted from the detection unit and is a signal component in a predetermined frequency band within a frequency band equal to or lower than a predetermined second cutoff frequency higher than the first cutoff frequency and having the second cutoff frequency as a maximum value.

A motor driven power steering (MDPS) may include: a vehicle speed sensor configured to sense vehicle speed; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of a power pack; a current sensor configured to sense an amount of current applied to the MDPS; a storage unit configured to store a thermal resistance value based on the vehicle speed with respect to the temperature of the power pack; and a control unit configured to calculate an estimated temperature by reflecting the thermal resistance value based on the vehicle speed with respect to the temperature of the power pack and the current amount applied to the MDPS into a temperature estimation function, and drive a motor according to the calculated estimated temperature.

Boom drive apparatus for substrate transport systems and methods are described. The boom drive apparatus is adapted to drive one or more multi-arm robots rotationally mounted to the boom to efficiently put or pick substrates. The boom drive apparatus has a boom including a hub, a web, a first pilot above the web, and a second pilot below the web, a first driving member rotationally mounted to the first pilot, a second driving member rotationally mounted to the second pilot, a first driven member rotationally mounted to the boom above the a web, a second driven member rotationally mounted to the boom below the a web, and a first and second transmission members coupling the driving members to driven members located outboard on the boom. Numerous other aspects are provided.

A system and method for controlling power usage of a reporting device associated with an asset is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method determines whether the reporting device is in a sleep mode or an active mode and in response to determining the reporting device is in the sleep mode, the method maintains the sleep mode and in response to determining a state change associated with the reporting device, the method powers up the reporting device to the active mode.

Presented is a near field communication system and method to automatically establish an interconnection between two electronic devices. The system includes a first electronic device including an NFC chip communicatively coupled to a passive NFC tag, where the NFC tag having an integrated circuit with a predefined information content, a second device including an active NFC reader configured to read the predefined information content from the NFC tag based on an identification of a proximate distance therebetween, and where the NFC tag is capable of transmitting an activation signal to the NFC chip to enable transition of the NFC chip from a first state to a second state such as to establish a near field wireless communication link between the two devices to enable exchange of digital content therebetween.

A detachable motor-powered surgical instrument is disclosed. The instrument may include a housing that includes at least one engagement member for removably attaching the housing to an actuator arrangement. A motor is supported within the housing for supplying actuation motions to various portions of a surgical end effector coupled to the housing. The housing may include a contact arrangement that is configured to permit power to be supplied to the motor only when the housing is operably attached to the actuator arrangement.

A hook assembly includes an end cap having an outer periphery. The end cap is configured to be connected to a power tool. A hook is rotatably coupled to the outer periphery of the end cap. An O-ring is positioned between the outer periphery of the end cap and the hook. A protrusion is included on one of the outer periphery of the end cap and the hook to frictionally engage the O-ring to secure the hook in at least one selected rotational position relative to the end cap.

A detachable motor-powered surgical instrument is disclosed. The instrument may include a housing that includes at least one engagement member for removably attaching the housing to an actuator arrangement. A motor is supported within the housing for supplying actuation motions to various portions of a surgical end effector coupled to the housing. The housing may include a contact arrangement that is configured to permit power to be supplied to the motor only when the housing is operably attached to the actuator arrangement.

An apparatus for penetrating a cover over a multi-well sample plate containing at least one individual sample well includes a cutting head, a cutter extending from the cutting head, and a robot. The cutting head is connected to the robot wherein the robot moves the cutting head and cutter so that the cutter penetrates the cover over the multi-well sample plate providing access to the individual sample well. When the cutting head is moved downward the foil is pierced by the cutter that splits, opens, and folds the foil inward toward the well. The well is then open for sample aspiration but has been protected from cross contamination.

The invention provides a sweetener composition comprising a combination of cellulose and a sweetener carbohydrate formed from a combination of at least two carbohydrates selected from the group consisting of sucrose, glucose and fructose, and a method for the preparation thereof.

The invention provides a sweetener composition comprising a combination of cellulose and a sweetener carbohydrate formed from a combination of at least two carbohydrates selected from the group consisting of sucrose, glucose and fructose, and a method for the preparation thereof.

A laser-welded joint structure between insulation frame and bearing cup of fan includes a base having a bearing cup and a stator having at least one insulation frame. The insulation frame includes a sleeve portion defining a bore axially extending therethrough. The sleeve portion is provided on an inner wall surface with at least one pressing section that radially projects into the bore to press a lower side against an upper end of the bearing cup and a bearing received therein. A portion of at least one lateral side of each pressing section that is in contact with the upper end of the bearing cup is melted by laser beam to form a laser-welded joint, so that the insulation frame and the bearing cup are integrally connected together at reduced manufacturing cost and have increased structural strength. A method of forming the laser-welded joint structure is also disclosed.

Deliquefication systems with an upper pumping section for discharging fluid pumped to it by a lower pumping section; in one aspect, for providing liquid from a wellbore to the upper section for removal of the liquid from the wellbore; and, in one aspect, such systems for dewatering a gas well. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).

A centrifugal blower in a cooling system of an electronic device having asymmetrical blade spacing with acceptable balance. The asymmetrical blade spacing is determined according to a set of desired acoustic artifacts that are favorable and balance that is similar to that found with equal fan blade spacing. In one embodiment, the fan impeller can include thirty one fan blades. The perceived sound quality from the fan is improved with essentially no effect on the thermal performance of the fan.

An apparatus includes a housing, a rotational motor situated within the housing, an eccentric load adapted to be rotated by the rotational motor, and a plurality of legs each having a leg base and a leg tip at a distal end relative to the leg base. The legs are coupled to the housing at the leg base and include at least one driving leg constructed from a flexible material and configured to cause the apparatus to move in a direction generally defined by an offset between the leg base and the leg tip as the rotational motor rotates the eccentric load.

A microlaser system includes an optical source, a microlaser, an actuator switch, and a photovoltaic power source. The microlaser, which includes a control element, is optically pumped by at least a portion of light emitted by the optical source. The actuator switch is configured to be activated by a triggering event. Furthermore, the photovoltaic power source is coupled in a series connection with the actuator switch and the control element, the series connection configured to connect the photovoltaic power source to the control element of the microlaser when the actuator switch is activated by the triggering event.

A conduction cooled high power semiconductor laser and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The conduction cooled high power semiconductor laser comprises a heat sink (2) and one or more semiconductor laser units (1). The semiconductor laser unit consists of a laser chip (3), a substrate (4) bonded to the laser chip for heat dissipation and electrical connection, and an insulation plate (5) soldered to the substrate for insulation and heat dissipation. The semiconductor laser unit is soldered on the heat sink with the insulation plate therebetween. The semiconductor laser unit may be tested, aged, and screened in advance, and thereby the yield of the lasers can be improved and the manufacturing costs can be reduced. The laser has desirable heat dissipation performance, high reliability, and is applicable to high temperature and other complex and volatile environments.

Implementing a layered hyperbolic metamaterial in a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) to improve thermal conductivity and thermal dissipation thereby stabilizing optical performance. Improvement in the thermal management and power is expected by replacing the distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors in the VCSEL. The layered metamaterial structure performs the dual function of the DBR and the heat spreader at the same time.

A high power fiber laser system emitting a substantially diffraction limited beam with a Gaussian intensity profile includes a single mode (“SM”) neodymium fiber pump source outputting a SM pump light; a seed laser operative to emit a SM signal light at a wavelength greater than that of the pump light; a SM DWM receiving and multiplexing the SM pump and signal lights. The disclosed system further includes a booster fiber amplifier which is configured with a frustoconically-shaped ytterbium (“Yb”) doped core receiving the pump and signal lights and configured with a small diameter input end which supports only a SM and a large diameter output end which is capable of supporting the SM and high order modes (:HOM”). The booster further has a cladding surrounding and coextending with the core, the core being configured for having intensity profiles of respective SMs of pump and signal lights overlap one another so that an overlap integral substantially equals to one (1) along an entire length of the core. The SM of the light signal extracts substantially the entire energy from the pump mode leaving the HOMs without amplification necessary to affect a quality of the diffraction limited beam of the system in a MW peak power range and hundreds of watt average power range.

A GRINSCH laser having an asymmetric configuration wherein the optical confinement is weighted more to the n-doped multilayer section than to the p-doped multilayer section. The GRINSCH laser can emit laser light at a wavelength λ=976 nm over a broad area with a beam power of 11.4 W at a 12 A bias current at a temperature of 20° C. Fabry-Perot and distributed Bragg reflector GRINSCH laser configurations are disclosed.

A building structure including a first building member and a second building member may be connected by a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having a head, a threaded portion having a through hardness of between HRB 70 and HRC 40, a thread-forming portion of at least HRC 50 hardness enabling the fastener to form threads in at least the second steel building member, and a fluted lead portion of at least HRC 50 hardness with a nominal diameter between 70 and 95% of major diameter, such that the fastener is capable of providing a ratio of strip torque to thread-forming torque of at least 2.7 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque greater than 6.0 when the second steel building member having a thickness of 0.25 inch and the fluted lead portion having at least one diameter within nominal diameter between 80 and 98% of major diameter.

No flange damage wedge lock washers are disclosed. The washers may comprise an upper washer and a lower washer. The lower washer may have a generally smooth bottom surface and at least one means for securement. The at least one means for securement may be arranged to keep together the lower washer and a flange without causing damage to the flange. A locking fastener assembly which comprises no flange damage wedge lock washers is also disclosed. The locking fastener assembly may include a lower washer having a generally smooth bottom surface and at least one means for securement. A method of manufacturing a locking fastener assembly which comprises no flange damage wedge lock washers is also disclosed. The locking fastener assembly of the method may include a lower washer having a generally smooth bottom surface and at least one means for securement.

A holding dowel (10) for fastening a fastening means to a component (22), in particular to a vehicle body part, is adapted to be inserted into and arrested in an opening (20) of the component (22) and has a mount (26) for the fastening means. The holding dowel (10) has a base body (12) made from a hard material, which protrudes into the opening (20) and is adapted to fix the holding dowel (10) in place in the opening (20), and further has a sealing member (18) made from a flexible plastic material, which includes a surrounding sealing lip (38). In the installed condition of the holding dowel (10), the sealing lip (38) rests against the component (22) and seals the opening (20) of the component (22). The sealing member (18) is produced at least partly from a material which under the influence of heat establishes a substance-to-substance bond with the component (22).

An assembly comprising at least two non-metal components which are fixed to each other using at least one fixing system. The fixing system includes a fixing device with a fixing element which is provided with a head and a rod, and a crimping ring which is in contact with one of the components. A protection device is a part of the fixing system which delimits a cavity for confining gas around a portion of the device comprising the crimping ring. In order to improve the repeatability of the operation for positioning the protection device, a guiding device is provided which includes an assembly element on the portion of the fixing device, and an element for guiding the protection device.

A connecting arrangement is provided between a plastic component with at least two mutually adjacent and at least approximately parallel walls and another structural element, having at least one force-transmission element which is adhesively bonded to the plastic component via an adhesive bond on the plastic component in frusto-conical or spherical-segment-shaped depressions in the mutually adjacent walls of the plastic component. The force-transmission element has a carrying structure for the other structural element. With the exception of a possibly provided coating, the force-transmission element is composed only of metallic material and has a plate which is adapted to the depression in the outer wall of the plastic component, which outer wall is adjacent to the other structural element. The edge of the plate rests with interposition on the outer wall in the surrounding region of the depression, wherein the plate is connected via a web to an end section of the force-transmission element, which end section is adapted to the depression in the other inner wall of the plastic component. The depression is configured in the outer wall without a bottom to such an extent that the end section of the force-transmission element can be inserted through the outer wall into the recess of the inner wall.

There is provided a transport vehicle for transporting wind power installation rotor blades and/or pylon segments. The transport vehicle has a transport support structure having a main frame, a receiving frame fixedly connected to the main frame at a first angle, and a rotary displacement unit which is fixed with one end to the receiving frame and which at its second end has a blade adaptor for receiving a rotor blade or a pylon segment. The main frame spans a main plane. The rotary displacement unit has at least one first rotary mounting, wherein there is provided a second angle between the second rotary plane of the second rotary mounting.

A cargo rack for transferring loads between a marine vessel and an offshore marine platform provides a frame having a front, a rear, and upper and lower end portions. The lower end of the frame has a perimeter beam base, a raised floor and a pair of open-ended parallel fork tine tubes that communicate with the perimeter beam at the front and rear of the frame. The frame includes a plurality of fixed side walls extending upwardly from the perimeter beam. A plurality of gates are movably mounted on the frame, each gate being movable between open and closed positions, the gates enabling a forklift to place loads on the floor. The frame has vertically extending positioning beams that segment the floor into a plurality of load-holding positions. Each load holding position has positioning beams that laterally hold a load module in position on the floor.

Techniques for reducing scan overhead in a scannable flop tray are described herein. In one embodiment, a scan circuit for a flop tray comprises a tri-state circuit configured to invert an input data signal and output the inverted data signal to an input of a flip-flop of the flop tray in a normal mode, and to block the data signal from the input of the flip-flop in a scan mode. The scan circuit also comprises a pass gate configured to pass a scan signal to the input of the flip-flop in the scan mode, and to block the scan signal from the input of the flip-flop in the normal mode.

There is provided a multi power supply type level shifter. The provided multi power supply type level shifter includes a first level shifter and a second level shifter in a two-stage architecture so as to selectively receive first to third power supplies and change a signal level, even when the first to third power supplies are applied in a different sequence from a normal power-on sequence. Output voltages are output without a change in level, and short-circuit currents are not generated in the first and second level shifters.

A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit, a power supply control circuit which controls supply of a power supply to the internal circuit upon receipt of a first control signal, and a control signal generation circuit which outputs the first control signal upon receipt of a second control signal. The control signal generation circuit does not deactivate the first control signal when an inactive period of the second control signal is equal to or less than a first period and deactivates the first control signal when the inactive period of the second control signal is more than the first period.

A transceiver includes a transmitter and receiver that form a series current path between two power-supply nodes. Powering both the transmitter and receiver with the same supply current saves power. The transmitter functions as a resistive load for the receiver, and thus performs useful work with power that would otherwise be dissipated as waste heat.

A method and apparatus that controls the clock of a digital circuit, and therefore power consumption, without substantially comprising performance is provided. The apparatus may include monitoring the utilization of a First in First Out (FIFO) buffer. For example in a systems and methods according to the invention, clock speed may be reduced when the FIFO is relatively empty and increased when the FIFO is relatively full. The clock speed may be controlled by a phase locked loop, a clock divider, a clock masking device or a combination of more than one of these methods. Power reduction may also be obtained by controlling the clocking of different stages of a pipelined device. One or more aspects of the inventions may be implemented in combination with other aspects of the invention to further reduce power use.

An integrated oscillator circuit comprises an oscillator configured to be switched between a first frequency and a second frequency. A switching circuit receives an input representing a target frequency and switches the oscillator between the first and second frequencies at intervals determined by the input, so as to cause the average output frequency of the oscillator to approximate the target frequency.

Power-efficient actuator apparatus and methods. In one exemplary embodiment, the actuator assembly utilizes a shape memory alloy (SMA) filament driven by an electronic power source to induce movement in the underlying assembly to actuate a load (e.g., water valve). In addition, a circuit board is included which allows the actuator assembly to be readily incorporated or retrofit into a wide range of systems such that the signal characteristics of the supply line can, among other applications, be conditioned in order to protect the SMA filament. Furthermore, the circuit board can also readily be adapted for use with “green” power sources such as photovoltaic systems and the like. Methods for manufacturing and utilizing the aforementioned actuator assembly are also disclosed.