The existence of inrush current poses a significant problem during the start-up process within three-phase voltage-source rectifiers. To address this problem, this study proposes a strategy to suppress the inrush current effectively based on the virtual-resistor- control method, while preventing the increase in cost of the system and complexity of the algorithm. First, a mathematical model is established based on the dq coordinate frame, and the primary cause of the inrush current is analyzed. Then, the design process of the virtual-resistor-control method is detailed. Finally, the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by simulations and experiments. The results show that the inrush current can be more than two times the rated current before the addition of the virtual resistor. The start-up process can be realized without the inrush current after the addition of the virtual resistor, it does not need to increase hardware costs, there is no secondary inrush current, and the sensitivity of the parameters and the complexity of control are low.

The Lithuanian national standard of electric resistance is maintained as the basis for calibration and measurement capabilities published in the key comparison database of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). The stability and uncertainty of the resistance value measurements, performed since 2004 using the calibrated values of the standard resistors to predict their future behaviour as well as influence of environmental conditions, are discussed. Also discussed is the recovery of a standard resistor which had undergone a mechanical disturbance. It is concluded that the standard resistors operated by the Lithuanian National Electrical Standards Laboratory feature stable drift of resistance, which is well predicted by means of linear regression.

Graphene is a very promising material for potential applications in many fields. Since manufacturing technologies of graphene are still at the developing stage, low-frequency noise measurements as a tool for evaluating their quality is proposed. In this work, noise properties of polymer thick-film resistors with graphene nano-platelets as a functional phase are reported. The measurements were carried out in room temperature. 1/f noise caused by resistance fluctuations has been found to be the main component in the specimens. The parameter values describing noise intensity of the polymer thick-film specimens have been calculated and compared with the values obtained for other thick-film resistors and layers used in microelectronics. The studied polymer thick-film specimens exhibit rather poor noise properties, especially for the layers with a low content of the functional phase.

The article proposes the method of synthesis of active elements with time-varying parameters R(t), C(t) and L(t). In order to construct the elements, it is necessary to use operational amplifiers, multipliers and classic RLC components. The variability in time of the elements results from applying voltage to control terminals. Assuming that the parameters of elements R(t), L(t), C(t) are exponentially varying, dependencies describing the control voltage waveforms which enable such a parameter variability were determined. The obtained results were illustrated with examples and PSpice simulations.

The manufacturing and characterization of polymer nanocomposites is an active research trend nowadays. Nonetheless, statistical studies of polymer nanocomposites are not an easy task since they require several factors to consider, such as: large amount of samples manufactured from a standardized procedure and specialized equipment to address characterization tests in a repeatable fashion. In this manuscript, the experimental characterization of sensitivity, hysteresis error and drift error was carried out at multiple input voltages (����) for the following commercial brands of FSRs ( force sensing resistors): Interlink FSR402 and Peratech SP200-10 sensors. The quotient between the mean and the standard deviation was used to determine dispersion in the aforementioned metrics. It was found that a low mean value in an error metric is typically accompanied by a comparatively larger dispersion, and similarly, a large mean value for a given metric resulted in lower dispersion; this observation was held for both sensor brands under the entire range of input voltages. In regard to sensitivity, both sensors showed similar dispersion in sensitivity for the whole range of input voltages. Sensors’ characterization was carried out in a tailored test bench capable of handling up to 16 sensors simultaneously; this let us speed up the characterization process.

Measurement of low-frequency noise properties of modern electronic components is a very demanding challenge due to the low magnitude of a noise signal and the limit of a dissipated power. In such a case, an ac technique with a lock-in amplifier or the use of a low-noise transformer as the first stage in the signal path are common approaches. A software dual-phase virtual lock-in (VLI) technique has been developed and tested in low-frequency noise studies of electronic components. VLI means that phase-sensitive detection is processed by a software layer rather than by an expensive hardware lock-in amplifier. The VLI method has been tested in exploration of noise in polymer thick-film resistors. Analysis of the obtained noise spectra of voltage fluctuations confirmed that the 1/f noise caused by resistance fluctuations is the dominant one. The calculated value of the parameter describing the noise intensity of a resistive material, C = 1·10−21 m3, is consistent with that obtained with the use of a dc method. On the other hand, it has been observed that the spectra of (excitation independent) resistance noise contain a 1/f component whose intensity depends on the excitation frequency. The phenomenon has been explained by means of noise suppression by impedances of the measurement circuit, giving an excellent agreement with the experimental data.

Conceptions of analogue electronics circuit based on a multiple-input floating gate field-effect transistor MOS (MIFGMOS) have

been presented. The simple add and differential voltage amplifiers with one and two MIFGMOS transistors and multiple-input operational amplifiers with their application have been proposed. One of them was used for the realisation of a controlled floating resistor. Results of circuit simulations in SPICE programme using the simple substitute macromodel of MIFGMOS transistor have been shown.

This paper presents the concept and modern technological approach to the fabrication of discrete, integrated and integral micropassives. The role of these components in modern electronic circuits is discussed too. The material, technological and constructional solutions and their relation with electrical and stability properties are analyzed in details for linear and nonlinear microresistors made and characterized at the Faculty of Microsystem Technology, Wrocław University of Technology.