1. A reconfigurable analog cell (RAC) (100) comprising an input (In), an output (Out) and a first control input (Control_In) for generating at the output a vector of at least one signal which is the result of at least one of a plurality of transfer functions (Out_V), having a set of poles, from an input signal (In_S) applied to the input, the reconfigurable cell (100) further comprising
a plurality of admittances yab each of them having a first terminal (a) and a second terminal (b),
a plurality of switches (SW), each of them having a first switch terminal (SW1), a second switch terminal (SW2) each switch having an ON state, in which the first and the second switch terminals are connected together, and an OFF state in which the switch terminals are not connected to each other, each switch further having a control terminal (CS_RAC) for controlling the state of any switch SW by a binary signal received through the Control_In, the plurality of switches SW comprising a first plurality of switches and a second plurality of switches,
a plurality of internal nodes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), one of the nodes being designated as the reference node, characterized in that
each of the first terminals (a) of the admittances yab is coupled to the first terminals SW1 of the first plurality of switches,
each of the second terminals (b) of the admittances yab is coupled to the first terminals SW1 of the second plurality of switches,
each one of the second switch terminal SW2 of the first plurality of switches and of the second plurality of switches is coupled to at least one node of the plurality of nodes, the arrangement being such that when a control vector V_In is applied through the Control_In only one of the switches from any plurality is ON, realizing a particular state of a plurality of possible states (PSPPS) of the RAC (100), each of the states defining a transfer function having the said set of poles.
2. A reconfigurable analog cell (100) as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that a change of the control vector V_In, applied to the control inputs (CS_RAC) of the first plurality of switches and to the control inputs (CS_RAC) of the second plurality of switches of the said particular state PSPPS of the RAC (100), generates either a second state of the RAC (100), wherein:
the admittances connected to a first node (1) in the said particular state PSPPS are connected to a second node (2) and reciprocally,
the admittances connected to a third node (3) in the said particular state PSPPS are connected to the reference node and reciprocally, or a third state of the RAC (100), in the third state:
the admittances connected to a fourth node (4) in the said particular state PSPPS are connected to a fifth node (5) and reciprocally,
the admittances connected to a sixth node in the said particular state PSPPS are connected to the reference node and reciprocally.
3. A reconfigurable analog cell RAC (100) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the RAC (100) further comprises a decoder means having a decoder input and a decoder output, the decoder input being coupled to the first control input (Control_In) and the decoder output being coupled to the control terminal (CS_RAC) of the switches (SW) for generating at the decoder output a decoder output vector depending on the first control vector (V_In) applied at the first control input (Control n) for controlling the state of the switches.
4. A reconfigurable analog cell RAC (100) as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the first node (1) is coupled to a first input terminal of a first Differential Voltage Controlled Source (DVCVS), the second node (2) is coupled to a second input terminal of the first Differential Voltage Controlled Source (DVCVS), the fourth node (4) is coupled to a third input terminal of a second DVCVS, the fifth node (5) is coupled to a fourth input terminal of the second DVCVS, the third node (3) is coupled to a first output termiinal of the first DVCVS and the sixth node (6) is coupled to a second output terminal of the second DVCVS.
5. A reconfigurable analog cell (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the DVCVS are Operational Amplifiers (OA).
6. A reconfigurable analog cell (100) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a first memory means for storing the input control vectors V_In.
7. A reconfigurable analog cell (100) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the values of the admittances yab are controllable.
8. An arrangement (200) comprising
a plurality of RAC (100) as claimed in claim 1, coupled to an Input Selection Means (ISM) (210) and to an Output Selection Means (OSM) (220), the ISM being controlled by a second input control vector (V_jSM) applied to a second control input (C_ISM) of the ISM (210) and the OSM (220) being controlled by a third control vector (V_OSM) applied to a third control input (C_OSM) of the OSM (220),
the ISM (210) further comprising a first plurality of ISM inputs (I1) and a second plurality of ISM outputs (O1) for selectively redirecting an input vector of signals received at the first plurality of ISM inputs (I1) to the second plurality of ISM outputs (O1) for transmitting them to the inputs In of the plurality of RAC (100) under the control of the second input control vector V_ISM,
the OSM (220) comprising a first plurality of OSM inputs (12), a second plurality of OSM outputs (O2) and a third plurality of OSM outputs (O3) for selectively redirecting an input vector of signals comprising the output signals Out generated by the plurality of RAC (100) to the second plurality of OSM outputs (O2) for transmitting a general output signal (G_OUT) and to the third plurality of OSM outputs (O3) for transmitting a vector F_V to the first plurality of ISM inputs (I1) under the control of the third control vector V_OSM.
9. An arrangement (200) as claimed in claim 8 wherein the ISM (210) further comprises a first multiplexing means (211) coupled to a first controllable amplifier means (B_ISM) comprising a first amplifier input (BISM_In), a first amplifier output (BISM_Out) and a first amplifier control input (CB_ISM) for selectively amplifying and transmitting the input vector of signals received at the first plurality of input (I1) through the first controllable amplifier means (B_ISM) to the second plurality of ISM output (O1) under the control of the second control vector (V_jSM).
10. An arrangement (200) as claimed in claim 8 wherein the OSM (220) further comprises a second multiplexing (221) means coupled to a second controllable amplifier means (B_OSM) comprising a second amplifier input (BOSM_IN), a second amplifier output (BOSM_OUT) and a second amplifier control input (CB_OSM) for selectively amplifying and transmitting the output signals Out_V transmitted by the plurality of RAC (100) under the control of the third control vector V_OSM to the third plurality of OSM output (O3) and to the second plurality of OSM output (O2).
11. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8 characterized in that the ISM control input (CJISM) and the OSM control input (C_OSM) are conceived to receive binary vectors.
12. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a second memory means for storing the control vectors (V_ISM) and (V_OSM).
13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8 integrated on a single chip.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A processing apparatus including a processing unit which processes an object, the apparatus comprising:
a first conveyer configured to hold the object with a first hand included therein and to perform conveyance of the object between the processing unit and a station arranged between an external apparatus, which is separate from the processing apparatus, and the processing unit, the external apparatus including: (a) a second conveyer configured to hold the object with a second hand included therein and to perform conveyance of the object to the station or from the station, and (b) a second controller configured to control the conveyance by the second conveyer; and
a first controller configured to output a request signal and a stop instruction signal to the second controller,
wherein the request signal is a signal for requesting the external apparatus to perform the conveyance by the second conveyer, and is output before the first hand reaches a first position, where a collision of the first hand or the object held by the first hand with the second hand or the object held by the second hand can be avoided, from a second position where the collision cannot be avoided, the processing apparatus comprising an interface via which a preset time is changeable, the first controller outputting the request signal at the preset time before an estimated time for the first hand to reach the first position, and
wherein the stop instruction signal is a signal which instructs the external apparatus to stop the second hand, the first controller being configured to output the stop instruction signal, if it is determined, based on a state of the processing apparatus after an output of the request signal, that the collision may occur because the first hand is at the second position.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stop instruction signal is output in a state where unloading of the object from the station by the first conveyer is not completed.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stop instruction signal is output in a state where loading of the object to the station by the first conveyer is not completed.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising
an object detection sensor configured to detect that the object is placed on the station, and
an entrance detection sensor configured to detect that one of the second hand and the object held by the second hand has entered a predetermined region associated with the station,
wherein the first controller is configured to output the stop instruction signal based on outputs from the object detection sensor and the entrance detection sensor.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising
a non-retreat detection sensor configured to detect that the first hand has not retreated to a predetermined region away from the station, and
an entrance detection sensor which detects that one of the second hand and the object held by the second hand has entered a predetermined region associated with the station,
wherein the first controller is configured to output the stop instruction signal based on outputs from the non-retreat detection sensor and the entrance detection sensor.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to expose a substrate as the object to radiant energy.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the request signal comprises a signal which requests the external apparatus to perform the conveyance of the substrate to the station by the second conveyer.
8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the request signal comprises a signal which requests the external apparatus to perform the conveyance of the substrate from the station by the second conveyer.
9. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:
exposing a substrate to radiant energy using the processing apparatus defined in claim 6;
developing the exposed substrate; and
processing the developed substrate to manufacture the device.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is a user interface via which information of the preset time is input.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first controller is configured to output a signal to the second controller by changing a logic level of a signal line.
12. A processing apparatus including a processing unit which processes an object, the apparatus comprising:
a first conveyer configured to perform conveyance of the object between the processing unit and a support arranged at a position between an external apparatus, which is separate from the processing apparatus, and the processing unit; and
a controller configured to output a state signal and a stop instruction signal,
wherein the external apparatus includes a second conveyer configured to perform conveyance of the object, and to start conveyance of the object to or from the support arranged at the position in response to the state signal,
wherein the state signal is a signal indicating that the processing apparatus has reached a first state of the processing apparatus, in which the conveyance by the second conveyer is enabled, and is output before the processing apparatus reaches the first state from a second state of the processing apparatus, in which the conveyance by the second conveyer is not enabled, the processing apparatus comprising an interface via which a preset time is changeable, the controller outputting the state signal at the preset time before an estimated time for the processing apparatus to reach the first state from the second state, and
wherein the stop instruction signal is a signal which instructs the external apparatus to stop the conveyance, the controller being configured to output the stop instruction signal, if it is determined by the controller, based on a state of the processing apparatus after output of the state signal, that the processing apparatus cannot reach the first state from the second state.
13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to expose the object to radiant energy.
14. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:
exposing an object to radiant energy using the processing apparatus defined in claim 13;
developing the exposed object; and
processing the developed object to manufacture the device.
15. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the interface is a user interface via which information of the preset time is input.
16. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to output a signal to the second controller by changing a logic level of a signal line.
17. A processing apparatus including a processing unit which processes an object, the apparatus comprising:
a first conveyer configured to hold the object with a first hand included therein and to perform conveyance of the object between the processing unit and a station arranged between an external apparatus, which is separate from the processing apparatus, and the processing unit, the external apparatus including: (a) a second conveyer configured to hold the object with a second hand included therein and to perform conveyance of the object to the station or from the station, and (b) a second controller configured to control the conveyance by the second conveyer; and
a first controller configured to output a request signal to the second controller,
wherein the request signal is a signal for requesting the external apparatus to perform the conveyance by the second conveyer, and is output before the first hand reaches a first position, where a collision of the first hand or the object held by the first hand with the second hand or the object held by the second hand can be avoided, from a second position where the collision cannot be avoided, the processing apparatus comprising an interface via which a preset time is changeable, the first controller outputting the request signal at the preset time before an estimated time for the first hand to reach the first position.
18. A processing apparatus including a processing unit which processes an object, the apparatus comprising:
a first conveyer configured to perform conveyance of the object between the processing unit and a support arranged at a position between an external apparatus, which is separate from the processing apparatus, and the processing unit; and
a controller configured to output a state signal,
wherein the external apparatus includes a second conveyer configured to perform conveyance of the object, and to start conveyance of the object to or from the support arranged at the position in response to the state signal, and
wherein the state signal is a signal indicating that the processing apparatus has reached a first state of the processing apparatus, in which the conveyance by the second conveyer is enabled, and is output before the processing apparatus reaches the first state from a second state of the processing apparatus, in which the conveyance by the second conveyer is not enabled, the processing apparatus comprising an interface via which a preset time is changeable, the controller outputting the state signal at the preset time before an estimated time for the processing apparatus to reach the first state from the second state.