1. A degradation diagnosing circuit, comprising:
a test block including a first circuit which is an object of a degradation diagnosis;
a reference block including a second circuit which has a configuration identical with a configuration of the first circuit;
a judgment unit that judges whether a component of the test block is degraded or not by comparing a first characteristic of a first signal outputted from the test block, and a second characteristic of a second signal outputted from the reference block, in the case in which a signal indicating a measurement mode is inputted; and
a control unit that outputs the signal which indicates the measurement mode to the judgment unit.
2. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the first characteristic and the second characteristic are electric characteristics which the first signal and the second signal have respectively and which are changed as a result of the degradation.
3. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 1, comprising:
a characteristics adjusting unit that carries out a predetermined adjustment to at least one of the first signal and the second signal according to a direction of the judgment unit so that the first characteristic and the second characteristic may be identical each other, in the case in which the signal indicating the measurement mode is inputted, wherein
the judgment unit judges whether the degradation is caused or not on the basis of necessity of the direction.
4. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 3, wherein
the judgment unit outputs an amount of adjustment necessary to carry out the adjustment as an amount of degradation which indicates a degree of the degradation.
5. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the judgment unit comprises:
a frequency divider to output a third signal whose frequency is a divided frequency of the first signal;
a latch circuit to latch a fourth signal and a fifth signal which have amounts of delay different each other from the second signal by use of the third signal and to output the latched fourth signal and the latch fifth signal;
an EXOR (exclusive-OR) circuit to carry out the exclusive-or operation to the outputs of the latch circuit; and
an degradation amount calculating unit that calculates an amount of the degradation on the basis of the output of the EXOR circuit.
6. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 5, wherein
the fourth signal and the fifth signal are generated by making the second signal delayed.
7. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 5, wherein
the fourth signal and the fifth signal are the second signals outputted from positions corresponding to a preceding stage and a following stage respectively on a predetermined signal transmission path in the reference block.
8. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 1, wherein
in the case in which the control unit does not output the signal which indicates the measurement mode, the test block operates and the reference block stops an operation.
9. The degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the test block and the reference block operate in an operational environment in which stresses different each other are applied to the test block and the reference block respectively.
10. A degradation diagnosing method, comprising
judging whether a component of a test block which includes a first circuit which is an object of a degradation diagnosis is degraded or not by comparing first characteristic of a first signal outputted from the test block, and second characteristic of a second signal outputted from a reference block including a second circuit which has a configuration identical with a configuration of the first circuit, in the case in which a signal indicating a measurement mode is inputted.
11. A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising the degradation diagnosing circuit according to claim 1.
12. A degradation diagnosing circuit, comprising:
a test block including a first circuit which is an object of a degradation diagnosis;
a reference block including a second circuit which has a configuration identical with a configuration of the first circuit;
a judgment means for judging whether a component of the test block is degraded or not by comparing first characteristic of a first signal outputted from the test block, and second characteristic of a second signal outputted from the reference block, in the case in which a signal indicating a measurement mode is inputted; and
a control means for outputting the signal which indicates the measurement mode to the judgment means.
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 sorting device for sorting playing cards, comprising:
an input bin for accepting a stack of cards,
transport means for successively discharging the lowest card from the input bin,
at least two receiving bins disposed on top of each other,
a conveyor track between the input bin and receiving bins,
detection means for detecting each card to be discarded, and
selection means for selectively receiving, depending on the detected detection value, cards transported in the conveyor track in one of the receiving bins, said selection means being formed by adjustment means for adjusting in height at least one of the receiving bins disposed on top of each other,
wherein parts of the conveyor track extend in opposite directions from the input bin and that two receiving bins at each end of both conveyor track parts are disposed on top of each other and that the detection means are disposed in the input bin.
2. The sorting device according to claim 1, wherein, with the aid of adjustment means, the upper of the receiving bins disposed on top of each other is adjustable in height between a first position in which the upper receiving bin lies higher than the conveyor track and a second position in which the upper receiving bin lies lower than the conveyor track.
3. The sorting device according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment means are formed by a drivable spindle, disposed in vertical direction, that acts together with a nut that is fixedly connected with the upper receiving bin.
4. The sorting device according to claim 2, wherein rotating means are present in order to rotate both upper receiving bins with respect to the center of the input bin in horizontal direction for a quarter of a turn from a first position in which cards in the receiving bins can be received and a second position in which cards from the receiving bins can be removed.
5. The sorting device according to claim 2, wherein the upper receiving bins are attached to a first subframe that is rotatable in horizontal direction around a vertical rotation axis through the center of the input bin and that the adjustment means for adjusting the upper receiving bins in height are disposed on the first subframe.
6. The sorting device according to claim 5, wherein the first subframe is provided at its bottom with a circularly curved first gear rack with the vertical rotation axis passing through the center of the input bin as center, said first gear rack being rotatable by a first drivable gear wheel fixedly disposed in the sorting device.
7. The sorting device according to claim 6, wherein the adjustment means for adjusting in height the upper receiving bins in the rotated second position of the upper receiving bins are movable to a lower third position in which the two upper receiving bins lie at the same height as the other receiving bins.
8. The sorting device according to claim 6, wherein the first and the second gear wheel are disposed on one and the same axis between both subframes, that a third freely rotatable gear wheel, that can engage with the first and the second gear rack, is disposed diametrically opposite both drive wheels and that the gear racks have a length and position such that, at the end of the rotation of a quarter of a turn of the first subframe, the freely rotatable gear wheel is rotated by the first gear rack and in turn drives the second gear rack and exerts force on the second drivable gear wheel for rotation of the second subframe, the first gear rack also being released from the first drivable gear wheel.
9. The sorting device according to claim 4, wherein doors are present in the four cardinal points of the sorting device whereby, in their opened position, cards from the receiving bins can be removed.
10. The sorting device according to claim 9, wherein ejection means are present that can be activated in the second position of the first subframe for ejecting sorted cards through the doors.
11. The sorting device according to claim 10, wherein a second subframe is present that is also rotatable in horizontal direction around a vertical rotation axis through the center of the input bin, said second subframe carrying activation means that, on rotation of the second subframe, open the doors at each receiving bin and eject the cards.
12. The sorting device according to claim 11, wherein the second subframe lies under the first subframe and is provided at its top with a circularly curved second gear rack with the vertical rotation axis through the center of the input bin as center, said second gear rack being rotatable by a second drivable gear wheel fixedly disposed in the sorting device.
13. The sorting device according to claim 12, wherein the second subframe is provided with curved runs in each of which, on rotation of the second subframe, a pen is movable in radial direction to operate ejection means coupled thereto, that eject cards lying in the receiving bins.
14. The sorting device according to claim 1, wherein in the parts of the conveyor track that extend in opposite directions from the input bin, a card detector is disposed that, on the one hand, detects when a card comes within reach of the transport means in the associated part of the conveyor track and, on the other hand, detects when said card moves out of reach again of said transport means.
15. The sorting device according to claim 14, wherein the card detector is formed by a light transmitter and a light receiver that, viewed in the direction of transport, are disposed at some distance from each other at one side of the conveyor track, and two light-reflecting surfaces at the other side of the conveyor track that, in the absence of a card, cast light from the light transmitter onto the light receiver.