Highly reliable optical switch and optical waveguide apparatus are obtained, which can perform stable and reliable ONOFF operations for optical connection at a waveguide crossing portion. More specifically, split gate memory devices are provided having frameworks that provide increased floating gate coupling ratios, thereby enabling enhanced programming and erasing efficiency and performance. The fitting and the pipe are welded together by applying, from outside the pipe, an annulus of added bead metal to the chamfered end surface of the fitting so as to surround the chamfered end surface, and fusing the base metal of the annular wall and pipe. The bracket is equipped with a hinge plate mounted at an angle; whether the angle is positive or negative depends on whether the bracket is part of the mechanism’s left side or right side. At the end of the retraction stroke the small amount of remaining air is vented to outside and the piston faces a small counterforce-generating member. A CPU reconstructs the image processing function of the FPGA circuit by using setting information and a processing program stored in the ROM in accordance with the set image processing condition such as the processing speed priority mode or the image quality priority mode.