A method and apparatus for thermally investigating a material by driving the material through a temperature profile composed of isothermal and non-isothermal segments is disclosed, which enable determination of a kinetic component in a measured heat flow signal caused by the exposure of the material to the temperature profile. The PRAM is denser and slower than user-accessible registers of the microprocessor macroarchitecture, thereby enabling it to provide significantly more storage for microcode. A window structure is provided between an end of the active layer and one of the light reflecting and light emitting facets, and the window structure is configured to reduce a reflectivity of the one of the light reflecting and light emitting facets. The termination circuit has first and second resistors, and is provided between the first power line and a second power line as the other power line to disconnect the signal line from the first and second power lines in response to the test start signal. Optimality is achieved through the ability to capture real time data via a real time interface for each skill-set.