Abstract: A multiprocessing system includes a plurality of nodes interconnected through a global interconnect network which supports cluster communications. An initiating node may launch a request to a remote node's memory. A cluster protection mechanism is employed within a system interface of the remote node. The system interface, which is coupled between the global interconnect network and a local bus of the remote node, includes a memory management unit, referred to as a cluster MMU, including a plurality of entries which are selectable on a page basis. Depending upon the particular address of a received global transaction, an entry within the memory management unit is retrieved. The entry includes various fields which may be used to protect against accesses by unauthorized nodes, and to specify the local physical address to be conveyed upon the local bus.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a multiprocessing computer system includes a plurality of nodes. The plurality of nodes may be interconnected through a global interconnect network which supports cluster communications. An initiating node may launch a request to a remote nodes memory. In the event of an error, an error status register of a system interface of the launching cluster node is set to indicate the occurrence of an error. The error may be the result of an access violation, or the result of a time-out occurrence in either the remote node or the initiating node. Various other errors may alternatively be reported. The system interface advantageously includes a plurality of error status registers, with a separate error status register provided for each processor included in the node. A process running on any of the processors of the node reads an error by issuing a transaction to a unique address, wherein the unique address is independent of the processor upon which the process is running.

Abstract: A multiprocessing computer system includes a plurality of nodes interconnected through a global interconnect network which supports cluster communications. An initiating node may launch a request to a remote node's memory. In one specific implementation, the address base of the system is divided into “slices”. Different slices may correspond to the local memory of differing cluster nodes. The system interface of each node advantageously includes a lookup table which is used to associate selected address regions, or slices, with specific remote nodes for which the slices are local. Accordingly, when a processor within a node initiates a transaction on a local bus, the system interface of that node accesses its lookup table to determine whether that transaction should be conveyed to a remote node, as determined by the corresponding entry of the lookup table for that transaction's address. Otherwise, the transaction is a local transaction and is not conveyed upon the global bus network.

Abstract: A multiprocessing system includes a plurality of nodes interconnected through a global interconnect network which supports cluster communications. An initiating node may launch a request to a remote nodes memory. A cluster protection mechanism is advantageously employed within a system interface of the remote node. The system interface, which is coupled between the global interconnect network and a local bus of the remote node, includes a memory management unit, referred to as a cluster MMU, including a plurality of entries which are selectable on a page basis. Depending upon the particular address of a received global transaction, an entry within the memory management unit is retrieved. The entry includes various fields which may be used to protect against accesses by unauthorized nodes, and to specify the local physical address to be conveyed upon the local bus.

Abstract: A multiprocessing computer system includes a plurality of nodes interconnected through a global interconnect network which supports cluster communications. An initiating node may launch a request to a remote node's memory. A remote cluster node may be reached by passing the request through one or more intermediate nodes configured in pass-through mode. Accordingly, various global network topologies may be supported. The pass-through mode may be advantageously accommodated using a node having hardware which is similar to other nodes in the system. More particularly, the pass through mechanism may be implemented without significantly altering a node's local bus transactions. In one specific implementation, when the system interface of a particular node receives a transaction, the address of the transaction is checked to determine if the transaction should be treated as a pass through transaction.

Abstract: The invention pertains to cutting irregularly shaped glass parts from glass blanks, and providing interior openings or cutouts in the parts, at a relatively high volume. Glass blanks are conveyed one-by-one to a transfer position beneath a shuttle carrier. The shuttle carrier picks up each sheet by means of vacuum cups and transfers it to the table of a cutting machine. A plurality of ganged abrasive jet cutting heads follows a prescribed path to cut a corresponding plurality of parts from the blank. The cutting heads then trace a second prescribed path to provide an interior cutout in each part. The ganged cutting heads may make additional passes to cut additional nested sets of parts from the blank. Upon completion of cutting, a second shuttle conveyor moves into position over the cutting table and, by means of vacuum cups thereon, picks up the individual parts and cutout portions and transfers them to a run-out conveyor for subsequent fabricating steps.

Abstract: A method of applying a double sided adhesively coated foam strip with paper backing as a gasket to a window includes winding a predetermined length on a hollow core, gripping the hollow core with a dispensing cartridge and engaging the dispensing cartridge with a carrier mounted on the end of a robot arm. The carrier includes a gear motor for driving a paper take-up wheel in the cartridge thereby separating the backing paper from the foam strip as the foam strip is applied to the window surface. The cartridge includes a pair of seal guide wheels and a pressure wheel for guiding the tape onto the surface of the window. The carrier further includes means for selectively moving a pair of gripper arms into and out of engagement with the cartridge, a gear motor for driving the paper wrap-up wheel, photocells for sensing the presence of the cartridge and microswitches for sensing engagement of the gripper arms with the cartridge from to stop the movement of the gripper arms.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning an interleave on a finished sheet product prior to transferring and depositing the latter in a stacked relation. The apparatus includes a stripper means for removing the lowermost interleave from a stack of such interleaves and advancing the same on a conveyor arrangement to a pick-up station whereat the interleave is raised into engagement with a pair of gripping arms of a reciprocal shuttle. The shuttle transports the interleave to a forward position in vertically spaced relation to the sheet product for subsequent deposit thereon prior to removal of the sheet article along with the overlying interleave by a transfer apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus including a pair of opposed conveyor belts for feeding a plurality of superimposed continuous sheets of refrigerated, thermoplastic material. The active runs of the conveyor belts are guided over platens movable toward and away from each other in a direction normal to the path of movement of the sheet material to generate the necessary tractive forces required to advance the sheet material between the conveyor belts. The platens distribute the tractive forces uniformly over a large sheet contacting area of the belts to prevent cracking and rupturing of the sheet material. Means are provided for compressing the spaced-apart clamping assemblies of a frame assembly to which the sheets are attached for further processing.