Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods for providing dynamic range compression. In an example, an amplifier can an first amplifier configured to receive a representation of an input signal and provide an amplified representation of the input signal to an output stage, an automatic gain control comparator configured to provide automatic gain control information to the first amplifier, a plurality of dynamic range compression comparators configured to provide a plurality of signals indicative of an amplitude of an output signal of the output stage, a first voltage divider configured to provide an automatic gain control threshold to the automatic gain control comparator, and a second voltage divider configured to receive the automatic gain control threshold and to provide a plurality of range compression thresholds to the plurality of dynamic range compression comparators.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for enabling multiple users to concurrently access a PC-based server in a home local area network using conventional TVs as display devices. A client system includes a TV, conventional input devices, such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a set top box for interfacing the TV to the network. The server maintains a system work area and multiple processes corresponding to user applications. The system work area is partitioned in the server into multiple independent, simultaneously active desktops, one desktop for each of the client systems. Individual processes are mapped to the appropriate desktop. Multiple frame buffers are maintained in the server, such that a different frame buffer is assigned to each client system. Each desktop is rendered within the server and stored in the corresponding frame buffer. The contents of each frame buffer are transmitted over a transmission medium to the set top box of the corresponding client system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing operation of an n-bit counter with carry inputs in an electronic system. The n-bit counter is divided into a high section and a low section. An external carry is forced to the lowest significant bit of the high section. All states of both sections of the counter are clocked, each state of each of the sections being clocked simultaneously with a corresponding state of the other of the sections. The natural carry is selected so that, at the next clock cycle, when the low section is set at the highest count, the highest significant bit of the low section is carried to the lowest significant bit of the high section.