Abstract: A USB (universal serial bus) controllable power supply and method for supplying power to a circuit board device under test (DUT) via a controllable power supply. The power supply employs a USB interface to communicate with external devices, such as a host computer. In response to power supply control commands from the host computer, the controllable power supply provides various power outputs at various external connectors, including main power, ATX12V power, and peripheral power to be used for peripheral devices corresponding to a DUT test apparatus. The controllable power supply also provides a built-in short circuit check function, and monitors the voltage levels of its power outputs to ensure they are within predefined limits. The power supply also supports emergency shutdown operations, and provides an EOS (emergency overstress) function. In one embodiment, the power supply includes an integrated USB hub.

Abstract: A method/process for repeater insertion in the absence of timing constraints. Delays are optimized for multi-receiver and multi-layer nets and can be introduced in the early steps of design planning. It serves as a tool for interconnect prediction as well as planning. In the presented formulation, no restrictions are made on where the repeaters are added or what the topology of the net is. The tabulated results demonstrate improvement (speed ups) using the method/process of the present invention. The present invention runs in linear time and achieves better results that the existing dynamic programming formulation and other published heuristics. Polarity in a circuit design is corrected by traversing the circuit and carrying backwards a cost of fixing the polarity. On a subsequent traversal, buffers inserted fix the polarity.

Abstract: An emergency warning network including a base station for broadcasting a warning signal and a first, earth-orbiting satellite for receiving the warning signal and rebroadcasting such to extend the range of communications of the base station. A first substation receives the warning signal and broadcasts a first forwarding signal in response thereto to a first portable receiver. A second substation also receives the warning signal and broadcasts a second forwarding signal in response thereto via a second, earth-orbiting satellite to a first branch station. The first branch station broadcasts a third forwarding signal in response to the second forwarding signal to a second portable receiver. A second branch station also receives the second forwarding signal via the second, earth-orbiting satellite and broadcasts a fourth forwarding signal to a third portable receiver.

Abstract: Apparatus for communication for a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, the SCADA system comprising: an enterprise server; at least one intelligent electronic device (RTU), wherein the RTU measures a physical process and stores digital data representative of the measurement in a memory area for transmission; a configuration tool (AES) linking the SCADA server with the RTU; a connection device (TAC) for installing the SCADA system on related software program; a gel encapsulation layer (GEL), the method comprising the steps of: (1) communicating a command from the enterprise server to said RTU via the AES to configure said RTU; (2) permitting said RTU to receive data input and to store said data; and (3) transmitting said data back from the RTU to the enterprise server.

Abstract: An ambient condition detector incorporates a common radiant energy source to carry out a first, sensing, function and a second, information transmitting function. The source can generate a beam to implement a fire sensing function. In addition, modulated radiant energy emitted from the source can be remotely sensed to determine detector status or internal parameter values. In an alternate embodiment, a source of radiant energy can be configured at an exterior periphery of the detector and information can be wirelessly transmitted therefrom using one or more analog modulation processes.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating over networks, particularly generally-linear networks such as a netowrk of railcars in a railway train. The disclosed system and method include the relaying of packets which may contain plural messages down a line of nodes. Acknowledgement of the packets is obtained implicitly by listening to a subsequenct relay of the packet and retransmission of the packet is effected on a diverse antenna in the event of non-acknowledgement. Message bandwidth is shared among the nodes of the system by a message priority system and by the reservation of portions of a packet for certain types of messages. Message bandwidth is also shared by the use of groups of nodes as relay particpiants and by periodically changing the group which is peforming the relay operations.