Abstract: An estimator program is disclosed which performs method steps for estimating the availability of an application program that runs on any computer in a cluster of at least two computers. By the availability of an application program is herein meant the probability that at any particular time instant, at least one of the computers in the cluster will actually be servicing requests from external workstations to use the application program. In one embodiment, the estimator program begins by receiving input parameters which include 1) multiple downtime periods for each computer in the cluster that occur at respective frequencies due to various downtime sources, and 2) an application failover time period for switching the running of the application program from any one computer to another.

Abstract: An electromechanical apparatus for testing chips includes a pivoting springy mechanism which squeezes a chip holding subassembly between a temperature regulating subassembly and a power converter subassembly. This mechanism is comprised of a first arm that has a first pivotal joint, and a second arm that is coupled by a second pivotal joint to the first arm. An actuator is coupled to the first arm, and the actuator pivots the first arm from an open position to a closed position. In the open position, the angle between the arms is large; and the subassemblies are spaced apart. In the closed position, the angle between the arms is small but variable within a predetermined range; and the subassemblies are pressed together. This range of angles occurs due to various manufacturing tolerances and due to variable length stops that adjust the force with which the temperature regulating subassembly is pressed against the chip holding subassembly.

Abstract: An electromechanical apparatus for testing integrated chips includes a chip holding subassembly, a power converter subassembly, and a temperature regulating subassembly, which are squeezed together in multiple sets, by respective pressing mechanisms. One benefit which is achieved with this electromechanical apparatus is that by pressing the temperature regulating subassembly against the chip holding subassembly, heat can be added/removed from the chips by conduction; and thus the temperature of the chips can be regulated accurately. Another benefit which is achieved with this electromechanical apparatus is that by pressing the power converter subassembly against the chip holding subassembly, the distance between the chips that are tested and the power supplies for those chips is made small. Consequently, the chip voltages can easily be kept constant while the chip power dissipation changes rapidly as the chips are tested.

Abstract: A connector for sending power to an IC-chip thru four pressed joints in series includes a solid conductive block having a top surface with a first pair of spaced-apart channels and a bottom surface with a second pair of spaced apart channels. The connector also includes a first springy contact having a center section which touches the top surface of the block in the space between the first pair of channels, and having two ends which are held by the first pair of channels. The connector further includes a second springy contact having a center section which touches the bottom surface of the block in the space between the second pair of channels, and having two ends which are held by the second pair of channels.

Abstract: Heterogeneous data is transferred from a first computer to a second computer such that a) the data includes multiple data types in respective formats that are native to the first computer but are foreign to the second computer, and b) meaningful interrelationships among the multiple data types are conveyed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package is processed by a grinding step, a dissolving step, and a disintegrating step. The grinding step grinds an IC-chip completely off of a substrate, and it also grinds a first portion of a filler layer and a first portion of a set of solder balls which attach the IC-chip to the substrate. This leaves a partial filler layer and partial solder balls on the substrate. The dissolving step dissolves the partial filler layer off of the substrate after the grinding step; and the disintegration step disintegrates at least part of each partial solder ball by subjecting the partial solder balls on the substrate to ultrasonic vibration after the dissolving step. These steps leave the substrate with small solder mounds that can be easily attached to another IC-chip with another set of solder balls.

Abstract: A connector for making multiple pressed co-axial connections is comprised of an electrically conductive block which has a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of signal holes which extend from the top surface to the bottom surface, and a ground terminal. Top and bottom electrically insulative plates are respectively attached to the top and bottom surfaces of the block. Each plate has alignment holes that are aligned with the signal holes; lying in each signal hole is the body of a respective signal contact; and each signal contact has two springy probes which extend from the body thru respective alignment holes in the top and bottom plates. These springy probes are for contacting external signal pads, and they hold the body of each signal contact such that it is surrounded by a uniform air gap in the center of its respective signal hole.

Abstract: A method of assembling a pressed joint between an integrated circuit module and a temperature regulating unit includes the steps of: 1) providing the integrated circuit module with a contact surface of a first material and providing the temperature regulating unit with a contact surface of a second material; 2) coating the contact surface of the temperature regulating unit with a metal alloy which adheres in a solid state to the second material but not the first material; 3) heating the metal alloy to a slurry/liquid state; and 4) squeezing the slurry/liquid alloy between the contact surfaces on the integrated circuit module and the temperature regulating unit.

Abstract: A data processing system is comprised of: a system bus having a main memory coupled thereto; multiple high level cache memories, each of which has a first port coupled to said system bus and a second port coupled to a respective processor bus; and each processor bus being coupled through respective low level cache memories to respective digital computers. In the high level cache memories, data words are stored with respective tag bits which identify each data word as being stored in one of only four states which are shared, modified, invalid, or exclusive. In the low level cache memories, data words are stored with respective tag bits which identify each data word as being stored in only one of three states which are shared, modified or invalid.

Abstract: A mechanical assembly for regulating the temperature of a chip is comprised of a heat exchanger which has a face for mating with a planar surface on the chip. A frame is coupled to the heat exchanger such that the face of the heat exchanger is exposed and can contact the planar surface of the chip. And, the face of the heat exchanger has a shape which makes contact with the entire planar surface on the chip except for each of its corners. One particular embodiment of the heat exchanger has four grooves which extend from the face and which respectively align with the corners of the chip. Due to those grooves, initial contact between the face on the heat exchanger and the planar surface on the chip occurs on an edge of the chip which is spaced-apart from a corner. Consequently, the chance of breaking the tip of a corner off of the chip is reduced.

Abstract: A receiver circuit has a high threshold of 3.3÷2 volts and maximum noise margin. This is achieved by making two transistors in the receiver have channel resistances, under the condition whereas input line carries 3.3÷2 volts and a control line carries 0 volts, that generate an output signal as a first resistance ratio which when multiplied by a supply voltage equals 3.3÷2 volts. Further, the receiver also has a low threshold of 2.5÷2 volts and maximum noise margin. This is achieved by making the above two transistors, plus two other transistors in the receiver, have respective channel resistances under the condition where the input line carries 2.5÷2 volts and the control signal line carries 3.3 volts, that generate the output signal as a second resistance ratio which when multiplied by the supply voltage again equals 3.3÷2 volts.

Abstract: A mechanical assembly for regulating the temperature of an integrated circuit chip is comprised of a frame which has at least two spaced-apart spring supports. Respective leaf springs extend from each of the spring supports towards each other. And, a heat exchanger lies in the space between the spring supports, attaches to all of the leaf springs, and has a face for mating with the chip. With this assembly, the heat exchanger exerts a very small force at its initial point of contact on the chip; the length of the leaf springs do not add to the profile of the assembly; no slippage occurs between the heat exchanger and the chip; and, the leaf springs prevent the heat exchanger from twisting and becoming offset relative to the chip.

Abstract: A method of recognizing an unknown object includes the following steps: receiving from a camera, a first image of the unknown object which is comprised of an array of pixels of multiple magnitudes that lie within a certain range; generating a second image from the first image by scaling the pixel magnitudes in the first image such that differences in the scaled pixel magnitudes are increased and the average pixel magnitude lies near the middle of the pixel range; and, determining the width of the unknown object by detecting an area in the second image where the pixel magnitudes exceed a certain threshold level. Based on that width, a third image is generated from the second image, by adjusting the magnification of the second image such that it has a predetermined standard width; and the unknown object is identified if a correlation between the third image and a reference exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: An input image is comprised of an array of pixels in rows and columns having P.sub.R pixels-per-row and P.sub.C pixels-per-column. To generate a scaled replica of the input image, the number of pixels-per-row P.sub.R ' and the number of pixels-per-column P.sub.C ' that are to be in the scaled replica are selected, where P.sub.R ' and P.sub.C ' are positive integers which can be larger or smaller than P.sub.R and P.sub.C. Then the input image is distorted such that the spacing between columns is (P.sub.R '-1)x and the spacing between rows is (P.sub.C '-1)y, where x and y are arbitrary units of distance, such as one inch or one meter. Then the distorted input image is overlaid with a new row-column array, where the spacing between columns is (P.sub.R -1)x and the spacing between rows is (P.sub.C -1)y, and where x and y are the same units of distance that are in the distorted input image.

Abstract: An emulated computer system includes an instruction processor which directly executes a set of native instructions. Stored in a memory, which is coupled to the instruction processor, are a plurality of foreign user programs and a foreign operating system, each of which is a compilation of foreign instructions and data. Also stored in the memory is an emulator program which is a compilation of the native instructions that interprets the foreign instructions, and a native operating system which is a compilation of the native instructions under which the emulator program is run. To diagnose faults in this emulated computer system, a heterogeneous diagnostic program is provided in the memory, which is a compilation of the native instructions that reads the foreign user programs and foreign operating system from the memory and stores them in a reformatted form on a magnetic media.

Abstract: A novel vector quantization encoding system comprises a conventional vector formatter and a novel gross quantizer. The vector formatter generates vectors to be searched in a full code book of vectors. The gross quantizer generates pointers indicative of subsets of vector indices. The vector indices are indicative of groups of vectors to be searched in the full code book that are substantially less in number than the number of vectors in the full code book. A search controller is employed to search only the subset of vectors in the full code book and produce as an output the index of the one vector in the full code book closest to the formatted vector being searched so that the quality of a full code book searched is made faster without degradation of a full code book search.

Abstract: A computer for executing I/O instructions, by emulation, in a foreign application program includes an emulator program which has a Send thread, a Get thread, and single Result thread. The Send thread calls into a native operating system for the computer to send data from the foreign application program to an I/O port. The Get thread calls into the native operating system to receive data from the I/O port for the foreign application program. The Result thread processes one result descriptor from the native operating system when data is sent for the Send thread, and processes another result descriptor from the native operating system when data is received for the Get thread, and is completely blocked from running on the computer between the processing of the result descriptors.

Abstract: A mechanical assembly for regulating the temperature of an integrated circuit chip is comprised of a frame which has two spaced-apart spring supports. A single leaf spring extends from one of the spring supports to the other. A heat exchanger contacts the leaf spring at one point, pushes the leaf spring against the spring supports, and has a face for mating with the chip. And, a stop is provided between the heat exchanger and the frame, which keeps the heat exchanger on the leaf spring. With this assembly the heat exchanger exerts a very small force at its initial point of contact on the chip; the length of the single leaf spring does not add to the profile of the assembly; no slippage occurs between the heat exchanger and the chip; and, the stop prevents the heat exchanger from twisting and becoming offset relative to the chip.

Abstract: An electromechanical assembly, having a pressed joint with a low thermal resistance which is residue free when disassembled, includes: 1) an integrated circuit module having a contact surface of a first material; 2) a temperature regulating unit having a contact surface of a second material which faces the contact surface of the first material and which is separated therefrom by a gap; and, 3) a film of a metal alloy, which substantially fills the gap, and which is limited to an alloy that adheres in a solid state to the second material but not the first material. Preferred alloys for filling the gap include combinations of two or more metals which are selected from the group of lead, tin, bismuth, cadmium, indium, and antimony. Preferred first materials for the contact surface on the integrated circuit module to which the alloy does not adhere include silicon dioxide, aluminum nitrite, silicon and ceramic.

Abstract: I/O columns are cast on the I/O pads of an electronic component via a process which uses a template that has a set of alignment holes, and a set of casting holes, and an additional set of pin holes that are interspersed with the casting holes. Initially, the template is placed in a fixture such that the casting holes align with the I/O pads of the electronic component. Next, the template is covered with a mask that exposes all of the casting holes but blocks all of the pin holes. Then the exposed casting holes in the template are filled with a solid metallic material. Next the mask is removed, and the metallic material in the casting holes is melted and re-solidified to thereby form the I/O columns on the I/O pads. Then the electronic component with its I/o columns is separated from the template by pushing on the component with pins that are passed through the pin holes in the template.