Abstract: A method for upgrading firmware in an embedded system and an embedded system (110) provided with means for upgrading firmware received over a network (30) are disclosed. The method for upgrading firmware is performed from a client computer (10) to the embedded system (110) via a network connection by letting a virtual file system (122) of the embedded system (110) being shared with a client computer (10). The embedded system (110) is provided with means for upgrading firmware received over a network (30), and comprises a volatile memory (150), a persistent memory (160), a protocol stack (180) for communication over a network (30). Further it comprises a virtual file system (122), which is shareable with an operating system of a client computer (10) via the network (30), and a control means (128) for controlling a file intended for the virtual file system. Further the control means (128) comprises means for checking the characteristics of the file, and means for storing a file in the volatile memory.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an asynchronous interface for communication between two devices. It comprises signalling lines and at least eight data lines and is especially suitable for connections over short distances the interface provides a signal ground line, power supply line, power supply ground line and seven signalling lines between the two devices. The present invention also presents a method for communication by an asynchronous interface. The method comprises a procedure for changing the transmission direction from a forward direction to a reverse direction, a procedure for transmitting data in the reverse direction and a procedure for changing back the transmission direction to the forward direction from the reverse direction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for A/D conversion is provided. The apparatus provides for multi-channel A/D conversion. It may be used in any application in which A/D conversion of either a single signal or multiple signal sources is required. Such applications include X-DSL communications. The apparatus and method allows A/D converters to be fabricated with reduced cost and power when compared with prior art designs. The A/D converter comprises a sampler, a converter and a logic. The sampler includes an input coupled with at least one analog information signal. The sampler repetitively provides at least one pre-sample together with a sample of the analog information signal. The sampling interval between the samples is substantially greater than a pre-sample interval between the pre-sample and the corresponding sample. The converter includes a bit line output and at least one input coupled with the output of said sampler.

Abstract: The current invention provides a method and apparatus for determining insertion loss in wireline communication systems. The method may be implemented with any modulation protocol but is particularly suited for multi-carrier modulation protocols such as discrete multi-tone (DMT). The method for calculation of the insertion loss uses a received signal and a discrete subset of frequency ranges, e.g. DMT tones, within that signal. For each of the subset of frequency ranges the average received power on each of the selected set of tones is determined. Next the average power on each received subset of tones is converted to log2 using a simple log2 estimation circuit that avoids the complexity associated with log tables and other prior art methods of computing logarithms. Then the sum of the log2 of the average power received in each of the selected subset of tone bins is determined.

Abstract: The current invention provides a method and apparatus for downconverting received digital data from the elevated frequencies at which the data is modulated. Various multi-tone communications systems (such as DMT in wire-line communication or OFDM in wireless communication) operate by up-converting output of the modulated signal at the output of the IFFT from baseband to a higher center frequency. Therefore, at the receiver, the inverse operation is required. At the receiver the signal must be down-converted to baseband before being available for processing by the FFT. In this invention, a simplified converter is provided, where the complex multiplication required by prior art downconverters is avoided, thus simplify the downconversion process and reducing power requirements. The apparatus and method may be implemented on a physical modem or a logical modem with the logical modem including a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to an analog front end (AFE).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer chip having integrated thereon a CPU, and a cache system being interconnected, and at least one synchronization unit. The chip is setable in one of at least two different running modes, a first one thereof being a DUT mode, and a second one thereof being a MONITOR mode. The MONITOR mode is complementary to the DUT mode. The chip additionally comprises a debug bus connectable to another identical chip for communicating signals enabling the chip and said another chip to run in parallel while said chips being in complementary modes. Said signals comprises synchronization signals generated by said synchronization unit. The present invention further relates to a computer apparatus, and a debugging system both employing at least one such chip.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for minimizing in band distortion in the transmit path of an XDSL modem. The transmit path of an XDSL modem introduces various non-linearities into transmissions in both the frequency and time domains. The current invention provides a means for both determining and correcting for distortion in the time domain. In an embodiment of the invention the apparatus may include a calibrator which may be implemented using the existing analog-to-digital (ADC) conversion and demodulation capabilities on the receive path of the modem or alternately, a dedicated module. During a calibration phase a training signal is injected digitally into the digital-to-analog converter of the transmit path. The analog portion of the transmit path is coupled to a calibrator which measures the corresponding analog response. The correlation between input and response is stored in an analog model.