Abstract: An apparatus for reading and writing information on a laser writable rotatable storage medium employs a single laser source. Part of the laser beam is diverted and made to move in an oscillatory manner across an edge of an embedded track. The other portion of the beam is used for reading and writing. To avoid overloading reading detector circuits, an enable switch is provided which responds to read/write control signals.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the positioning of a laser light source for reading and writing information on a form of recording blank with reference tracks utilizes the edges of the reference tracks. A laser source has its beam split in two parts. A first of these beams is used for writing, while the second of these beams is directed to a track edge across which it is moved in an oscillatory fashion by a mirror. The light reflected from the track is converted into an electrical signal which is analyzed to provide an indication of the position of the laser light source with respect to the track edge used.

Abstract: A turnbuckle mechanism having threaded yokes disposed at opposite ends of the turnbuckle is employed together with eyebolts disposed within the yoke portions of the threaded yokes as a means for providing a retention device for anchoring relatively heavy computer and/or other equipment in position during seismological events. The electrical equipment is disposed within a frame which preferably includes a plurality of metal plates disposed at the bottom thereof. The frame is also provided with casters which permit the equipment to be rolled conveniently into place and then anchored firmly into position using a small number of pins which extend through the threaded yokes and eyebolts. There is provided an easily assemblable and economical apparatus which preferably includes a multiplicity of energy absorption points which help to prevent damage to the expensive computer frame and which further assists in maintaining computer operations at peak levels even during certain seismological activity.

Abstract: Relatively heavy electrical equipment, such as a computer mainframe or server unit, is provided with a mechanism which prevents and/or mitigates damage to the equipment caused by seismological or other activity. In particular, the mechanism comprises a turnbuckle having threaded yokes disposed at opposite ends of the turnbuckle together with eyebolts disposed within the yoke portions of the threaded yokes as a means for providing a retention device for anchoring relatively heavy computer and/or other equipment in position during seismological events. The electrical equipment is disposed within a frame which preferably includes a plurality of metal plates disposed at the bottom thereof. The frame is also provided with casters which permit the equipment to be rolled conveniently into place and then anchored firmly into position using a small number of pins which extend through the threaded yokes and eyebolts.

Abstract: An information storage system employs rotatable disks with embedded tracks for precise control of writing and reading operations. Advantage is taken of the reference tracks on one of the disks to also control laser spot positioning on the other side of the disk. The edges of the reference tracks are employed to assure accurate positioning and the presence of multiple information tracks between adjacent reference tracks.

Abstract: A system for reading from and writing on rotatable information media includes embedded reference tracks whose edges are used for precise information track positioning and also for precise laser source positioning. The nature of the returned signal is such that it can be used for monitoring the aging characteristics of the laser light source. Maximum and minimum values are gathered over time and stored in any convenient non-volatile storage device, even the disk itself.

Abstract: A laser beam is split into two beams. One beam is oscillatorily at a first frequency in a direction associated with control of beam focus within two or more layers of a rotatable information storage medium, that is, in a CD-ROM-like device. The second beam is oscillatorily varied at a second (different) frequency in a direction so that it moves back and forth across an edge of a reference track. Separate filters are used to examine the reflected light so as to simultaneously control positioning of the laser light source along two axes.

Abstract: In an emulation system, the emulation processors are grouped in clusters which are capable of interchanging information between both input memory stacks and data memory stacks associated with each of the processor elements. This capability significantly enhances the performance of emulation engines and, in particular, it provides a mechanism for emulation of memory array elements in computer systems in a more efficient and faster manner.

Abstract: A notebook or laptop style computer includes a visor which is attached to an upper edge of the screen. This visor includes electrical circuit components which typically have higher thermal load demands. The visor provides a mechanism for cooling these chips, particularly microprocessor chips. The system provides two related advantages, the first being placement of hot components in an area which is ideal for convective and radiational cooling. A second advantage is the removal of these components from the base unit which now contains other circuit components which are not subjected to high temperatures due to the presence of the components which have been removed and placed in or on the visor.

Abstract: A method for patterning an insulative layer with high precision to accommodate the pitch reduction of wiring conductors and forming insulating layers that are superior in insulation performance, migration resistance, etc. is disclosed. According to the method, there are provided a first step of forming a pattern having openings on a surface by using a high resolution material, a second step of forming an insulating layer of a reliable second insulating material in spaces between the residual first resist material and a third step of removing the residual resist material. The pattern formation is preferably performed by using an ultraviolet-curable resin, to form a precision pattern. Since a highly reliable, thermosetting resin remains on the substrate in an actual product, superior properties of migration resistance and adhesiveness with the substrate can be obtained.

Abstract: Capping a low resistivity metal conductor line or via with a refractory metal allows for effectively using chemical-mechanical polishing techniques because the-hard, reduced wear, properties of the refractory metal do not scratch, corrode, or smear during chemical-mechanical polishing. Superior conductive lines and vias are created using a combination of both physical vapor deposition (e.g., evaporation or collimated sputtering) of a low resistivity metal or alloy followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of a refractory metal and subsequent planarization. Altering a ratio of SiH.sub.4 to WF.sub.6 during application of the refractory metal cap by CVD allows for controlled incorporation of silicon into the tungsten capping layer. Collimated sputtering allows for creating a refractory metal liner in an opening in a dielectric which is suitable as a diffusion barrier to copper based metalizations as well as CVD tungsten.

Abstract: A cabinet with air inlet and exhaust openings includes one or more air-moving devices for the air cooling of circuit cards contained within the cabinet. The circuit cards are insertable into a board (back plane) which also contains an electronic circuit module which is cooled by at least one refrigeration system which may also be disposed within a portion of the cabinet. In one embodiment, a portion of the exhaust air stream is used to also cool a condenser portion of the refrigeration system. The refrigeration system is preferably a dual/redundant system with two distinct coolant loops passing through a single cold plate in contact with the circuit module.

Abstract: A cold plate includes two flow-wise isolated coolant (or refrigerant) passages (or sets of passages) for use in conjunction with separate refrigeration systems. The cold plate passages do not permit flow communication between distinct coolant (or refrigerant) paths. This permits two distinct cooling systems to operate in a redundant manner. Nonetheless, flow isolation is achieved while still maintaining tight thermal coupling between each path and the object, such as an electronic computer processor module, to be cooled.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for asynchronously transmitting data across fiber optical cables in a serial manner. Frames are provided as a mechanism to transmit associated data over a serial link and to tie the data being transmitted to a particular buffer set. Each outstanding request for each buffer set is individually timed to detect lost frames, and each buffer set maintains a state that keeps track of the progress and sequence of received frames. When transmission errors occur in the frames, the errors may affect only the information field in which case there is enough information in the header to identify the frame. If a frame is damaged, any outstanding operations for the affected buffer set are cleared, and any commands are brought to a logical ending point. The computer system which originates the frames is then notified of the specific nature of the error, and which information is supplied to help the originating computer system efficiently conclude the recovery procedure.

Abstract: A cold plate includes two flow-wise isolated coolant (or refrigerant) passages (or sets of passages) for use in conjunction with separate refrigeration systems. The cold plate passages do not permit flow communication between distinct coolant (or refrigerant) paths. This permits two distinct cooling systems to operate in a redundant manner. Nonetheless, flow isolation is achieved while still maintaining tight thermal coupling between each path and the object, such as an electronic computer processor module, to be cooled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus which provide field upgradability of an electrical system's air cooling capacity is provided. In particular, air-moving devices are disposed in an external enclosure which is mated with a base unit in such a way as to convert one of the base unit's exhaust ports to an added inlet port. Accordingly, thermal upgradability in the field is easily provided by removing lower capacity interior blowers, by providing and using an access port into the middle of the old air flow path and by attaching an exterior unit having increased air-moving capacity.

Abstract: A fault tolerant circuit having improved error correction and detection properties takes advantage of two distinct forms of information redundancy: modular redundancy and parity check bit redundancy, in a cooperative fashion. In particular, it is shown that simple majority voting logic circuits, when employed in the subject environment, provide an easily realized mechanism for error correction and error detection. This results in an extremely fault tolerant information system.

Abstract: A computer system and processing method are provided for coupling multiple physical processing nodes together, wherein each physical processing node is characterized as having its own memory, by either at least one channel which is independent of and coupled to the multiple physical processing nodes or by at least one input/output (I/O) processor, again which is independent of and coupled to the multiple physical processing nodes. The at least one channel and/or the at least one I/O processor couple the multiple physical processing nodes to at least one shared input/output device. Sharing of the at least one channel and/or at least one I/O processor is practical by providing "indirect logical addressing" using logical address tables within the channel subsystem. The logical address tables associate an image identifier (Image.sub.-- ID) and processing node identifier (PN.sub.-- ID) concatenation with an indexed logical address for use in communicating I/O operation parameters across the at least one channel.

Abstract: A cold plate includes two flow-wise isolated coolant (or refrigerant) passages (or sets of passages) for use in conjunction with separate refrigeration systems. The cold plate passages do not permit flow communication between distinct coolant (or refrigerant) paths. This permits two distinct cooling systems to operate in a redundant manner. Nonetheless, flow isolation is achieved while still maintaining tight thermal coupling between each path and the object, such as an electronic computer processor module, to be cooled.