Abstract: Means and method are disclosed for managing data while a RAID system is recovering from a media error. As a media error occurs, the failing storage device is identified and the areas of failure are recorded in non-volatile storage. A data recovery process is then continued so that a maximum amount of data can be recovered even though more than one error has occurred. Areas of failure are recorded in both non-volatile memory on the RAID adapter card and also in reserved areas of remaining storage devices. The storage areas that have been detected to contain media errors are stripe number, stripe unit number and also down to the sector number level of granularity. When the user tries to access data, these records are checked. If there is an entry in the table for a stripe being accessed, the user will receive an error message. Although the user may lose a small portion of the data, the user is only presented with an error message instead of incorrect data. The table can also be checked on write operations.

Abstract: A plurality of shock absorbing feet are formed by extruding a resilient material into an elongated shape having a hole that extends in the direction of elongation. Next, the elongated shape is cut into sections to form individual feet, each foot having a hole that extends from one end to the other. A plurality of tabs are attached to a disk drive or other computer sub-system carrier at one end of each tab, while the other end of each tab extends out from the carrier in a direction substantially parallel to a table or other resting surface on which the carrier can be placed. Each foot is attached to a unique one of the tabs by sliding the feet over the tabs such that the tabs are inserted into the holes in the feet.

Abstract: An injection molded carrier for a disk drive or other electronic component includes two rails for slidable insertion into a chassis. Each rail includes a flexible end portion, which are joined to opposite ends of a flexible handle. Each flexible end portion includes a latch for engaging a detent in the chassis when the carrier is fully inserted into the chassis, thereby locking the carrier in the chassis. To withdraw the carrier from the chassis, the user applies an outward force to the center of the handle. This force causes the handle to bend outward which, in turn, causes the flexible end portions to bend inward, thereby disengaging the latches from the detents to permit the removal of the carrier from the chassis. A wire form includes a body portion and two legs that are angled outward from opposite ends of the body portion. To attach the disk drive to the carrier, the two legs are inserted through holes in the rails and into holes in the disk drive.

Abstract: A connector for use in a computer is arranged so as to accept an adapter card and a card insulator. The adapter card is inserted into one or more first openings. The card insulator is inserted into one or more second openings. The connector has an insulating molding common to the first and second openings.

Abstract: A computer system has a central processing unit (“CPU”) and a plurality of peripheral devices. A bus interconnects the CPU and the peripheral devices. Command signals are transmitted over the bus including an initiator ready signal (“IRDY”), a device select signal (“DEVSEL”) and a target ready signal (“TRDY”). First and second direct memory access devices (“DMA”) are connected to the bus and assigned the same address space. First and second switches selectively connect and disconnect the DEVSEL and TRDY signals that are output from the first and second DMA devices, respectively. Controller logic receives the DEVSEL and TRDY signals and directs the opening and closing of the first and second switches.

Abstract: A disk drive enclosure houses a mix of “slim” and “half high” disk drive sizes in almost any order. The preferred enclosure includes at least thirteen equi-spaced pairs of guide rails, wherein each pair of rails includes one rail on one side panel of the enclosure, and the other rail of the other side panel of the enclosure. Each pair of guide rails defines a boundary of a “slot”, such that twelve slots are defined between thirteen pairs of guide rails. Groups of slots are defined, wherein each group includes six contiguous slots. For each group of six slots, four connectors are included on a back panel of the enclosure. Within each group of six slots, the four connectors are positioned within the first, third, fourth and fifth slots, and no connectors are positioned in the second and sixth slots.

Abstract: A redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) includes a plurality of disk drives organized as a plurality of stripes, wherein each stripe includes a plurality of stripe units. A host processor system sends write commands in write-through mode to a RAID controller, some of which are immediately processed by the controller, and others of which are temporarily stored in a stash. Commands stored in the stash for data writes that only partially fill a stripe may be coalesced with another write command that also only partially fills the same stripe. This coalescing occurs for commands for data writes that span one or more stripes, and that may start or stop in the middle of a stripe, as well as in the middle of a stripe unit. In addition, two different commands for writing data to different stripe units, but from the same stripe, can also be coalesced. The coalescing of write commands in the stash reduces the number of disk I/O's and improves data throughput.

Abstract: A computer has at least one adapter card slot for receiving an optional adapter card. A cover plate is rotatable hinged and has open and closed positions. In the closed position, the cover plate covers the adapter card slot and inhibits the insertion or removal of an adapter card. When the cover plate is raised into the open position, a tab on the back of the cover plate is rotated out of the slot of an optical switch, and the optical switch then signals circuitry to remove power and bus signals from the adapter card slot; thereby permitting the adapter card to be removed from or inserted into the slot without removing power to the entire computer. When the cover plate is returned to the closed position, the tab is reinserted into the slot of the optical switch, which in turn signals the circuitry to return power and bus signals to the adapter card slot.

Abstract: In a computer system in which adapter cards can be “hot plugged” into an I/O bus connector, a serially connected resistor and “voltage feedback” switch is coupled between the power supply pin of each I/O connector and the power supply input port that regulates the voltage at the output port of the power supply. Another resistor, which has a resistance greater than each of the resistors coupled to the I/O connectors, is connected between the input and output ports of the power supply to provide voltage feedback to regulate the output voltage of the power supply in the event that power to all of the I/O connectors is switched OFF. The power to an individual I/O connector is turned OFF before an adapter card is plugged into or removed from an I/O connector, and the power is turned ON immediately after the card is plugged into the connector.

Abstract: A removable card insulator and guide prevents inadvertent shorting during the insertion or removal of an adapter card into a "hot-plug" computer system. The card insulator includes perpendicular first and second planar portions. When installed in a computer system, the first planar portion is positioned perpendicular to the motherboard, and the second planar portion is positioned parallel to the motherboard such that any components on the motherboard are positioned between the second planar portion and the motherboard. The second planar portion includes a slot through which an adapter card connector can be passed to mate with a connector on the motherboard. A step has perpendicular riser and tread portions, wherein the riser is attached perpendicular to the second planar portion, such that the tread is parallel to and offset from the second planar portion.

Abstract: A computer system includes a housing that is divided into three compartments; two fan compartments, each containing a fan, and a third compartment containing heat generating electronic components. The air discharged from the fans flows through outlets in the fan compartments and into the third compartment to cool the electronic components. A single baffle is rotatably coupled between the two fan compartments using a vertically oriented hinge. When one of the fans fails, the air pressure from the working fan rotates the baffle until it covers the outlet of the fan compartment containing the failed fan. This enhances the flow of air from the working fan into the third compartment, and restricts the reverse flow of air through the dead fan compartment. When both fans are functioning, air pressure from both fans moves the baffle to a "midway" or "neutral" position, such that the air from both fans flows into the third compartment.

Abstract: A driver circuit includes both a conventional three state mode of operation and a five state operating mode. In the three state mode of operation, the output of the driver can be in logical 0 or logical 1 "voltage source" states, as well as a very high impedance state. In addition to these three states, the output of the driver in the five state mode of operation can also be in logical 1 and logical 0 "current source" states. The voltage source states are characterized by low output impedance (e.g., 30 Ohms), while the current source states are characterized by higher output impedance (e.g., 600 Ohms). The driver circuit is particularly useful for eliminating turnaround cycles on a multiplexed address/data bus. When coupled to such a bus, the clock line is used to select the voltage source mode during the first half of the clock cycle, and the current source mode during the last half of the clock cycle.

Abstract: A data transmission method and apparatus, by which, when coded and compressed image data are transmitted in the form of packet composed of a fixed bit length, image data can be desirably transmitted, even though a band width given to image data is dynamically changed. The data transmission method mixes coded and compressed voice data and coded and compressed image data together, and transmits resultant data to a network in the form of packet composed of a fixed bit length.

Abstract: A snap latch device has a handle with a pair of cam members extending from a lower end. The device also has a flexible snap which protrudes from the handle. The front end of the snap has a barbed lip. The device is designed to interlock a shuttle assembly to a stationary chassis. The device is pivotally mounted to the shuttle which carries a board with connectors. The device is movable between an engaged position and a retracted position. In the engaged position, the cam members engage an end wall on the chassis and the snap inserts through and engages a hole in the shuttle. The mechanical interlock between the cam members and the end wall rigidly secures the shuttle in the chassis. The device is moved to the retracted position by pulling back on the snap to dislodge the barbed lip. This release allows the device to rotate so that the cam members disengage the end wall. After the snap and cam members are clear of the hole and end wall, respectively, the shuttle may be completely removed from the chassis.

Abstract: Because correct configuration data is essential to the operation of any RAID system, and because multiple copies of the configuration data are kept, not only in the RAID controller itself, but also in each disk drive unit in the configuration, it is imperative that the various copies of the configuration data do not become "out of synchronization", which means that one or more copies of the configuration data are different from one or more other copies of the configuration data. To maintain synchronization of all copies of the configuration data, the current invention compares the configuration data stored in the RAID controllers' NVRAM to that of the current system, and records any new, non-responding, repositioned or unidentified storage devices in a change list.

Abstract: A means for preserve cache consistency is provided for a system comprising a central processing unit, a first physical memory, a second physical memory for which the address is common to the first physical memory in at least some duplicated address range of the entire physical address, a cache memory, and a memory controller, wherein the first or second physical memory is selected depending on the operation mode. Flag bits are provided in a tag memory of the cache for information identifying the data source. The cache then does not determine a cache hit/miss only based on whether data related to a CPU requested address exists in the cache, but determines whether the source of data requested by the CPU is consistent with the source of data stored in the cache by taking into account information on the operation mode simultaneously sent from the CPU. A cache hit is determined only when such two conditions are met.

Abstract: A display device includes a cathode for emitting electrons and a permanent magnet. A two dimensional array of channels extends between opposite poles of the magnet. The magnet generates, in each channel, a magnetic field for forming electrons from the cathode into an electron beam. A screen receives an electron beam from each channel. The screen has a phosphor coating facing the side of the magnet remote from the cathode. The phosphor coating comprises a plurality of pixels each corresponding to a different channel. A grid electrode is disposed between the cathode and the magnet for controlling flow of electrons from the cathode into each channel. A deflection sequentially addresses the electron beam from each channel to each pixel of the corresponding group. Rotational alignment APPARATUS aligns electron beams from the channels with corresponding pixels of the phosphor coating.

Abstract: The present invention enables a visually impaired user to freely and easily control hyper text. A voice synthesis program orally reads hyper text on the Internet. In synchronization with this reading, the system focuses on a link keyword that is most closely related to the location where reading is currently being performed. When an instruction "jump to link destination" is input (by voice or with a key), the program control can jump to the link destination for the link keyword that is being focused on. Further, the reading of only a link keyword can be instructed.