Abstract: A computer system includes a system unit and a peripheral device connected by an electrical connection. The peripheral device includes a main power switch that turns power off within both the peripheral device and the system unit, together with a drive indicator light that is turned on to indicate when data is being written or read at a hard disk drive within the system unit. Preferably, the peripheral device is a display device including a screen and receiving a video signal from the system unit, with a power indicator light indicating whether power is on and whether the system unit is running in an operational state or in a suspended state. The peripheral device can also be used with a system unit not having these capabilities.

Abstract: A computing system includes a number of circuit cards fastened by brackets to a slotted panel, which has slots allowing the attachment of external cables to the circuit cards. Electrical grounding between the slotted panel and the brackets is achieved through the use of a conductive gasket extending along an inner surface of the slotted panel. The conductive gasket includes a central web, a number of contact bumps extending from the central web to the slotted panel, and a number of contact bumps extending from the central web to the brackets. Contact bumps thus extending in opposite directions are placed in alternating positions along the central web, so that the central web is deflected as the contact gasket is compressed.

Abstract: A device for reading magnetically encoded data on a document, such as a strip of characters printed in magnetic ink along the lower edge of a check, executes a subroutine to determine whether each character, as it is read, is legitimate. This error detection may be done by comparing recognized code patterns with legitimate code patterns, or by comparing a signal representing the strength of the signal derived from the output of the magnetic read head reading the data with a predetermined level. If an error is detected, the magnetically encoded data is read and checked again, as often as need up to a predetermined number of attempts to read the data.