Abstract: A leadless IC or other electronic circuit package socket is provided which is of simple construction providing low profile mounting of an IC package on a circuit board. The socket comprises a relative thin socket carrier having a plurality of resilient conductive columns extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the carrier and having alignment elements which are cooperative with elements on a circuit board on which the carrier is mounted to position the carrier on the circuit board such that the conductive columns are in registration and electrical contact with corresponding ones of contacts on the circuit board. An IC package or other circuit package has contacts on the bottom surface thereof in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the resilient conductive columns of the socket carrier, and also has alignment elements cooperative with elements on the socket carrier to provide alignment of the package contacts and the conductive columns when the package is mounted on the socket carrier.

Abstract: A conductive panel adapted to align and retain a printed circuit board modular device carrier assembly. The assembly includes a printed circuit board and a plurality of modular electronic device carriers, each sized to slidably receive a modular electronic device such as a Gigabit Interface Converter. The panel includes at least two generally rectangular openings oriented in a row of opening. The openings are sized to permit the modular electronic device to be slidably disposed therethrough. At least one inwardly extending conductive finger is provided integral with the panel and generally orthogonal to the inner panel surface adjacent the bottom edge of the opening and at least one inwardly extending finger is provided integral with the panel generally orthogonal to the inner panel surface adjacent the upper edge of the opening. The upper and lower fingers securely retain the printed circuit board carrier assembly therebetween when the carrier assembly and panel are in assembled relation.

Abstract: In a link-level flow controlled system, a method and apparatus providing the ability to partition a buffer resource among multiple prioritized buffer subsets through definition of at least one threshold, the buffer resource being shared by a plurality of connections. Different category of service levels, in terms of delay bounds, are thus enabled. The presently disclosed link-level flow controlled system provides for zero cell loss. The shared buffer resource is divided among N priority pools, defined by N-1 threshold levels, each priority pool attributable to a respective category of service. Link-level counters and registers, disposed in a transmit element, as well as an indication of priority level associated with each connection, are employed in realizing the shared buffer resource.

Abstract: A charge balancing circuit incorporates a voltage threshold which determines when to initiate a charge balance mode in order to equalize the level of charge in at least two cells of a multi-cell battery pack. Charge balancing is initiated when the voltage level of a first cell reaches this second threshold. Charge balancing then continues by modifying the charges of the first balance cell and a second reference lesser charged cell until the voltage levels of the first and second cells are equal. A subsequent charge cycle will result in the cell with the greatest charge being balanced with another of lesser charge. In this manner, all of the cells of a multi-cell battery pack are charge balanced over the course of plural charge cycles.

Abstract: A ring generator circuit provides both a ring signal and talk battery to a subscriber telephone line. The ring generator recognizes whether talk battery voltage or a ring signal voltage is required and supplies the right voltage without the use of external relays. A switching network is coupled to the primary of a transformer to generate AC power at the transformer secondary. The switches intermittently conduct current from a DC power source through the primary of the transformer at a frequency substantially greater than the ring signal. A rectifier circuit converts the generated AC power into DC power to be provided to the telephone line. A sampling circuit samples the AC power, and the sampled power is additively combined with the DC power from the rectifier to form a ring signal component whose frequency is equal to the difference between the sampling frequency and the AC power frequency.

Abstract: At least a portion of the data units in a bridge/router are processed by logic circuits according to cast type. The cast type, source address and destination address of an incoming data unit are determined by examining the header. For a unicast data unit, the source address and destination address are employed to obtain a transmit port indicator from memory, and the unicast data unit is directed to the port indicated by the transmit port indicator. For a non-unicast data unit, the source address and destination address are employed to obtain a first port mask that indicates valid ports for receipt of the data unit and a second port mask that indicates valid ports for transmission of the data unit from memory. The first and second port masks are combined to generate a third port mask, and the non-unicast data unit is directed to the ports indicated by the third port mask.

Abstract: A plurality of substrates (10) are disposed in alternation and in contact with layers (12) which constitute sources of metal-based composition, each layer comprising a majority phase formed by the metal-based composition and a minority phase suitable for forming a structure for retaining and draining the metal-based composition when it is in the molten state. The batch is heated to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the metal-based composition such that the metal-based composition in the molten state can migrate from each source through the adjacent surface of the, or each, substrate adjacent to the source towards the inside of the substrate. The invention seeks in particular to incorporate a silicon-based composition in a thermostructural composite material, in particular a carbon-carbon composite material for siliciding purposes.

Abstract: An arbiter circuit is employed to isolate a processor from a plurality of Input/Output Application Specific Integrated Circuits ("I/O ASICs"). The processor is coupled to the arbiter through a control bus, an address bus and a data bus. The arbiter is coupled to the I/O ASICs through an extension of the control bus and a combined address/data bus. The arbiter manages control of the control bus extension and address/data bus to enable contemporaneous transmission ("broadcast") of messages to the I/O ASICs, and enable the processor to access the I/O ASICs. Only one of the I/O ASICs is granted control of the control bus extension and address/data bus at any point in time. The processor may also be granted sole control of the control bus extension and address/data bus.

Abstract: An automated door assembly is provided for sealing an opening in a barrier to a contaminant-free environment suitable for semiconductor wafer processing. The door assembly comprises a base pivotable toward and away from the opening along an arcuate path and a closure plate linearly movably coupled to the base and configured to a seal the opening in the barrier. The closure plate is movable in synchronization with the pivoting of the base to traverse a horizontal linear path into contact with the barrier to close the opening. A vacuum system is provided in conjunction with the door assembly to extract particles from the sealed environment. A sensor disposed on the closure plate is operable to sense the position of wafers or other objects disposed adjacent the opening, to detect misalignment or omission thereof.

Abstract: The topical application, at a dose rate less than or equal to 0.1 mg day, to the ocular surface or adjacent regions of the eye of a preparation containing a therapeutically effective amount of an androgen or androgen analogue or a therapeutically effective amount of TGF-.beta. is disclosed as a method of relieving the chronic and acute manifestation of dry eye signs and symptoms in keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), for example in Sjogren's syndrome.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for receiving and transmitting network frames via an internetworking device, in which a first portion of a total number of buffers is allocated among port-dedicated buffer pools, and a second portion is placed in a common pool accessible by any of the network ports. A frame is received at a first port, and a list of buffers accessible only by that port is referenced to identify buffers not already in use. A second list of buffers in the common pool is referenced to identify unused buffers for use if insufficient unused buffer space is available in the port-dedicated buffer pool. Frame data is then stored in the identified buffer(s). Upon retransmission, the buffer(s) used to store the. transmitted frame is released to the port-dedicated and/or common buffer pool(s).

Abstract: A power connector for a Cable Television (CATV) housing accepts two conductors at a first end. A first conductor, typically a power conductor is secured to a pin terminal of the connector. A second conductor, typically a ground conductor, is secured to the body of the connector. The connector is useful for easily and conveniently providing power to a CATV housing.

Abstract: Determination of a Time To Live ("TTL") hop count for repair data units transmitted from a repair head to a standard destination device in a communications network is facilitated for multicast transmission. The repair head destination device monitors the path between the repair head destination device and the standard destination devices by exchanging messages with the respective standard destination devices. The repair head transmits control messages to each destination device including a dispatched TTL value and an Internet Protocol ("IP") TTL value. If the control message fails to reach one of the standard destination devices, that standard destination device transmits a transmission failure indication to the repair head destination device. In response to the transmission failure indication the TTL value employed for the control message is increased.

Abstract: A variable-coupling quasioptical electron paramagnetic resonance apparatus. In one embodiment, the variable-coupling quasioptical electron paramagnetic resonance apparatus includes a variable coupling quasioptical resonance cavity constructed from two back-to-back Fabry-Perot interferometers. One Fabry-Perot interferometer is formed from two partially reflecting mirrors. The second Fabry-Perot interferometer is an interferometer formed from one of the partially reflecting mirrors and a back mirror. A sample to be studied is placed within the cavity adjacent the partially reflecting mirrors and between one of the partially reflecting mirrors and the back mirror. The relative spacing of the partially reflecting mirrors and the back mirror is adjustable. With this arrangement, the interferometer can be made to act as a single mirror with variable reflectivity, thereby permitting incident radiation reaching the sample to be varied precisely and continuously.

Abstract: File comparison employs a single function F to calculate a digital signature from data in a sliding window. The digital signature is both incrementally computable and position sensitive. In particular, F is computable without reprocessing each byte in the array when the window is advanced and facilitates detection of such changes as transposed bytes of data. The function F is defined by two qualities. First, for F(A+B), where A is an array, F(A+B)=F(A)+F(B). Second, given a concatenation operator "!" such that "0!A" indicates an array A with 0 inserted before A, the function F has the property that there is a function G such that F(0!A)=G(F(A'0)). Both polynomials and cyclic redundancy checks ("CRC") may be used as that class of function.

Abstract: An absorption chiller that uses an aqueous salt solution as an absorbent and water as a refrigerant, the absorption chiller including an evaporator that allows the water to trickle or flow downward onto the outer surface of a heat exchanger tube installed horizontally or approximately horizontally, an absorber that allows the aqueous salt solution to trickle or flow downward onto the outer surface of a heat exchanger tube installed horizontally or approximately horizontally, and a condenser that allows the water to be supplied onto the outer surface of a heat exchanger tube installed horizontally or approximately horizontally. At least one of the heat exchanger tubes is provided, on the inner surface thereof, with protruded threads formed in a spiral fashion. A plurality of rows of projections of a height of 0.2 to 0.4 mm with flat portions on the top is provided on the outer surface of the tube successively at a pitch of 0.4 to 0.8 mm between projections.

Abstract: A humidity control apparatus for realizing the dehumidification, humidification, and ventilation operations in a compact configuration. The apparatus includes a rotary humidity control element, an electric heater, and sucking and/or forcing blowers. The rotary humidity control element is of metal silicate gel polymerized in honeycomb laminates of ceramics, and is sectioned into a drying function part, a heat recovery function part, and a humidification function part, for use. The drying function part absorbs and removes moisture from air passing therethrough at room temperatures. The heat recovery function part recovers heat of air passing therethrough. The humidification function part moistens the air passing therethrough if the air is high in temperature. The electric heater is provided on an air passageway between the heat recovery function part and the humidification function part, for heating the air to be introduced to the humidification function part.

Abstract: The output voltage of a Wheatstone bridge type electrical circuit compris four main resistances (J.sub.1 to J.sub.4) having substantially the same ohmic value, R, and substantially the same temperature coefficient of resistance, .alpha., is made independent of temperature differences existing between the branches of the bridge by addition, in each of the branches, of a compensation element (r.sub.1 to r.sub.4) in series with the main resistance, each compensation element being physically located very close to a main resistance situated in one of the adjacent branches of the bridge so as to have the same temperature as that main resistance. The compensation elements have the same ohmic value r and the same temperature coefficient of resistance .beta., with R.alpha.=r.beta., r being less than R and, preferably, r/R.ltoreq.1/2, so as to limit the loss of sensitivity of the Wheatstone bridge to variations in the resistances of the bridge.