Abstract: An electrical distribution system includes a plurality of electrical substations. Each of the electrical substations includes a plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), and a communications network interconnecting the plurality of IEDs at that substation. The communications networks at the plurality of substations are configured as at least one virtual network spanning multiple ones of the plurality of electrical substations, and interconnecting at least some of the IEDs within the multiple ones of the plurality of electrical substations, and so that delays experience by messages on the at least one virtual network are below a defined threshold. The virtual networks may be reconfigured when/if the threshold is not met.

Abstract: There is described a Precision Time Protocol (“PTP”) transparent clock for inter-VLAN forwarding comprising a Layer 2 switch and a PTP module. The switch includes a first port associated with a first VLAN and a second port associated with a second VLAN. The switch detects a PTP frame at the first port and the PTP module receives the PTP frame. The switch forwards the PTP frame to the second port in response to the PTP module determining that the PTP frame is a forwardable frame. For another embodiment, the switch includes a ternary content-addressable memory (“TCAM”), and the PTP module configures the TCAM to include forwarding rules. The Layer 2 switch forwards the PTP frame to the second port in response to identifying a particular forwarding rule associated with forwarding the PTP frame.

Abstract: A system for obtaining information about an Internet of Things (IoT) device connected to a network includes a data traffic collection point, a data processing module and an artificial intelligence module. The data traffic collection point collects data units communicated to or from a specified IoT device of a plurality of IoT devices connected to a network. The data processing module processes quantitative information pertaining to the data units communicated to or from the specified IoT device collected over a defined time interval, to create a temporal data traffic fingerprint of the specified IoT device. The artificial intelligence module utilizes a machine learning model to deduce device identifying information of the specified IoT device from the temporal data traffic fingerprint of the specified IoT device.

Abstract: Method and network device for providing redundancy in an industrial network includes a first port group connected to a first network segment of the industrial network, and includes a switch module that has a plurality of southbound ports, wherein at least one southbound port is connected to a corresponding end device, where each port group has a pair of redundant northbound ports connected to a link redundancy entity having two or more interlinked ports connectable to one or more south-bound ports of switch module based on network topology for enabling redundant links between end devices connected to the southbound ports and the first network segment.

Abstract: A routing device for installation on a moving platform connects with multiple wireless access devices for wireless interconnection with a wide-area network (WAN). The routing device routes traffic to the WAN through an active one of the wireless access devices. The routing device monitors connection quality between each of the wireless access devices and the WAN and in response to the metric of connection quality for the wireless access device at the active port dropping below a threshold value, reconfigure the routing device to route data traffic to the WAN through a wireless access device at a targeted one of the ports, different from the active one of the ports.

Abstract: A method of providing a path between bridges of a first network segment. The first network segment is configured using a Spanning Tree Protocol (‘STP’). The method includes providing a second network segment interconnecting first and second bridges of said first network segment. The second network segment is operable to transmit frames adherent to a High-availability Seamless Redundancy (‘HSR’) network control protocol and to discard the STP control data frames. The method also includes modifying at a first Redundancy Box (‘RedBox’) STP control data frames to form modified data frames adherent to the HSR protocol. The method also includes modifying at a second RedBox, the modified data frames to re-form the STP control data frames.

Abstract: An adaptive radio frequency module including a switching circuit to switch receipt of a voltage, an assembly including the adaptive RF module, a system comprising a base unit with one or more radio frequency modules, and a method of operation of the system are provide.

Abstract: The present concepts include a zero-porosity structure having a plurality of structural elements arranged to provide a negative Poisson's ratio and, further, a new mechanism to generate negative Poisson's ratio is single material, zero-porosity structure.

Abstract: In at least some aspects, an auxetic structure includes a first sheet defining therein a plurality of a plurality of structural elements projecting from the first sheet, the plurality of structural elements being arranged to provide a negative Poisson's ratio, and a second sheet disposed adjacent the first sheet to define a first internal cavity between the first sheet and the second sheet. In yet other aspects, one or more additional sheets may be advantageously provided to provide a multi-layered structure having auxetic properties.

Abstract: Auxetic structures, low porosity auxetic sheets, systems and devices with auxetic structures, and methods of using and methods of making auxetic structures are disclosed. An auxetic structure is disclosed which includes an elastically rigid body with a plurality of apertures extending through the elastically rigid body and a plurality of protrusions projecting from the elastically rigid body. The apertures and protrusions are arranged in an engineered pattern, such as an array of rows and columns. The apertures are cooperatively configured with the protrusions to provide a predefined porosity while exhibiting stress reduction through negative Poisson's Ratio (NPR) behavior under macroscopic planar loading conditions. In some embodiments, the protrusions, which are elliptical or semispherical dimples, are interposed in square or hexagonal patterns with the apertures, which are S-shaped through slots or circular boreholes.

Abstract: An electrical meter center comprises a horizontal bar section comprising horizontal bus bars, the horizontal bus bar section defining a first connection section for the horizontal bus bars and a second connection section for the horizontal bus bars, the second connection section being laterally distant from the first connection section; and a wall panel assembly for covering a horizontal bar section of an electrical meter center. The wall panel assembly comprises a wall panel vertically mounted within the electrical meter center in front of the horizontal bar section, wherein the wall panel comprising an access window for accessing the horizontal bar section; and an access window panel selectively mounted to the wall panel to at least partially close the access window thereby providing selective access to the horizontal bar section.

Abstract: A small form factor pluggable (SFP) optical transceiver module is provided. It includes a shell assembly that encloses an optical fiber connector configured to connect to a SFP optical transceiver and a retaining mount that is configured to be attached to a body portion of a device housing of a network device. The SFP optical transceiver is configured to interface a network device motherboard to a fiber optic at a given port of the network device. The shell assembly is configured to removably latch onto the retaining mount. The shell assembly includes a base and a body coupled to each other. The body has a latch to securely attach the optical fiber connector and the SFP optical transceiver to the retaining mount while allowing the SFP optical transceiver to be swapped as needed to reconfigure the given port of the network device.

Abstract: An electric meter center comprises a frame, a floor panel assembly defining a floor and being mounted at or near a bottom of the frame, and cables routed through the floor. The floor panel assembly comprises a bottom panel defining an opening and a removable panel adapted for releasable mounting to the bottom panel to at least partially close the opening and wherein at least part of the cables are routed through the opening.

Abstract: A varistor failure detector includes one or more surge detector in communication with a varistor, to detect surges shunted by the varistor and a processor, in communication with the at surge detector(s). The processor is programmed to count surges shunted by the varistor, as indicated by the surge detector(s) and store at least one count representing a cumulative count of surges shunted by the varistor. An indicator of the count may be provided to an operator to indicate that the varistor should be replaced, to avoid catastrophic failure of the varistor.

Abstract: There is described an electric meter center comprising electric meter sockets and breakers. The electric meter center comprises an electric meter area comprising compartments, each one of the electric meter sockets being in one of the electric meter area compartments. It further comprises a breaker area distinct from the electric meter area and comprising compartments, each one of the breakers being in one of the breaker area compartments. There is a physical separation between the breaker area and the electric meter area. There is provided a plurality of panels, each one of the panels for covering at least one compartment, the at least one compartment to be covered by one of the panels being only within the same area.

Abstract: A method of facilitating clock synchronization over redundant networks may include, when a SYNC message and a DELAY_REQ message of a PTP clock synchronization cycle are carried by different redundant networks, adjusting a timestamp associated with one of the messages to emulate carriage of the SYNC message and the DELAY_REQ message by the same redundant network. In a method of facilitating PTP clock synchronization, an indicator of an operational status of each of a pair of redundant networks for carrying messages from a slave clock to a master clock may be embedded in a PTP message destined for the slave clock. An indicator of which one of the pair of redundant networks is valid for PTP clock synchronization may be obtained from a PTP message destined for the master clock. PTP messages to the master clock may be selectively relayed based on whether the PTP messages have been received from the valid one of the redundant networks.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electrical protection slide for mounting in an electrical meter center enclosing an electrically conductive component, the electrical meter center having a front. The electrical protection slide comprises a slope portion having a downward slope toward the front of the electrical meter center and a mating portion about the slope portion and being adapted for holding at least a portion of the slope portion within the electrical meter center above the electrically conductive component. The slope portion of the electrical protection slide provides electrical insulation and a mechanical barrier for the electrically conductive component from external elements falling thereon.

Abstract: A network device operable to receive and forward communications over a network through at least a first network connection and a second network connection. The network device includes a bypass module having a first device network connection and a second device network connection. A controller is operative to receive control signals originating external to the network device, and to selectively switch switching elements of the bypass module between a bypass state and a connected state based on the received control signals. The first network connection and the second network connection in communication with the first device network connection and the second device network connection in the connected state. The first network connection and the second network connection in communication with each other establishing a bypass communication path in the bypass state.

Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a protection circuit interconnected with an input voltage to the power supply. The protection circuit includes a detection circuit to detect whether a magnitude of the input voltage is below a defined threshold. The detection circuit comprises a plurality of detectors, each for detecting for a defined voltage waveform, whether its magnitude is below a defined threshold voltage. Logic interconnects the detection circuit to provide a control signal for inhibiting the power supply from providing said output voltage if the input voltage is below the defined threshold for that defined voltage waveform, as detected by the detection circuit.