Abstract: A method of communicating between nodes in a network where a node receives a sequence of symbols that will form a packet on a first communications channel and has a planned packet that it would send on a second communications channel. A destination is encoded into an arbitration portion of a header sequence of the packet, the header sequence comprising a sequence of symbols. The transmission on the second communications channel is as per the planned packet, for as long as the symbols of the planned packet match the symbols being received on the first channel. An arbitration decision is made when the symbols do not match, with the node either continuing to send the rest of the planned packet, or the rest of the packet being received on the first communications channel.

Abstract: A method for converting power including controlling operation of a plurality of series connected modules including a DC power sources and storage devices such that the total voltage across the series connected modules comprises an AC signal. A storage parameter is defined based on a sum of a function of the voltages in the storage devices in the modules and one or more voltage control levels are defined for each of or a plurality of the storage devices. An average current drawn from the series connected modules over a time period is set such that the storage parameter approaches a target value. The target value is decreased for a subsequent time period in the event that none the voltage control levels are reached and increased in the event that one or more of the voltage control levels are reached.

Abstract: A method of detection of faults on circuit boards comprising the steps of capturing an image (14) of each of a plurality of circuit boards (10) and dividing each of the captured images (14) into a plurality of image segments, each having an image characteristic value. One of the circuit boards 10 is selected for testing and each image segment is compared with corresponding image segments of each other circuit boards (10) to define a plurality of differential image characteristic values. The differential image characteristic values for each image segment are ranked from lowest to highest and an nth differential image characteristic value is selected. An overlay image comprising a representation of the selected differential image characteristic values is created and displayed over the selected circuit board.

Abstract: A method of detection of faults on circuit boards comprising the steps of capturing an image (14) of each of a plurality of circuit boards (10) and dividing each of the captured images (14) into a plurality of image segments, each having an image characteristic value. One of the circuit boards 10 is selected for testing and each image segment is compared with corresponding image segments of each other circuit boards (10) to define a plurality of differential image characteristic values. The differential image characteristic values for each image segment are ranked from lowest to highest and an nth differential image characteristic value is selected. An overlay image comprising a representation of the selected differential image characteristic values is created and displayed over the selected circuit board.