Abstract: A method for configuring an electronic unit having a plurality of sides for conductive cooling is described. The electronic unit is configured to be mounted in a mounting rack and the method comprises attaching a heat conduction mechanism including an expandable heat transferring structure to the electronic unit. The heat conduction mechanism is expandable to contact a surface of the mounting rack upon activation, thereby conductively transferring heat from the electronic unit to the mounting rack.

Abstract: A connection assembly is described which includes a first connector, a second connector, a sensor and an actuator. The second connector is configured to mate with the first connector and the sensor is mounted in proximity to the first connector. The actuator for the sensor is mounted in proximity to the second connector, and is positioned with respect to the second connector so as to align with and actuate the sensor when the first connector and the second connector are properly aligned and connected. The sensor is configured to supply a signal which indicates whether or not the connectors are properly aligned and connected.

Abstract: A fault tolerant inertial reference system employs two independent inertial reference units each having its own inertial sensor array with redundant output information. Each inertial reference unit includes an independent source of position and velocity information through employment of a satellite positioning system. In turn, a high-speed error estimator processes inertial sensor output data from a local inertial sensor array with inertial sensor output data from another external inertial sensor array for determining high-level errors, and a low-speed error estimator processes output data from the local inertial sensor array with the velocity and position information separately obtained from the satellite positioning system for determining low-level errors. In turn these high and low-level errors are processed to determine a fault-free inertial sensor configuration for subsequently determining reliable fault tolerant inertial reference data obtainable with a minimum set of inertial sensors.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fault-tolerant and/or fail-safe information processing system architecture for handling information from a plurality of independent subsystems which provide information related to selected input quantities, and which includes a plurality of redundant information processors for deriving specific processor output data as a function of the selected subsystem input quantities.