Abstract: In an electronic system having logic agents that communicate with each other through one or more signal lines, a method for testing high speed digital signaling on the signal lines is disclosed. The method involves sensing a first crosstalk signal induced by a first digital signal. The first digital signal is driven by a first logic agent into a signal line to communicate with a second agent. The second agent is coupled to receive the first digital signal from the signal line. A logic waveform that represents the digital signal is recorded and/or displayed, based upon the crosstalk signal. The technique may also be used for testing simultaneous bidirectional signaling on the same signal line.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for debugging a bus including interposing a device that monitors the data transferred between two devices on the bus such that the bus is split into two busses, with data being copied for transmission to a diagnostics device as the data is transferred between the two busses.

Abstract: A video game cartridge that can be plugged into a video game machine to enable a user to request and play a video game for a predetermined number of video frames. The cartridge has a receiver for receiving the video game program and the predetermined frame count in response to a request from the user. The program and frame count is then stored in a memory of the cartridge. Finally, the cartridge has a counter which changes its value when the user is actively playing the video game program. The counter ceases to change its value when the user is not playing the video game program. When the counter reaches a predetermined limit, the user is no longer authorized to play the video game program.

Abstract: A self-contained CD-ROM player which can be installed and used as simply as a VCR. The CD-ROM player includes a CD-ROM drive and supporting hardware and software to activate and execute a program on a CD-ROM disk. It is not necessary to explicitly issue commands to activate and use the disk. The user interface is completely intuitive and simple even for someone who is completely computer illiterate. This player allows everyone, both proficient computer users and those not so proficient, to use the vast library of CD-ROM programs that have been written for personal computers.