Abstract: Apparatus and method for inscribing wood by the steps treating the wood surface with an electrically conductive preparation, attaching two electrodes to two different regions that have been treated with the electrically conductive preparation and supplying current between the two electrodes over the preparation to inscribe the wood. In one embodiment there is a stationary electrode and a hand held electrode. In a second embodiment there are two movable hand held electrodes used.

Abstract: A FIFO uses a fill indicator circuit to indicate a fill status and provide control signals to a data source and data sink to cease operation. A serial string of FIFO cells propagates data from input to output by sending request and acknowledge signals between adjacent cells. The request signal initiates data transfer to the next logical cell and the acknowledge signal indicates completion of the transfer. The fill indicator has one cell for each FIFO cell for monitoring the request and acknowledge signals looking for predetermined state sequences to indicate whether each FIFO cell is full or empty.

Abstract: Arbitration is performed among a plurality of users for access to a shared resource in a system of the kind in which the users arbitrate by placing arbitration signals on a line and subsequently comparing their arbitration signals with a signal appearing on the line, by providing the users with independently operating clocks, and controlling the progression of the arbitration based on timing provided by the clock of at least one of the users. The progression of the arbitration thus does not depend upon a single master clock, or upon synchronizing the individual user clocks.