Abstract: A particle collection cartridge includes a first side having a particle intake region, a second side having a particle inspection region, supply and uptake reels, a tape guide, tape, a first pin, and a second pin. The tape is wound about the supply reel, extends to the first pin, across the tape guide, to the second pin, and terminates at the uptake reel. The tape includes an adhesive surface to collect particles entering the particle intake region. The first and second pins are fixed to not rotate.

Abstract: A system for sharpening circular, knife edged blades operates to bias an infeed grinding wheel into contact with the first edge of the blade and an outfeed grinding wheel into contact with the second edge of the blade. The grinding wheels are spaced so that they contact the respective edges of the blade at a point which is spaced by no more than 1 inch from the center line of the blade. Contact between the grinding wheels and the blade is accomplished solely by pushing the wheels from their sides which are opposite the blade contacting surface. The system includes provisions for adjusting the position of the wheels relative to the blade so as to accommodate blade wear.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for redundant control plane error handling allowing the inactive control plane to continue to act as a redundant failsafe when the inactive control plane database is in a compromised state which is below a certain predetermined level of maximum tolerable magnitude of error. Only if the inactive control plane database is in a state in which the errors associated therewith are intolerable, is a hard reset performed, or the reconciliation between the active and inactive control planes deemed to have failed.

Abstract: A method of using a FLASH memory for a circular buffer, and the FLASH memory for same, the method including one or more of the following steps in various exemplary embodiments: providing a circular buffer having a plurality of sectors; designating a byte of each of the plurality of sectors of the circular buffer as a binary state indicator; saving data sequentially in the circular buffer; and cycling through a plurality of sectors of the binary state indicators, such as empty or erase, last, middle and first, as the data is sequentially saved in the circular buffer.

Abstract: A method is provided for defect recovery in Y-cable protected pair connections in communication systems. A receiver at a remote end monitors for loss of signal on the single fiber optic cable arriving at the remote end, and transmits an RDI back to the local end where it is detected by each of two receivers, one on an active card and one on a standby card. When a persistent RDI is detected by each receiver, transmission of content is flipped from the active transmitter to the standby transmitter, without performing a full APS. If RDIs are no longer received from the remote end, then the defect was likely in the single transmitter of the active card or the single optical fiber leading from the active card to the Y-junction, and the local end realizes that switching transmission to the standby card resolved the problem and a full APS is performed.

Abstract: A method of using a FLASH memory for a circular buffer, and the FLASH memory for same, the method including one or more of the following steps in various exemplary embodiments: providing a circular buffer having a plurality of sectors; designating a byte of each of the plurality of sectors of the circular buffer as a binary state indicator; saving data sequentially in the circular buffer; and cycling through a plurality of sectors of the binary state indicators, such as empty or erase, last, middle and first, as the data is sequentially saved in the circular buffer.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for redundant control plane error handling allowing the inactive control plane to continue to act as a redundant failsafe when the inactive control plane database is in a compromised state which is below a certain predetermined level of maximum tolerable magnitude of error. Only if the inactive control plane database is in a state in which the errors associated therewith are intolerable, is a hard reset performed, or the reconciliation between the active and inactive control planes deemed to have failed.