Abstract: A catheter connector system that allows trimming of the proximal end of a catheter (single or multiple lumen) prior to the placement of a connector hub. In one variation, the catheter connector system comprises a catheter, a connector sheath including a soft collet, and a connector hub including a cannula for engaging the catheter and a connector hub interface for receiving the connector sheath.

Abstract: This invention relates to a heat exchanger, to a method of manufacturing the heat exchanger, and to a tube plate for use in the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is particularly suited for radiators for motor vehicles. The heat exchanger comprises an array of tubes, at least one end of each tube being sealingly connected to a tube plate, the tube plate having a first tube plate wall and a second tube plate wall with a gap between the tube plate walls, each of the first tube plate wall and the second tube plate wall having an opening to receive the end of a tube, the gap between the tube plate walls providing a chamber for containing a sealing material. There is also provided a method of making a heat exchanger including the step is injecting a settable sealing material into the chamber defined by the tube plate walls.

Abstract: A method of designing hardware includes entering source code into a source code file. The source code uses a context-free grammar that describes a job the hardware being designed has to do rather than describing an implementation of the hardware. The method also includes compiling the source code file to generate an output file which describes an optimized state machine for implementing the hardware. The output file is written in a C-based code which is then translated to a HDL (e.g., VHDL or Verilog).

Abstract: The system and method of industrial automation provides improved network transfer of data between nodes. The system comprises a plurality of computer systems which are interconnected through a network, wherein each of the computer systems executes industrial automation software. One or more of these computer systems interface to various hardware I/O devices for data acquisition. Each computer system is home to one or more client and/or server processes. Before data acquisition begins, every server process registers a plurality of time/quality (TQ) groups, wherein each TQ group is identified by a time/quality identification value (TQID), and wherein each TQ group represents a set of associated data elements. When a hardware I/O device generates data, a server process which is linked to that device through a device driver receives a block of data from the device. The driver assigns to the block a single timestamp and a single quality value.

Abstract: The system and method of industrial automation provides improved network transfer of data between nodes. The system comprises a plurality of computer systems which are interconnected through a network, wherein each of the computer systems executes industrial automation software. One or more of these computer systems interface to various hardware I/O devices for data acquisition. Each computer system is home to one or more client and/or server processes. When a hardware I/O device generates data, a server process which is linked to that device through a device driver receives a block of data from the device. Using a real-time protocol, the server adds one or more blocks of data to a packet and transmits the packet to every client which has subscribed to the data. For increased network and computational efficiency, the real-time protocol includes compression techniques and is exception-based: only changes in data are sent to clients.

Abstract: A computer scans the voice messages for phrases that will be detected as DTMF digits and creates a record of where, when and for how long the possible problem maybe occurring. This allows prerecorded or synthesized messages from a Voice Response Announcement System to be checked for error causing DTMF digits prior to being placed into operation. The complete system consists of a computer containing the detection unit, a disk storage unit and scanning program. The Detection unit is placed within the computer and connects the system to the Central Office Switching Network for access to the Voice Response Announcement System.

Abstract: A switching system including a number of switching modules each having a plurality of access ports. Incoming and outgoing packet channels are extended between each switching module and an inter-module packet switch. Each of the switching modules includes both a packet switching unit and a circuit switching unit for switching information to and from the access ports. Each switching module further includes a control unit that controls the switching units and that generates inter-module control packets, and a communication interface that transmits inter-module control packets generated by the control unit on the incoming packet channel to the inter-module packet switch. The communication interface also transmits inter-module control packets received on the outgoing packet channel from the inter-module packet switch to the control unit.

Abstract: A packet switch for switching packets received on a number of incoming packets channels to a number of outgoing packet channels. The packet switch includes a number of packet buffers each for storing packets received from an associated one of the incoming packet channels and further includes a number of selectors each permanently connected to each of the packet buffers and each associated with one of the outgoing packet channels for selectively connecting any of the packet buffers to the associated outgoing packet channel. A packet switch control mechanism responds to packets stored by the packet buffers by controlling the selective connections made by the selectors based on headers included in the stored packets. The control mechanism also responds to the stored packets by selectively effecting the transmission of the stored packets by the packet buffers.

Abstract: A switching system including a number of switching modules each having a plurality of access ports. Incoming and outgoing packet channels are extended between each switching module and an inter-module packet switch. Each switching module includes a packet switching unit that transmits user information packets, received from the access ports, via the incoming packet channel to the inter-module packet switch, and switches user information packets, received via the outgoing packet channel from the inter-module packet switch, to the access ports for inter-module packet-switched communication. The intermodule packet switch concurrently packet switches user information packets, received on a number of the incoming packet channels, via multiple independent paths to a number of the outgoing packet channels.