Abstract: Various methods and devices are provided for allowing multiple surgical instruments to be inserted into sealing elements of a single surgical access device. The sealing elements can be movable along predefined pathways within the device to allow surgical instruments inserted through the sealing elements to be moved laterally, rotationally, angularly, and vertically relative to a central longitudinal axis of the device for ease of manipulation within a patient's body while maintaining insufflation.

Abstract: Operating at least one hypervisor includes running a first hypervisor as a first thread of an underlying operating system, running a second hypervisor as a second thread of the underlying operating system, loading a first guest operating system using the first hypervisor based on the first thread of the underlying operating system, loading a second guest operating system using the second hypervisor based on the second thread of the underlying operating system, and scheduling sharing of resources of the underlying system between the first hypervisor and the second hypervisor according to a scheduler of the underlying operating system, where the first hypervisor and the second hypervisor run independently of each other. The scheduler of the underlying operating system may schedule fractional time shares for the first hypervisor and the second hypervisor to access the same resource.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that relate to running a plurality of software instances on an embedded computer system without requiring substantial modifications to each software instance. An exemplary method includes storing context information relating to a first instance. An instance includes a set of independent threads of execution each with its own code context, interrupt service routines, drivers, and operating system services. Both a second instance and a thread associated with the second instance are chosen to run. Context information relating to the second instance is restored and the second instance is run on the operating system.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that relate to handling interrupts across multiple software instances. An exemplary method includes receiving an interrupt at a current CPU. An instance includes a set of independent threads of execution each with its own code context, interrupt service routines, drivers, and operating system services. The method further includes storing context information relating to the first instance, identifying the second instance associated with the interrupt, running at least one interrupt service routine, and restoring the context information relating to the first instance.

Abstract: A computer has instruction pipeline circuitry capable of executing two instruction set architectures (ISA's). A binary translator translates at least a selected portion of a computer program from a lower-performance one of the ISA's to a higher-performance one of the ISA's. Hardware initiates a query when about to execute a program region coded in the lower-performance ISA, to determine whether a higher-performance translation exists. If so, the about-to-be-executed instruction is aborted, and control transfers to the higher-performance translation. After execution of the higher-performance translation, execution of the lower-performance region is reestablished at a point downstream from the aborted instruction, in a context logically equivalent to that which would have prevailed had the code of the lower-performance region been allowed to proceed.

Abstract: A computer. A processor pipeline alternately executes instructions coded for first and second different computer architectures or coded to implement first and second different processing conventions. A memory stores instructions for execution by the processor pipeline, the memory being divided into pages for management by a virtual memory manager, a single address space of the memory having first and second pages. A memory unit fetches instructions from the memory for execution by the pipeline, and fetches stored indicator elements associated with respective memory pages of the single address space from which the instructions are to be fetched. Each indicator element is designed to store an indication of which of two different computer architectures and/or execution conventions under which instruction data of the associated page are to be executed by the processor pipeline.

Abstract: A microprocessor chip has instruction pipeline circuitry, and instruction classification circuitry that classifies instructions as they are executed into a small number of classes and records a classification code value. An on-chip table has entries corresponding to a range of addresses of a memory and designed to hold a statistical assessment of a value of consulting an off-chip table in a memory of the computer. Lookup circuitry is designed to fetch an entry from the on-chip table as part of the basic instruction processing cycle of the microprocessor. A mask has a value set at least in part by a timer. The instruction pipeline circuitry is controlled based on the value of the on-chip table entry corresponding to the address of instructions processed, the current value of the mask, the recorded classification code, and the off-chip table.

Abstract: A computer. A processor pipeline alternately executes instructions coded for first and second different computer architectures or coded to implement first and second different processing conventions. A memory stores instructions for execution by the processor pipeline, the memory being divided into pages for management by a virtual memory manager, a single address space of the memory having first and second pages. A memory unit fetches instructions from the memory for execution by the pipeline, and fetches stored indicator elements associated with respective memory pages of the single address space from which the instructions are to be fetched. Each indicator element is designed to store an indication of which of two different computer architectures and/or execution conventions under which instruction data of the associated page are to be executed by the processor pipeline.

Abstract: A computer. A processor pipeline alternately executes instructions coded for first and second different computer architectures or coded to implement first and second different processing conventions. A memory stores instructions for execution by the processor pipeline, the memory being divided into pages for management by a virtual memory manager, a single address space of the memory having first and second pages. A memory unit fetches instructions from the memory for execution by the pipeline, and fetches stored indicator elements associated with respective memory pages of the single address space from which the instructions are to be fetched. Each indicator element is designed to store an indication of which of two different computer architectures and/or execution conventions under which instruction data of the associated page are to be executed by the processor pipeline.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for compensation of an RF link between a transmitter and amplifier of a communication system. The apparatus comprises a signal source coupled to the transmitter for providing an RF test signal of a first magnitude to the RF link, a test signal measuring apparatus at the RF input of the amplifier for measuring a second magnitude of the test signal reaching the RF input of the amplifier through the RF link, and an electronically adjustable attenuator serially coupled with the RF link and responsive to differences between the first and second magnitudes so as to provide attenuation in an RF communication signal passing into the amplifier from the RF link such that the sum of RF signal loss in the link and the attenuator has a predetermined value.

Abstract: Managing memory includes receiving a request for a memory allocation, determining whether the memory allocation is to be maintained when subsequently initializing memory and saving information about the memory allocation to maintain the memory allocation during subsequently initializing memory. Initializing may be performed as part of special reset mode processing. Special reset mode processing may be performed in response to receiving a reset command. The memory may be shared by a plurality of processing units and the reset command may be issued to reset a first processing unit causing reset of the memory and a second processing unit may use a first allocated memory portion that is maintained when initializing the memory as part of processing for the reset command. Saving may include adding an entry to an allocation list associated with the memory, the entry including a location associated with the memory allocation.

Abstract: A computer binary translator translates at least a segment of a binary representation of a program from a first instruction set architecture to a second instruction set architecture. A sequence of side-effects in the translation differs from a sequence of side-effects in the original. The translation distinguishes memory loads that are believed to be directed to well-behaved memory from memory loads that are believed to be directed to non-well-behaved memory device(s). Instruction execution circuitry identifies a memory reference that has a side-effect that has been reordered by translation, the memory reference having been believed at translation time to be directed to well-behaved memory but at execution it is found that the reference cannot be guaranteed to be well-behaved. The instruction execution circuitry identifies whether the difference in side-effect order may have a material effect on the execution of the program. A roll-back program state is established, and execution of the original code resumes.

Abstract: Profiling execution of a program. The program is coded in a mode-dependent instruction set. During a profile-quiescent execution interval, the profile circuitry records no profile information. After a triggering event is detected, the profile circuitry commences a profiled execution interval, and records profile information describing every profileable event during that interval. The profiled information includes at least all divergence of execution from sequential execution and processor mode changes not inferable from instruction opcode. The recorded profile information is efficiently tailored to annotate the profiled binary code with sufficient processor mode information to resolve mode-dependency, and indicates contiguous ranges of sequential instructions executed during a profiled interval by low and high boundaries of the contiguous ranges, indicating the high boundary by the address of the last byte.

Abstract: A method and a computer with circuitry configured for performance of the method are disclosed. During a profiled interval of an execution of a program on a computer, profile information is recorded describing the execution, without the program having been compiled for profiled execution. The program is coded in an instruction set in which an interpretation of an instruction depends on a processor mode not expressed in the binary representation of the instruction. The recorded profile information describes at least all events occurring during the profiled execution interval of the two classes: (1) a divergence of execution from sequential execution; and (2) a processor mode change that is not inferable from the opcode of the instruction that induces the processor mode change taken together with a processor mode before the mode change instruction. The profile information further identifies each distinct physical page of instruction text executed during the execution interval.

Abstract: A microprocessor chip, and methods for use in that microprocessor chip. The chip has instruction pipeline circuitry and address translation circuitry. Table lookup circuitry indexes into a table, the table having an entry associated with each corresponding address range translated by the address translation circuitry. Each entry of the table describes a likelihood of the existence of an alternate coding of instructions located in the respective corresponding address range. The table lookup circuitry retrieves a table entry corresponding to the address, and is operable as part of the basic instruction cycle of executing an instruction of a non-supervisor mode program executing on a computer.

Abstract: A method and a computer for performance of the method. While executing a program on a computer, profileable events occurring in the instruction pipeline are detected. The instruction pipeline is directed to record profile information describing the profileable events essentially concurrently with the occurrence of the profileable events. The detecting and recording occur under control of hardware of the computer without software intervention.

Abstract: A computer having an instruction pipeline and profile circuitry. The profile circuitry detects and records, without compiler assistance for execution profiling, profile information describing a sequence of events occurring in the instruction pipeline. The sequence includes every event occurring during a profiled execution interval that matches time-independent selection criteria of events to be profiled. The recording continues until a predetermined stop condition is reached. The profile circuitry detects the occurrence of a predetermined condition, after a non-profiled interval of execution, and then commences the profiled execution interval.

Abstract: An instruction processor to execute two instruction sets. Instructions are stored in different virtual memory pages of a single address space, and are coded for computers of two different instruction sets, and use of two different calling conventions. The instruction processor interprets instructions under, alternately, the first or second instruction set as directed by a first flag stored in table entries corresponding to memory pages for the instructions. The processor recognizes when program execution has transferred from a page of instructions using the first data storage convention to a page of instructions using the second data storage convention, as indicated by a second flag stored in the table entries, and then adjusts a data storage content of the computer from the first storage convention to the second data storage convention. A history record provides a record of a classification of a recently-executed instruction.

Abstract: A computer. An instruction pipeline and memory access unit execute instructions in a logical address space of a memory of the computer. An address translation circuit translates address references generated by the program from the program's logical address space to the computer's physical address space. Profile circuitry is cooperatively interconnected with the instruction pipeline and configured to detect, without compiler assistance for execution profiling, occurrence of profilable events occurring in the instruction pipeline, and is cooperatively interconnected with the memory access unit to record profile information describing physical memory addresses referenced during an execution interval of the program.

Abstract: A method and computer for performance of the method. While executing a program on a computer, the computer uses registers of a general register file for storage of instruction results. Profile information describing the profileable events is recorded into the general register file as the profileable events occur, without first capturing the information into a main memory of the computer.