Abstract: In one embodiment, a processing system includes an interface controller to receive a data signal from a remote link partner over a link, and recover a clock signal from the received data signal, frequency generation circuitry to receive the recovered clock signal, and output a local clock signal responsively to the received recovered clock signal, wherein the interface controller is configured to drive a transmit symbol rate responsively to the local clock signal, and a digital control loop including the interface controller and the frequency generation circuitry, wherein the interface controller is configured to identify a clock drift, generate a digital control signal responsively to the clock drift, and send the digital control signal to the frequency generation circuitry, which is configured to adjust a frequency of the local clock signal responsively to the digital control signal in order to reduce the clock drift.

Abstract: In one embodiments, a first device includes a first n-pulse-per-second (nPPS) output interface to be connected to a second nPPS input interface of a second device via a first clock connection, and to send a first pulse at time A to the second nPPS input interface for receipt at time B, and a first nPPS input interface to be connected to a second nPPS output interface of the second device via a second clock connection, to receive a second pulse at time D from the second nPPS output interface sent at time C, and to log time D in a first memory, and delay computation circuitry to compute a clock connection delay in the first clock connection and/or the second clock connection based on time A, time D, and a time difference between receiving the first pulse in, and sending the second pulse from, the second device.

Abstract: System, methods, and devices for sharing time information between machines are provided. In one example, a system includes a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Hardware Clock (PHC) and an application. The application receives time information from the PHC along with contextual metadata associated with the time information, analyzes the contextual metadata associated with the time information, and determines a context in which the PHC is disciplined. The context in which the PHC is disciplined may control a manner in which the application uses the time information.

Abstract: A method for security tag removal includes providing a terminal comprising a receptacle, which is configured to receive a security tag that is attached to an item of merchandise. A wireless transceiver in the terminal reads identification data that is encoded in the security tag while the security tag is in the receptacle. A query is transmitted from the terminal to a server with respect to the identification data. In response to the query, an authorization is received from the server with respect to the item of merchandise to which the security tag is attached. In response to the authorization, a tag removal mechanism is actuated so as to release the security tag from the item of merchandise.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system includes a plurality of compute nodes, clock connections to connect at least some of the compute nodes and to distribute a master clock among the at least some compute nodes, and processing circuitry to discover a clock distribution topology formed by the compute nodes and the clock connections.

Abstract: A network adapter includes a host interface and a scheduler. The host interface is configured to receive, from one or more hosts, packets for transmission to respective destinations over a network. The scheduler is configured to synchronize to a time-division schedule that is employed in the network, the time-division schedule specifying (i) multiple e time-slots and (ii) multiple respective groups of the destinations that are reachable during the time-slots, and, based on the time-division schedule, to schedule transmission times of the packets to the network on time-slots during which the respective destinations of the packets are reachable.

Abstract: A system including an acceleration device including input circuitry configured, for each of a first plurality of video frames to be encoded, to receive an input including at least one raw video frame and at least one reference frame, and to divide each of the first plurality of video frames to be encoded into a second plurality of blocks, and similarity computation circuitry configured, for each one of the first plurality of video frame to be encoded: for each block of the second plurality of blocks, to produce a score of result blocks based on similarity of each block in each frame to be encoded to every block of the reference frame, an AC energy coefficient, and a displacement vector. Related apparatus and methods are also provided.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware accelerator to receive video data of multiple video frames, divide each of the video frames into respective blocks, compute encoding assist data including at least one video encoding parameter type for each of the respective blocks of each of the video frames, and store respective portions of the encoding assist data across respective database tables, and an interface to provide the respective database tables to video encoding software running on a processor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a clock syntonization system includes a first compute node including a first physical hardware clock to operate at a first clock frequency, a second compute node, and an interconnect data bus to transfer data from the first compute node at a data rate indicative of the first clock frequency of the first physical hardware clock, and wherein the second compute node includes clock synchronization circuitry to derive a second clock frequency from the data rate of the transferred data, and provide a clock signal at the derived second clock frequency.

Abstract: Systems and methods herein are for a video encoder to be associated with a rate optimization distortion (RDO) module and a calibration module, where the RDO module may be to perform RDO for received frames of a media stream and may be to generate at least an RDO output that is based in part on quality measures between the received frames and decoded frames, and where the calibration module may be to provide an evaluation metric that is to scale or transform at least a range of the quality measures, with the scaling or transforming to potentially reduce an effect on a compression performed in the video encoder.

Abstract: Devices, methods, and systems are provided. In one example, a device is described to include a device interface that receives data from at least one data source; a data shuffle unit that collects the data received from the at least one data source, receives a descriptor that describes a data shuffle operation to perform on the data received from the at least one data source, performs the data shuffle operation on the collected data to produce shuffled data, and provides the shuffled data to at least one data target.

Abstract: A network adapter includes a host interface and a scheduler. The host interface is configured to receive, from one or more hosts, packets for transmission to respective destinations over a network. The scheduler is configured to synchronize to a time-division schedule that is employed in the network, the time-division schedule specifying (i) multiple time-slots and (ii) multiple respective groups of the destinations that are reachable during the time-slots, and, based on the time-division schedule, to schedule transmission times of the packets to the network on time-slots during which the respective destinations of the packets are reachable.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a synchronized communication system includes a plurality of network devices, and clock connections to connect the network devices in a closed loop configuration, wherein the network devices are configured to distribute among the network devices a reference clock time from any selected one of the network devices.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a clock syntonization system includes a first compute node including a first physical hardware clock to operate at a first clock frequency, a second compute node, and an interconnect data bus to transfer data from the first compute node at a data rate indicative of the first clock frequency of the first physical hardware clock, and wherein the second compute node includes clock synchronization circuitry to derive a second clock frequency from the data rate of the transferred data, and provide a clock signal at the derived second clock frequency.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) to generate a local clock having a local clock frequency, and clock synchronization circuitry to receive from a device a signal indicative of a remote clock frequency, compare measures of the remote clock frequency and the local clock frequency; generate a digital control command based on the comparison; and provide the digital control command to the DCO, wherein the DCO is to adjust the local clock frequency responsively to the digital control command.

Abstract: A network interface controller includes processing circuitry configured to pair with a local root of trust of a host device connected to the network interface controller and provide a key to an encryption device of the host device that enables the encryption device to encrypt data of one or more host device applications using the key. The encrypted data are stored in host device memory. The processing circuitry is configured to share the key with a remote endpoint and forward the encrypted data from the host device memory to the remote endpoint.

Abstract: Described herein are photovoltaic devices and methods which utilize femtosecond (fs) lasers to create a glass/glass weld, hermetically encapsulating photovoltaic devices that provide both reduced cost and increased cell life and efficiency. For example, glass/glass welds can reduce manufacturing time and costs, increase cell life by removing encapsulant failure which is a leading cause of cell degradation and provide for increased optical properties, which improves cell efficiency.

Abstract: A method for security tag removal includes providing a terminal comprising a receptacle, which is configured to receive a magnetic security tag that is attached to an item of merchandise. A wireless transceiver in the terminal reads identification data that is encoded in the security tag while the security tag is in the receptacle. A query is transmitted from the terminal to a server with respect to the identification data. In response to the query, an authorization is received from the server with respect to the item of merchandise to which the security tag is attached. In response to the authorization, a magnet in the terminal is actuated so as to release the security tag from the item of merchandise.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a monitoring device includes an interface to receive symbols from at least one monitored device over at least one communication link, at least one counter to track a number of the symbols received from the at least one monitored device over the at least one communication link, and processing circuitry to monitor synchronization of at least one clock of the at least one monitored device based on at least one value of the at least one counter.

Abstract: A video coding system including an acceleration device including input circuitry configured, for each of a first plurality of video frames to be encoded, to receive an input including at least one raw video frame and at least one reference frame, and to divide each of the first plurality of video frames to be encoded into a second plurality of blocks, and similarity computation circuitry configured, for each one of the first plurality of video frame to be encoded: for each the block of the second plurality of blocks, to produce an intra-prediction hint and an intra-prediction direction. Related apparatus and methods are also provided.