Abstract: An emulation system is provided for emulating a hardware architecture. The system includes a system board. The system board includes a host processor, a switching circuit, and a system controller. The switching circuit is bidirectionally coupled to the host processor. The system controller is coupled to the switching circuit. The system controller is configured to receive a slot ID from one of a plurality of slots on a backplane of a chassis, and in response to the slot ID, the system controller configures the switching circuit to connect the host processor to communicate with a plurality of board devices either through the backplane or directly as a stand-alone emulation system board, thus allowing the system board to function in a chassis with other boards or to function as a standalone board.

Abstract: Errors are detected in a decoded video signal that has been processed at least partly in data blocks, such as MPEG-2 compression macroblocks or other block processed data, by discerning the appearance of a pattern of contrast in the decoded output video signal around the perimeter of an area corresponding to a processed block of pixels. In a compression technique, an error affecting one more members of a block of pixels generally affects the entire block. In the absence of an error, processed blocks most typically merge imperceptibly into one another with pixel values may that change little, if at all, across the border between abutting blocks. The error alters this situation and makes at least one of the blocks perceptible among the abutting blocks due to distinct contrast between the blocks. Image processing techniques are employed to discern an apparent block and thereby to discriminate for errors.