Abstract: A remote blockchain masternode deployment system including a light client that can deploy a remote masternode without requiring the masternode owner to lose control of the funds staked at the masternode using a transaction identifier including a transaction hash and an index instead of a transfer of locked funds on the blockchain to an address controlled by a party other than the masternode owner. The masternode owner can unilaterally dismantle the masternode and recover the staked funds by spending the staked funds to another address controlled by the masternode operator. A pingless activation allows the masternode owner to “click and run” after funding the masternode without having to wait for the funding transaction to become buried before broadcasting an activation message. A staking vault performs staking functions for the owner in a way that does not allow unilateral spending of staked funds by the vault.

Abstract: A remote blockchain masternode deployment system including a light client that can deploy a remote masternode without requiring the masternode owner to lose control of the funds staked at the masternode using a transaction identifier including a transaction hash and an index instead of a transfer of locked funds on the blockchain to an address controlled by a party other than the masternode owner. The masternode owner can unilaterally dismantle the masternode and recover the staked funds by spending the staked funds to another address controlled by the masternode operator. A pingless activation allows the masternode owner to “click and run” after funding the masternode without having to wait for the funding transaction to become buried before broadcasting an activation message. A staking vault performs staking functions for the owner in a way that does not allow unilateral spending of staked funds by the vault.

Abstract: A lookahead pipelined ADC architecture uses open-loop residue amplifiers with calibration. This approach is able to achieve a high-speed, high-accuracy ADC with reduced power consumption. In one aspect, an ADC pipeline unit includes a plurality of lookahead pipeline stages (i.e., an ADC lookahead pipeline) coupled to a calibration unit. The ADC lookahead pipeline uses open-loop residue amplifiers. The calibration unit compensates for non-linearity in the open-loop amplifiers.

Abstract: A system includes a time-interleaved device. An equalizer effectively can apply different equalization to different interleaved channels. For convenience, these equalizers will be referred to as multi-channel equalizers. In one aspect, an apparatus includes an interleaved device having M interleaved channels, and a multi-channel equalizer coupled to the interleaved device. The multi-channel equalizer is capable of applying a different equalization to different interleaved channels, thus compensating for channel-dependent impairments.

Abstract: A receiver (e.g., for a 10 G fiber communications link) includes an interleaved ADC coupled to a multi-channel equalizer that can provide different equalization for different ADC channels within the interleaved ADC. That is, the multi-channel equalizer can compensate for channel-dependent impairments. In one approach, the multi-channel equalizer is a feedforward equalizer (FFE) coupled to a Viterbi decoder, for example a sliding block Viterbi decoder (SBVD); and the FFE and/or the channel estimator for the Viterbi decoder are adapted using the LMS algorithm.

Abstract: A process for scavenging hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan contaminants from a fluid, including the steps of: providing a fluid containing hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan contaminants; mixing the fluid with a benign contaminant scavenger so as to provide a fluid mixture; and subjecting the fluid mixture to scavenging conditions so as to provide a fluid product containing benign contaminant transformants.