Abstract: A heat management system may include a generally planar printed circuit board extending in a first plane, heat-generating electrical components mounted on a first side of the PCB, and an air baffle coupled to the PCB and configured to direct air flow across some of the components. The air baffle may include a generally planar air baffle body extending in a second plane parallel to and offset from the first plane of the PCB such that at least one of the components is located in an area between the air baffle body and the PCB, an opening in the generally planar body, and a generally planar wing coupled to the air baffle body at a first side of the opening and extending toward the PCB at an askew angle relative to the first plane of the air baffle body, the wing being configured to facilitate air flow through the opening.

Abstract: A heat sink for use in a computer system may include a first heat sink body including a first plurality of heat dissipation structures; a second heat sink body including a second plurality of heat dissipation structures, the second heat sink body being physically spaced apart from the first heat sink body; and a heat pipe having a first portion coupled to the first heat sink body, a second portion coupled to the second heat sink body, and a third portion extending between the first and second heat sink bodies such that the heat pipe provides a physical coupling between the spaced apart first and second heat sink bodies.

Abstract: A multi-card system includes a card having a plurality of serial port devices, an inter-card serial bus connection configured for connection to an inter-card serial bus, and an intra-card and inter-card serial port access system. The serial port access system may include a switch configured to provide switchable serial connections between any of the devices on the card, and an inter-card signaling system to communicate switching instructions to other cards. A serial connection can be enabled between a particular device on the card and a target device on another card by controlling the switch to connect the particular device with the inter-card serial bus connection, and sending an instruction to the other card via the inter-card signaling system to enable a connection between the target device and the inter-card serial bus, such that a serial connection is provided between the particular device and the target device via the inter-card serial bus.

Abstract: A heat management system may include a generally planar printed circuit board extending in a first plane, heat-generating electrical components mounted on a first side of the PCB, and an air baffle coupled to the PCB and configured to direct air flow across some of the components. The air baffle may include a generally planar air baffle body extending in a second plane parallel to and offset from the first plane of the PCB such that at least one of the components is located in an area between the air baffle body and the PCB, an opening in the generally planar body, and a generally planar wing coupled to the air baffle body at a first side of the opening and extending toward the PCB at an askew angle relative to the first plane of the air baffle body, the wing being configured to facilitate air flow through the opening.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for branding a commodity drive may include reading a unique identifier from a drive, partitioning the drive into a first partition and a second partition, combining the unique identifier with a secret to form an encoded value, and writing the encoded value to the first partition.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a disk drive in a computer system may include a drive carrier and a drive carrier support configured to receive and support the drive carrier. The drive carrier may include a drive housing configured to house a disk drive, which may include an opening for providing external access to an electrical connector of the disk drive, and one or more drive carrier connectors. The drive carrier support may include a drive carrier body, one or more guidance structures for facilitating insertion of the drive carrier into the drive carrier support, and one or more support connectors configured to releasably engage with the one or more connectors of the drive carrier to provide a manually releasable coupling between the drive carrier and the drive carrier support. In a fully inserted position of the drive carrier, drive carrier connectors may engage with the drive carrier support connectors, and the disk drive electrical connector may connect with an electrical connector of a computer system.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for special signaling with customer premises equipment. The system includes loop termination equipment coupled to a local loop and comprising a signal generator. The system also includes customer premises equipment coupled to the local loop. The customer premises equipment and loop termination equipment are operable to communicate across a communication link established on the local loop. The loop termination equipment is further operable to control characteristics of a signal generated by the signal generator and to provide the signal to the customer premises equipment as special signaling where the signal has a frequency that does not substantially interfere with voice traffic on the local loop. The special signaling can be used to implement enhanced service to the customer premises including busy signal, queued data request processing, push data and telephony services.

Abstract: A method for testing a network element includes receiving from a network element into a buffer (40) a first clock signal (25) of the network element. The method includes receiving into the buffer (40) from a first port (31) of the network element a first plurality of data values to be verified in response to the first clock signal (25). The method also includes transferring a second plurality of data values to be verified to a second port (32) of the network element in response to a second clock signal (29), and comparing the second plurality of data values with the first plurality of data values. A system for testing a network element includes a testing element operable to couple a first port (31) to a second port (32) of a network element. The testing element is operable to receive a first plurality of data values from the first port of the network element and to transfer a second plurality of data values to the second port of the network element.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for special signaling with customer premises equipment. The system includes loop termination equipment coupled to a local loop and comprising a signal generator. The system also includes customer premises equipment coupled to the local loop. The customer premises equipment and loop termination equipment are operable to communicate across a communication link established on the local loop. The loop termination equipment is further operable to control characteristics of a signal generated by the signal generator and to provide the signal to the customer premises equipment as special signaling where the signal has a frequency that does not substantially interfere with voice traffic on the local loop. The special signaling can be used to implement enhanced service to the customer premises including busy signal, queued data request processing, push data and telephony services.

Abstract: A method for communicating information in a communication network having a first high speed device, a second high speed device, and a low speed device includes transferring data between the first high speed device and the second high speed device at a first rate and transferring data between the first high speed device and the low speed device at a second rate different from the first rate. Transferring data between the first high speed device and the low speed device at a second rate different from the first rate includes receiving at the first rate, at a buffer system, data from the first high speed device and transmitting at the second rate, to the low speed device, data from the buffer system. Transferring data between the first high speed device and the low speed device at a second rate different from the first rate also includes receiving at the second rate, at the buffer system, data from the low speed device and transmitting at the first rate, to the high speed device, data from the buffer system.