Abstract: A printer with adjustable PPS is provided. The printer includes a printer frame structure, a carriage movable in the printer frame structure for movement across a print zone during printing operations, and at least one cartridge mounted on the carriage for printing on a medium in the print zone. The printer further has means for driving the cartridge relative to the printer between a first position in which the printer prints at a first PPS measured from a bottom surface of the medium, and a second position in which the printer prints at a second PPS.

Abstract: A network interface that can converts frame data into a data packet which is sent from one local area network to another local area network in which the two local area networks operate using different prescribed network protocols. The network interface receives frame data from a transmit buffer and converts the frame data into a first data packet having a first prescribed network protocol and where the data packet includes first CRC digits. Logic converts the first data packet into a converted data packet having a second prescribed network protocol, which is different than the first prescribed network protocol. The converted data packet also includes second CRC digits which were generated based on the converted data packet at well as being generated by the same CRC generator that generated the first CRC digits.

Abstract: A writer coil in a data head of a data storage system is tested by coupling detection circuitry to the writer coil and driving the writer coil with a periodic pulse signal generated by the detection circuitry. As a result, voltage is generated, with the detection circuitry, as a function of an inductance of the writer coil. An inductance of the writer coil is calculated as a function of the generated voltage. Electrical short circuits and discontinuities in the writer coil are identified as a function of the calculated inductance.

Abstract: A method and random number generator are provided for generating random numbers. Under the method, a filter coefficient value that is used by a filter to filter an input signal is set and then compared to a default value for the filter coefficient. At least one bit of the random number is then set based on the comparison between the filter coefficient value and the default value.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive element measurement circuit configured for measuring resistance of a magnetoresistive element biased by a current source is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the measurement circuit includes the magnetoresistive element, a current source providing a fixed current to the magnetoresistive element, at least one current bypass switch controllingly engaging a measurement resistor in an electrical parallel configuration with the biased magnetoresistive element, and an analogue voltage detector measuring voltage first across the biased magnetoresistive element and then across the biased magnetoresistive element in electrical parallel communication with the measurement resistor. The measured voltages are factored with the measurement resistor to determine the resistance of the magnetoresistive element.

Abstract: A thermo-formed tray and tray assembly designed for the storage and transportation of integrated circuit packages for instance of the type known as a pin grid array or a flip chip pin grid array. The storage tray consists of a number of compartments or recesses usually in a layout of two or three rows by five columns. Each recess includes a central pedestal to support the integrated circuit package and an array of supports so that the chip can be held on both the obverse and reverse side of the package. The formed trays can be nested when empty and may provide storage space savings. The tray assembly includes a thermoformed tray and rigid peripheral frame, that may be injection molded peripheral frame, to give better rigidity to the assembly.

Abstract: A media feed mechanism in a printer is provided. The media feed mechanism includes a drive roller for feeding a print medium in the printer, a pinch roller coupled to the drive roller for feeding the print media between the drive roller and the pinch roller, and a spring operatively connected to the pinch roller for biasing the pinch roller against the drive roller to exert a pinch force on the drive roller. Such a pinch force ensures that the print medium remains in contact with and is properly fed by the drive roller. The media feed mechanism further includes means connected to the spring for altering at least one character of the biasing force provided by the spring so as to alter the pinch force exerted on the drive roller.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing disc drives. Before a pivot cartridge is assembled into a disc drive, impedance readings of the pivot cartridge are taken, preferably, at more than one rotational position and across a frequency range. The pivot cartridge is accepted for assembly into the disc drive only if its impedance readings compare favorably with readings taken of a good pivot cartridge. Otherwise, the pivot cartridge is rejected and the impedance readings are analyzed to provide identification of the defect in the pivot cartridge. In addition, a system and a storage device readable by a computer system for implementing the method of screening pivot cartridges and identifying causes of defects is provided.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet cartridge having a printhead at which ink is ejected onto a media sheet, and a substantially horizontally slidable support adjacent to the cartridge. The support is substantially horizontally slidable between a first position in which the support supports a portion of the media sheet when the media sheet is printed and fed toward a media output area, and a second position in which the media sheet is free to move to the media output area.

Abstract: A printer with adjustable PPS is provided. The printer includes a printer frame structure, a carriage movable in the printer frame structure for movement across a print zone during printing operations, and at least one cartridge mounted on the carriage for printing on a medium in the print zone. The printer further has means for driving the cartridge relative to the printer between a first position in which the printer prints at a first PPS measured from a bottom surface of the medium, and a second position in which the printer prints at a second PPS.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet cartridge having a printhead at which ink is ejected onto a media sheet, and a substantially horizontally slidable support adjacent to the cartridge. The support is substantially horizontally slidable between a first position in which the support supports a portion of the media sheet when the media sheet is printed and fed toward a media output area, and a second position in which the media sheet is free to move to the media output area.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a bearing cartridge based on a preload applied to the bearing cartridge used in a disc drive, to increase disc drive yield rates. The method begins by loading the bearing cartridge on to a test fixture and to an actuator assembly such that the actuator is rotatably attached to the base by the bearing cartridge. Then, the method includes inducing a steady swing in the actuator. Then, the method includes measuring a voltage drop that occurs across the bearing cartridge during the steady swing to characterize the preload applied to the bearing cartridge.

Abstract: An apparatus for the fabrication of a semiconductor device comprising: a mold having top and bottom halves, each with cavities for holding semiconductor chips pre-assembled on an electrically insulating interposer; one of said halves having a plurality of runners and a plurality of gates for feeding encapsulation material into said cavities; said plurality of runners comprising pairs of runners parallel to each other, having gates opposite to each other, thereby forming dual gates; each pair of runners being configured such that encapsulation material will exit from adjacent gates concurrently; and each pair of dual gates being structured such that they fill the cavity between them uniformly with encapsulation material, thereby encapsulating thin semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A tray for holding a stack of sheets of paper for feeding into a printer includes opposite paper guides one of which is adjustable relative to the other for varying the spacing between the paper guides. The adjustable paper guide is slideable across the tray and includes a releasable lock which engages the tray for locking the paper guide in position. The releasable lock is preferably a spring biased lever which includes a tooth that normally engages a rack in the paper tray until released by operation of the lever for the paper guide to be adjusted. As the paper guide is locked in position it cannot move away from its location during feeding of papers from the tray. The paper guide may also include a spring arm for applying a bias against the edge of the sheets of paper as they are fed from the tray to prevent them from skewing.

Abstract: An Internet hardware description code generation system, methods, and scripts are provided. The Internet hardware description code generation system includes a hardware description code generation host adapted to generate one or more hardware description language files in response to one or more input parameters. A user uploads input parameters corresponding to a circuit to the hardware description code host. In response, the host generates one or more hardware description language (HDL) files that describe the circuit. Cgi scripts may be used to generate the HDL files.

Abstract: A guardband portion is written on a disc surface in a disc drive. A predetermined data pattern is written on at least one data track adjacent to the guardband portion. A predetermined guardband pattern is written at a plurality of different guardband frequencies in the guardband portion. For each guardband frequency, at least one performance criterion is measured for the data track. A desired guardband pattern is written on the guardband portion of the disc surface at a guardband frequency chosen based on the measured performance criterion.

Abstract: A disc drive with on-the-fly verification of an enabled condition of the write element, comprising a rotatable disc having a magnetic recording surface, and a data reading and writing assembly. The data reading and writing assembly comprises a read/write head comprising a write element and a read element, both adjacent the recording surface; a preamplifier comprising a write driver applying a series of write currents for writing data to the recording surface and a read amplifier for reading stored data from the recording surface; and an interconnect joining the write driver to the write element so as to generate time-varying magnetic fields selectively magnetizing the recording surface in response to the write currents, and joining the read amplifier to the read element so as to transduce magnetization vectors on the recording surface associated with stored data.

Abstract: An output roller for propelling a media sheet, for example in a printer, is disclosed. A plurality of protrusions is selectively positioned on the output roller. As the media sheet exists a media path, the rear edge of the media sheet is caught by the protrusions and the rear edge is further pushed forward into an output stack. Preferably, the protrusions are flexible.

Abstract: A method for the adaptive dampening of a peak amplitude of a thermal asperity signal in a disc drive to minimize loss of read data integrity, including the steps of determining a peak-to-peak preamble signal amplitude for identifying an amplitude signal range of the peak amplitude of the thermal asperity signal; measuring the peak amplitude of the thermal asperity signal; separating the peak-to-peak preamble signal amplitude into substantially even portions for use in calculating a value of the amplitude signal range of the peak amplitude of the thermal asperity signal; calculating the value of the amplitude signal range of the peak amplitude of the thermal asperity signal for use in determining a dampening resistance used by a dampening circuit to adaptively dampen the peak amplitude of the thermal asperity signal; and activating the dampening circuit to dampen the peak amplitude of the thermal asperity signal.

Abstract: A thermo-formed tray and tray assembly designed for the storage and transportation of integrated circuit packages for instance of the type known as a pin grid array or a flip chip pin grid array. The storage tray consists of a number of compartments or recesses usually in a layout of two or three rows by five columns. Each recess includes a central pedestal to support the integrated circuit package and an array of supports so that the chip can be held on both the obverse and reverse side of the package. The formed trays can be nested when empty and may provide storage space savings. The tray assembly includes a thermoformed tray and rigid peripheral frame, that may be injection molded peripheral frame, to give better rigidity to the assembly.