Abstract: A card reader reads data stored on a card. A contact signal is produced whose state is indicative of the presence or absence of electrical contact between the card and the card reader. A high state indicates the presence of electrical contact and a low state indicates the absence of electrical contact. Upon insertion of the card into the card reader, vibrations and other mechanical perturbations of the card cause the state of the contact signal to fluctuate rapidly between high and low states. The state of the contact signal is periodically sampled for a predetermined period of time and the number of samples for which the contact signal was high are counted. If the number of high samples exceeds a threshold then stable electrical contact is deemed to have been established between the card and the card reader and a system reset is performed.

Abstract: A card reader reads data stored on a card. A contact signal is produced whose state is indicative of the presence or absence of electrical contact between the card and the card reader. A high state indicates the presence of electrical contact and a low state indicates the absence of electrical contact. Upon insertion of the card into the card reader, vibrations and other mechanical perturbations of the card cause the state of the contact signal to fluctuate rapidly between high and low states. The state of the contact signal is periodically sampled for a predetermined period of time and the number of samples for which the contact signal was high are counted. If the number of high samples exceeds a threshold then stable electrical contact is deemed to have been established between the card and the card reader and a system reset is performed.

Abstract: The invention provides an interrupt handling system to process a generated interrupt. At least one input is arranged to provide a predetermined active level, with a detection circuit associated with the input which is selectively configurable to detect either the active level or an inactive level. An interrupt request message causes the detection circuit to be configured to detect the active level, so that an enable logic is caused to generate an interrupt. The invention provides an integrated circuit and a method of generating interrupts using the above system, and a consumer electronic device in the form of a set top box or DVD Read and/or Write device.

Abstract: Digital clock deskew apparatus for synchronising the phase of a first and a second clock signal. The deskew apparatus includes a tapped delay line, selector apparatus and a phase detector.