Abstract: Systems and methods which provide for distributed activation of pre-printed, or otherwise pre-produced, indicia to thereby provide value bearing indicia, such as postage indicia, are shown. Embodiments apply indicia to fungible items, such as envelopes, paper stock, labels, etc., at a central location. When one of the items bearing the pre-produced indicia is incorporated into a mail item by a user, the pre-produced indicia may be activated and thus becomes valid postage indicia for use in posting the mail item. Various images, information, characters, symbols, and/or marks may be provided in association with pre-produced indicia. Such marks may be printed using a same or different media than an accompanying pre-produced indicia. Embodiments implement a system for scanning pre-produced indicia for activation as postage indicia.

Abstract: A series clock deskewing apparatus uses a series terminated single transmission line system to deliver a clock signal to a load. A plurality of series clock deskewing apparatuses are implemented, one for each load, so that the clock signal is delivered to all loads simultaneously. Each series clock deskewing apparatus has a single series termination resistor with the same impedance value as the transmission line to which it is coupled. For each load, the clock signal travels the transmission line from a clock generator to the load and is simultaneously applied to the deskewing apparatus. A clock signal is reflected at the load back to the deskewing apparatus. The roundtrip transit time is determined by the deskewing apparatus which causes an appropriate delay to adjust each clock signal to arrive synchronously at all the loads.

Abstract: A clock deskewing apparatus uses either a series terminated single transmission line system or a Thevenin terminated dual transmission line system to deliver a clock signal to a load. A plurality of series terminated clock deskewing apparatuses are implemented, one for each load, so that the clock signal is delivered to all loads coupled to the clock signal simultaneously. Each series clock deskewing apparatus has a single termination resistor with the same impedance value as the transmission line that it is coupled to. Each Thevenin termination system has a voltage divider resistor network. A variable delay line within each series clock deskewing apparatus can be adjusted so that each load receives the clock signal at the same time. A programmable output driver impedance network can be used for the single line termination resistor of the series terminated clock deskewing system in order that the series terminated clock deskewing apparatus can be used with transmission lines having different line impedances.