Abstract: A fault-tolerant failsafe computer voting system includes a switch module that generates a first copy of a first data packet and a second copy of the first data packet and that communicates the first copy and the second copy. The system also includes a first voting module that generates a first packet signature based on the first copy and communicates the first packet signature. The system further includes a second voting module that generates a second packet signature based on the second copy and communicates the second packet signature.

Abstract: A fault-tolerant failsafe computer system including an inter-processor communication channel includes a transmission control module that encodes a first data packet and communicates a first encoded copy of the first data packet and a second encoded copy of the first data packet. The system also includes a receiver control module that i) receives a first encoded copy of a second data packet and a second encoded copy of the second data packet and ii) decodes the first encoded copy and the second encoded copy. The system further includes a de-duplication module that receives a plurality of data packets and communicates at least one unique data packet of the plurality of data packets.

Abstract: A power distribution system and method may include a first power domain having a first plurality of power rails, a second power domain having a second plurality of power rails, where the first power domain is electrically independent of the second power domain, and a plurality of modules coupled to the first power domain and the second power domain, where each of the plurality of modules is coupled to one of the first plurality of power rails and one of the second plurality of power rails. The system may also include a plurality of mated pairs, where each of the plurality of modules is in only one of the plurality of mated pairs, and where each of the plurality of mated pairs is coupled to two separate of the first and second plurality of power rails.

Abstract: A chassis (300) for housing at least one cardcage (302) is disclosed. The chassis includes a first portion (420) of a chassis housing (300) through a sixth portion (460) thereof. The first through sixth portions forming a boundary around a storage region of the chassis housing (300). The chassis (300) also includes at least one air moving device (316). At least first (413) and second openings (425) are situated within the chassis housing (300). The first and (413) second openings (425) located at substantially different elevations relative to each other. A cardcage (302) is located in the storage region and situated in a skewed orientation relative to at least two of the portions of the chassis housing (300). The at least first (413) and second (425) openings and the at least one air moving device (316) are located relative to the skewed oriented cardcage (302) to facilitate airflow thereacross.

Abstract: A chassis (300) for housing at least one cardcage (302) is disclosed. The chassis includes a first portion (420) of a chassis housing (300) through a sixth portion (460) thereof. The first through sixth portions forming a boundary around a storage region of the chassis housing (300). The chassis (300) also includes at least one air moving device (316). At least first (413) and second openings (425) are situated within the chassis housing (300). The first and (413) second openings (425) located at substantially different elevations relative to each other. A cardcage (302) is located in the storage region and situated in a skewed orientation relative to at least two of the portions of the chassis housing (300). The at least first (413) and second (425) openings and the at least one air moving device (316) are located relative to the skewed oriented cardcage (302) to facilitate airflow thereacross.

Abstract: A subrack having a front side and a rear side, wherein the subrack is coupled to receive an Advanced Mezzanine Card module, the subrack includes a monolithic backplane having a first portion and second portion, where the first portion runs substantially along the front side and the second portion runs substantially along the rear side. A first slot is to receive the Advanced Mezzanine Card module inserted via the front side and connect the Advanced Mezzanine Card module directly to the second portion of the monolithic backplane. A second slot is to receive the Advanced Mezzanine Card module inserted via the rear side and connect the Advanced Mezzanine Card module directly to the first portion of the monolithic backplane.

Abstract: A computer system includes a cooling module that cools an embedded computer chassis. The cooling module includes a fan and a fan controller that controls the fan speed based on a first signal that represents a desired speed of the fan. A bus master module generates the first signal, generates a second signal that bypasses the fan controller and selectively switches the fan to a full-speed, receives a third signal that indicates an actual speed of the fan, communicates the second signal to switch the fan to full-speed, monitors the third signal to determine if the fan speed changed due to the second signal, and indicates a latent fault if the change in the fan speed is not detected.

Abstract: A power distribution system and method may include a first power domain having a first plurality of power rails, a second power domain having a second plurality of power rails, where the first power domain is electrically independent of the second power domain, and a plurality of modules coupled to the first power domain and the second power domain, where each of the plurality of modules is coupled to one of the first plurality of power rails and one of the second plurality of power rails. The system may also include a plurality of mated pairs, where each of the plurality of modules is in only one of the plurality of mated pairs, and where each of the plurality of mated pairs is coupled to two separate of the first and second plurality of power rails.

Abstract: An embedded computer chassis may include a fan tray receptacle adapted to receive at least one primary fan tray, where the at least one primary fan tray is adapted to be non-redundant in providing cooling air to the embedded computer chassis. Embedded computer chassis may also include a cooling air plenum, where the cooling air plenum is adapted to receive a service fan tray, where the service fan tray is adapted to temporarily provide the cooling air to the embedded computer chassis absent the at least one primary fan tray.

Abstract: A method of latent fault checking a cooling module of an embedded computer chassis may include prior to detection of an active fault in the cooling module, performing a fan controller latent fault checking algorithm and a full-speed latent fault checking algorithm. The fan controller latent fault checking algorithm may include attempting to modify a fan speed in the cooling module via a fan controller module in the cooling module, and determining if a change in the fan speed is detected. The full-speed latent fault checking algorithm may include attempting to modify the fan speed via a full speed fan control circuit, bypassing the fan controller module, and determining if the change in the fan speed is detected. If the change in the fan speed is not detected in at least one of the fan controller latent fault checking algorithm and the full-speed latent fault checking algorithm, a latent fault in the cooling module of the embedded computer chassis may be indicated.

Abstract: A bladed architecture, backplane-based network (100) having N payload slots (108) includes an N/2 slot switch module (102), wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration (603) and a right-hand slot switch configuration (605), and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration (601).

Abstract: A power distribution system and method may include a first power domain having a first plurality of power rails, a second power domain having a second plurality of power rails, where the first power domain is electrically independent of the second power domain, and a plurality of modules coupled to the first power domain and the second power domain, where each of the plurality of modules is coupled to a unique set of one of the first plurality of power rails and one of the second plurality of power rails. The system may also include a plurality of mated pairs, where each of the plurality of modules is in only one of the plurality of mated pairs, where each of the plurality of mated pairs is coupled to four separate of the first and second plurality of power rails, and where each of the plurality of mated pairs is coupled to a unique set of the first plurality of power rails and the second plurality of power rails.

Abstract: A bladed architecture, backplane-based network (100) having N payload slots (108) includes an N/2 slot switch module (102), wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration (603) and a right-hand slot switch configuration (605), and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration (601).

Abstract: A bladed architecture, backplane-based network (100) having N payload slots (108) includes an N/2 slot switch module (102), wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration (603) and a right-hand slot switch configuration (605), and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration (601).

Abstract: A bladed architecture, backplane-based network (100) having N payload slots (108) includes an N/2 slot switch module (102), wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration (603) and a right-hand slot switch configuration (605), and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration (601).

Abstract: A method of managing memory includes providing a memory (190) partitioned into a memory tree having N memory levels and different numbers of memory nodes (100, 110, 111, 120, 121, 122, 123, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137) at each of the memory levels, providing a memory request, determining a memory request size, recursively searching partially-full subtrees within the memory tree to identify an empty one of the memory nodes minimizing fragmentation within the memory tree, and allocating the memory request to the empty one of the memory nodes.

Abstract: A process control system is disclosed in which process variables are treated as mapped in n-dimensional space, where n is the number of orthogonal directions. Three functions, set, check, and term, provide the link between expected and actual conditions. The check and term functions operate on orthogonal coordinates. Each parameter has a guard band to provide a soft boundary for the parameter.