Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detecting a resonant frequency giving rise to an impedance peak in a power delivery network used to provide a supply voltage. The apparatus includes resonant frequency detection circuitry that comprises test frequency control circuitry and a loading circuit. The test frequency control circuitry is arranged to generate control signals to indicate a sequence of test frequencies. A loading circuit is controlled by the control signals and operates from the supply voltage. In particular, in response to each test frequency indicated by the control signals, the loading circuit draws a duty-cycled current load through the power delivery network at that test frequency. Operation of the loading circuit produces a measurable property whose value varies in dependence on the supply voltage, thus enabling the resonant frequency to be determined from a variation in the value of that measurable property.

Abstract: An operating parameter method and circuitry are provided that generate operating parameter signals that are compensated for noise. Such operating parameter circuitry includes control loop circuitry that operates from a first power supply to provide an operating parameter signal to functional circuitry operating from a second power supply separate from the first power supply. The control loop circuitry comprises generator circuitry to generate the operating parameter signal based on an input signal. Replica generator circuitry operates from the second power supply to generate a further operating parameter signal based on the input signal. Adjustment circuitry performs a comparison on the operating parameter signal and the further operating parameter signal and causes an adjusted input signal to be produced in dependence on a result of the comparison. The adjusted input signal is received by the generator circuitry.

Abstract: System and method for using fast response heaters to pre-heat metal before entering a metal treatment furnace, which may improve control over metal processing, especially in response to changes in material, mass flow rate, line speed, and/or desired treatment process. Fast response heaters may be used with control systems to adjust the output of the fast response heater based on operator inputs, direct or indirect sensing of process parameters, and/or the use of thermal models to quickly adjust fast response heater output while a metal treatment furnace remains at a constant temperature or slowly transitions into a new operating state. The resulting gains in process control result in higher quality products, reduced scrap, and increases in line speed and output.

Abstract: An instruction processing pipeline having error detection and error recovery circuitry associated with one or more of the pipeline stages. If an error is detected within a signal value within that pipeline stage, then it can be repaired. Part of the error recovery may be to flush upstream program instructions from the instruction pipeline. When multi-threading, only those instructions from a thread including an instruction which has been lost as a consequence of the error recovery need be flushed from the instruction pipeline. The instruction pipeline may additionally/alternatively be provided with more than one main storage element associated with each signal value with these main storage elements used in an alternating fashion such that if a signal value has been erroneously captured and needs to be repaired, there is still available a main storage element to properly capture the signal value corresponding to the following program instruction.

Abstract: Described herein is a continuous coil pretreatment process used to treat the surface of an aluminum alloy sheet or coil for subsequent deposition of an acidic organophosphorus compound. The process can include applying a cleaner to a surface of an aluminum sheet or a coil; etching the surface of the aluminum sheet or the coil with an acidic solution; rinsing the surface of the aluminum sheet or the coil with deionized water; applying to the surface of the aluminum sheet or the coil a solution of an acidic organophosphorus compound; rinsing the surface of the aluminum sheet or the coil with deionized water; and drying the surface of the aluminum sheet or the coil.

Abstract: A circuit delay monitoring apparatus has a ring oscillator with a plurality of delay elements, a signal transition being propagated through the delay elements of the ring oscillator, and a plurality N of sampling points being distributed around the ring oscillator. Selection circuitry selects, in dependence on the indication of the current location of the signal transition generated by the fine sampling circuitry, one of the M transition counter circuits whose associated location is greater than said predetermined amount from the current location of the signal transition. Output generation circuitry then generates a count indication for a reference time period dependent on a sampled count value of the transition counter circuit selected by the selection circuitry, the indication of the current location of the signal transition within the ring oscillator, and reference count data relating to the start of the reference time period.

Abstract: An operating parameter method and circuitry are provided that generate operating parameter signals that are compensated for noise. Such operating parameter circuitry includes control loop circuitry that operates from a first power supply to provide an operating parameter signal to functional circuitry operating from a second power supply separate from the first power supply. The control loop circuitry comprises generator circuitry to generate the operating parameter signal based on an input signal. Replica generator circuitry operates from the second power supply to generate a further operating parameter signal based on the input signal. Adjustment circuitry performs a comparison on the operating parameter signal and the further operating parameter signal and causes an adjusted input signal to be produced in dependence on a result of the comparison. The adjusted input signal is received by the generator circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to aluminum alloy products that can be riveted and possess excellent ductility and toughness properties. The present invention also relates to a method of producing the aluminum alloy products. In particular, these products have application in the automotive industry.

Abstract: Described herein is a novel process for separating individual lubricated aluminum sheets from a stack of lubricated aluminum sheets as they enter a stamping press for fabrication. The process involves placing a lift underneath a stack of aluminum sheets and lifting the center upwards. This in turn causes the edges of the stack to bend downwards, creating a concave bending curvature facing the lift. The induced curvature is sufficient to provide the inter-sheet shear necessary to break the adhesion caused by the lubricant.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus executes instructions in a sequence of pipelined execution stages. An error detection unit twice samples a signal associated with execution of an instruction and generates an error signal if the samples differ. An exception storage unit maintains an age-ordered list of entries corresponding to instructions issued to the execution pipeline and can mark an entry to show if the error signal has been generated in association with that instruction. A timer unit is responsive to generation of the error signal to initiate timing of a predetermined time period. An error recovery unit initiates a soft pipeline flush procedure if an oldest pending entry in the list has said error marker stored in association therewith and initiates a hard pipeline flush procedure if said predetermined time period elapses, said hard flush procedure comprising resetting said pipeline to a predetermined state.

Abstract: An integrated circuit including a plurality of sensors configured to sense variations in supply voltage levels at points within the integrated circuit is disclosed. The plurality of sensors are distributed across the integrated circuit and have transistor devices such that process variations in the transistor devices within the sensors are such that a sensing result will have a random voltage offset that has a predetermined probability of lying within a pre-defined voltage offset range. The integrated circuit is configured to transmit results from multiple ones of the plurality of sensors to processing circuitry such that the variations in the supply voltage levels can be determined with a voltage offset range that is reduced compared to the pre-defined voltage offset range.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes processing pipeline circuitry comprising a plurality of pipeline stages separated by respective signal value storage circuitry. Timing detection circuitry to the processing pipeline circuitry serves to detect as timing violations any signal transitions arrive at the signal value storage circuits outside respective nominal timing windows. Error detection circuitry triggers an error correcting response if the timing detection circuitry indicates a predetermined pattern comprising a plurality of timing violations spread over a plurality of clock cycles of a clock signal controlling the processing pipeline circuitry. The predetermined pattern may be two consecutive timing violations.

Abstract: A circuit delay monitoring apparatus has a ring oscillator with a plurality of delay elements, a signal transition being propagated through the delay elements of the ring oscillator, and a plurality N of sampling points being distributed around the ring oscillator. Selection circuitry selects, in dependence on the indication of the current location of the signal transition generated by the fine sampling circuitry, one of the M transition counter circuits whose associated location is greater than said predetermined amount from the current location of the signal transition. Output generation circuitry then generates a count indication for a reference time period dependent on a sampled count value of the transition counter circuit selected by the selection circuitry, the indication of the current location of the signal transition within the ring oscillator, and reference count data relating to the start of the reference time period.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with error detection circuitry and error repair circuitry. Error tolerance circuitry is responsive to a control parameter to selectively disable the error repair circuitry. The control parameter is dependent on the processing performed within the circuit. For example, the control parameter may be generated in dependence upon the program instruction being executed, the output signal value which is in error, the previous behavior of the circuit or in other ways.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with error detection circuitry and error repair circuitry. Error tolerance circuitry is responsive to a control parameter to selectively disable the error repair circuitry. The control parameter is dependent on the processing performed within the circuit. For example, the control parameter may be generated in dependence upon the program instruction being executed, the output signal value which is in error, the previous behavior of the circuit or in other ways.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus configured to operate in a voltage and frequency operating region that is located beyond a safe region where errors do not arise, but within operating region limits such that the errors are rare. The data processing apparatus comprises: error detection circuitry and error recovery circuitry; the error detection circuitry being configured to determine if a signal sampled in the processing apparatus changes within a time window occurring after the signal has been sampled and during a same clock cycle as the sampling and to signal an error if the signal does change.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with error detection circuitry and error repair circuitry. Error tolerance circuitry is responsive to a control parameter to selectively disable the error repair circuitry. The control parameter is dependent on the processing performed within the circuit. For example, the control parameter may be generated in dependence upon the program instruction being executed, the output signal value which is in error, the previous behavior of the circuit or in other ways.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with error detection circuitry and error repair circuitry. Error tolerance circuitry is responsive to a control parameter to selectively disable the error repair circuitry. The control parameter is dependent on the processing performed within the circuit. For example, the control parameter may be generated in dependence upon the program instruction being executed, the output signal value which is in error, the previous behavior of the circuit or in other ways.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with error detection circuitry and error repair circuitry. Error tolerance circuitry is responsive to a control parameter to selectively disable the error repair circuitry. The control parameter is dependent on the processing performed within the circuit. For example, the control parameter may be generated in dependence upon the program instruction being executed, the output signal value which is in error, the previous behavior of the circuit or in other ways.

Abstract: A method of starting a gas turbine system is provided. The method includes approximating a temperature of at least one turbine system component. Also included is selectively determining a flow rate for a fuel to be delivered to a combustor for combustion therein, wherein the flow rate is dependent upon the temperature of the at least one turbine system component. Further included is delivering the fuel to the combustor at the flow rate selectively determined.