Abstract: According to one aspect, an electric toothbrush may include a handle, a brush head, a rechargeable battery, an electric motor, and a pair of electrical contacts. The handle may have a first end region and a second end region defining a longitudinal axis therebetween, the handle defining a volume from the first end region to the second end region. The brush head may include bristles, the brush head releasably securable to the first end region of the handle. The rechargeable battery may be in the volume. The electric motor may be at least partially disposed in the volume, the electric motor in electrical communication with the rechargeable battery, the electric motor in mechanical communication with the brush head. The pair of electrical contacts may be in electrical communication with the rechargeable battery, and the pair of electrical contacts axially and radially spaced from one another, relative to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A system interface having a cache memory and a plurality of directors. Each one of the plurality of directors includes a data pipe coupled between an input of such one of the directors. The data pipe includes a data pipe memory and a data pipe memory controller for controlling the data pipe memory. Each one of the directors includes microprocessor coupled to the data pipe memory controller. The system includes a switching network coupled to the cache memory to transfer data between the memory and: (a) the input of a selected one of the plurality of directors through the data pipe memory; (b) the microprocessor and the data pipe memory through the data pipe memory controller of a selected one of the plurality of directors; and (c) the microprocessor and the data pipe memory controller while by-passing the data pipe memory of a selected one of the plurality of directors.

Abstract: An assembly couples first and second backplanes together. The first backplane is configured to carry first electrical backplane signals among a first set of circuit boards. The second backplane is configured to carry second electrical backplane signals among a second set of circuit boards. The assembly includes a first switch configured to convey at least some of the first electrical backplane signals between circuit boards of the first set of circuit boards. The assembly further includes a second switch configured to convey at least some of the second electrical backplane signals between circuit boards of the second set of circuit boards. The assembly further includes a fiber optic cable joining the first and second switches together. The first and second switches are configured to exchange fiber optic signals through the fiber optic cable thus forming a cohesive backplane interconnect system between the first and second sets of circuit boards.

Abstract: A system interface includes a plurality of first directors, a plurality of second directors, a data transfer section and a message network. The data transfer section includes a cache memory. The cache memory is coupled to the plurality of first and second directors. The messaging network operates independently of the data transfer section and such network is coupled to the plurality of first directors and the plurality of second directors. The first and second directors control data transfer between the first directors and the second directors in response to messages passing between the first directors and the second directors through the messaging network to facilitate data transfer between first directors and the second directors. The data passes through the cache memory in the data transfer section. A method for operating a data storage system adapted to transfer data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives.

Abstract: A data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The interface includes: a global memory; a plurality of front-end directors coupled between the global memory and the host computer/server; and, a plurality of back-end directors coupled between the global memory and the bank of disk drives. Each one of the first directors and each one of the second directors has a data pipe. Each one of such front-end directors passes front-end data between the global memory and the host computer through the data pipe therein and each one of the second directors passing back-end data between the global memory and the bank of disk drives through the data pipe therein.

Abstract: A method and system for producing a data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The system interface has a plurality of first directors, a plurality of second directors, and a global memory. The method includes: providing a backplane having slots adapted to have plugged therein a plurality of printed circuit board. The printed circuit boards include: a plurality of first director boards having the first directors; a plurality of second printed circuit boards having the second directors; a plurality of memory printed circuit boards providing the global memory; a plurality of dummy first director boards having first jumpers; a plurality of dummy second director boards having second jumpers; a plurality of dummy memory boards having third jumpers.

Abstract: A system interface having a cache memory and a plurality of directors. Each one of the plurality of directors includes a data pipe coupled between an input of such one of the directors. The data pipe includes a data pipe memory and a data pipe memory controller for controlling the data pipe memory. Each one of the directors includes microprocessor coupled to the data pipe memory controller. The system includes a switching network coupled to the cache memory to transfer data between the memory and: (a) the input of a selected one of the plurality of directors through the data pipe memory; (b) the microprocessor and the data pipe memory through the data pipe memory controller of a selected one of the plurality of directors; and (c) the microprocessor and the data pipe memory controller while by-passing the data pipe memory of a selected one of the plurality of directors.

Abstract: A method and system for producing a data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The system interface has a plurality of first directors, a plurality of second directors, and a global memory. The method includes: providing a backplane having slots adapted to have plugged therein a plurality of printed circuit board. The printed circuit boards include: a plurality of first director boards having the first directors; a plurality of second printed circuit boards having the second directors; a plurality of memory printed circuit boards providing the global memory; a plurality of dummy first director boards having first jumpers; a plurality of dummy second director boards having second jumpers; a plurality of dummy memory boards having third jumpers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for connecting between a serial fibre channel link and a global memory provide a bidirectional high throughput path for enabling reliable communications and translation from the fibre channel format to the format required by the global memory. The apparatus includes, in series from the fibre channel link, a bidirectional physical interface, a bidirectional conversion circuitry for converting between an electrical protocol from the fibre channel and a high speed conventional protocol such as a PCI bus, a bidirectional lower machine controlled by a central processing unit and able to add block protection words to the passing data stream, and for separating the data stream into one of a plurality of pipes as directed by the CPU, an error detection and correction circuitry for adding yet additional error correcting data to the data stream as it written in the global memory and for detecting and correcting, if possible, any errors in data being retrieved from global memory.

Abstract: A hardware emulation controller permits a high performance processor to be used with system circuitry that is configured for operation with a different processor. The hardware emulation controller is capable of modifying signals from the high performance processor for compatibility with the system circuitry. The hardware emulation controller is also capable of modifying signals from the system circuitry for compatibility with the high performance processor.

Abstract: An interconnect topology providing enhanced fault tolerance to a multi-component data processing system. The topology utilizes a plurality of rings for interconnecting multiple system components, or cards, at least two of which are indirectly connected so that communication therebetween is through a third component. Each of the system components is coupled to a set of at least two different rings and includes interface circuits for routing data and a bridge for permitting data to be transferred between the at least two rings.