Abstract: A fault insertion device (FID) comprises a transceiver and an FPGA. The transceiver receives signals from a MIL-STD-1553/1760 communications bus. The FPGA evaluates the signals received from the communications bus against a set of rules stored by the FPGA. Based upon the set of rules, the FPGA can selectively modify messages received from the communications bus prior to transmission to a remote terminal or a bus controller that is configured to communicate on the communications bus.

Abstract: Tobacco is treated to cause its expansion by a process which comprises the steps of subjecting it, in a treatment chamber, to a reduced pressure of not greater than 7 kPa, impregnating the cell structure of the tobacco with isopentane vapour at a temperature in the range of from 70.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. and maintaining the tobacco in contact with the vapour at a pressure of at least 400 kPa, removing excess isopentane vapour from the treatment chamber, contacting the impregnated tobacco with steam to expand the tobacco cell structure, reducing the pressure in the treatment chamber at a rate of at lest 10 kPa/minute, preferably 30 kPa/minute, and then venting the treatment chamber back to atmospheric pressure. The final filling value of the tobacco treated according to this process is directly proportional to the rate at which the pressure in the treatment chamber is reduced following the steam treatment of the tobacco.

Abstract: Tobacco is treated using the following series of steps:(1) subjecting in a chamber the tobacco to a reduced pressure of not greater than 70 mbar (7 kPa);(2) impregnating the cell structure of the tobacco with isopentane vapor at a temperature in the range of from 70.degree. C. to 90.degree. C. and maintaining the tobacco in contact with isopentane vapor at a pressure of at least 4 bar (400 kPa) for up to 30 minutes to cause impregnation of the tobacco;(3) removing excess isopentane vapor from the impregnated tobacco by evacuating the chamber, the pressure change being effected adiabatically;(4) contacting the impregnated tobacco with steam to expand the tobacco; and(5) subjecting the expanded tobacco to a reordering process.