Abstract: A system and method for tracking a location of a moving element on a conveyor system. The system including: magnetic sensors; a magnetic encoder strip that is readable by the magnetic sensors; and a processor for receiving and processing the sensor readings to determine a location of the moving element. The method including: sensing a current location of the moving element, wherein at least one of the magnetic sensors and magnetic encoder are associated with the moving element; and providing a current location to a conveyor system controller. The system may further include: color sensors; and a color gradient encoder strip that is readable by the color sensors, wherein the color gradient encoder strip and color sensors provide moving element location at start up and the magnetic sensors and magnetic encoder strip track moving element location during operation. In this case, the method is adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: A joint connector for track sections of a conveyor wherein the track sections comprise a feature that requires alignment, the joint connector including: a first segment for attachment to an attachment feature of a first track section of the conveyor; and a second segment for attachment to an attachment feature of a second track section of the conveyor, wherein the second segment is configured to be adaptive to non-alignment of the attachment features of the first and second track sections in order to maintain alignment of the feature after installation of the joint connector.

Abstract: Generating a clock signal includes: at a root node of a clock distribution network, receiving a first clock signal; at a first leaf node of the clock distribution network, detecting a reference event and generating a synchronizing signal based on the detection of the reference event; passing the synchronizing signal along a synchronizing signal path from the first leaf node to the root node via one or more clocked storage cells, each storage cell being clocked from a corresponding point within the clock distribution network; at the root node, generating a second clock signal from the first clock signal synchronized to the synchronizing signal received at the root node, and distributing the second clock signal to the leaf nodes of the clock distribution network, the generating of the second clock signal resulting in the second clock signal received at the first leaf node being synchronized to the detected reference event.

Abstract: Generating a clock signal includes: at a root node of a clock distribution network, receiving a first clock signal generated based on a reference clock signal; at a first leaf node, detecting a reference event associated with the reference clock signal and generating a synchronizing signal; passing the synchronizing signal from the first leaf node to the root node; at the root node, generating a second clock signal from the first clock signal synchronized to the synchronizing signal, and distributing the second clock signal to the leaf nodes. Generating the second clock signal includes selecting a repeating pattern of cycles of the first clock signal including fewer than all of the cycles of the first clock signal, and at least every cycle of the first clock signal that is shifted in time by a propagation delay with respect to a rising edge of the reference clock signal.

Abstract: Generating a clock signal includes: at a root node of a clock distribution network, receiving a first clock signal; at a first leaf node of the clock distribution network, detecting a reference event and generating a synchronizing signal based on the detection of the reference event; passing the synchronizing signal along a synchronizing signal path from the first leaf node to the root node via one or more clocked storage cells, each storage cell being clocked from a corresponding point within the clock distribution network; at the root node, generating a second clock signal from the first clock signal synchronized to the synchronizing signal received at the root node, and distributing the second clock signal to the leaf nodes of the clock distribution network, the generating of the second clock signal resulting in the second clock signal received at the first leaf node being synchronized to the detected reference event.

Abstract: Generating a clock signal includes: at a root node of a clock distribution network, receiving a first clock signal generated based on a reference clock signal; at a first leaf node, detecting a reference event associated with the reference clock signal and generating a synchronizing signal; passing the synchronizing signal from the first leaf node to the root node; at the root node, generating a second clock signal from the first clock signal synchronized to the synchronizing signal, and distributing the second clock signal to the leaf nodes. Generating the second clock signal includes selecting a repeating pattern of cycles of the first clock signal including fewer than all of the cycles of the first clock signal, and at least every cycle of the first clock signal that is shifted in time by a propagation delay with respect to a rising edge of the reference clock signal.