Abstract: The invention provides an adapter card for use with a computing apparatus executing in a multitasking environment program elements that implement call-related functional units requiring DSP (Digital Signal Processor) resources. In a specific example, the call-related functional units provide voice recognition services, IP (Internet Protocol) telephony and voice message, among others. The adapter card includes a switch that receives voice signals from one or more telephone lines physically connected to the adapter card. A digital signal processor is provided on the adapter card and can receive an audio signal from the switch for processing. When anyone of the call-related functional units needs access to the resources of the DSP, it issues a control signal to the switch that responds by directing the audio signal that is to be processed by the call-related functional unit to the digital signal processor.

Abstract: A network shelf is disclosed for connecting a number of devices together. The shelf includes a backplane having multiple device slots. It also includes multiple links connected to each device slot. Each of the device slots is normally connected to at least one of the other device slots through at least one of the links. The limit on the number of devices being connected together in a full mesh configuration is one more than the number of links on a given device slot.

Abstract: A baffle arrangement, interposed between a series of modules of electronic components and a fan, helps to improve the evenness of flow of air drawn through the components by the fan. The baffle arrangement comprises a series of channels. A first half of the channels runs from one end of the series of modules, across approximately half of the modules. A second half of the channels runs from approximately half-way across the series of modules to the other end of the series of modules. There is a gap between each channel and an adjacent channel of approximately the width of a channel. The first half of the channels is offset from the second half of the channels by approximately the width of a channel such that no channel from the first half of channels is collinear with a channel from the second half of channels. Air drawn up from a module into a channel must flow along the channel to the end of the channel (approximately mid-way across the series of modules) before being drawn into the fan.