Abstract:
The gate of a P-channel pull-up transistor (MP1) connected between an input node (A) and a supply voltage (VDD) in a buffer circuit (21) is coupled to a test node (22). An N-channel pull-down transistor (MNpd) is connected between the input node (A) and ground and has a gate connected to the test node (22). A logic low signal provided to the test node (22) allows the circuit (21) to operate normally. During test mode, a logic high signal is provided to the test node (22) to turn off the P-channel pull-up transistor (MP1) and thus prevent DC current flow in the circuit via the pull-up transistor (MP1). This logic high signal also turns on the pull-down transistor (MNpd) and, by shorting the input node (A) to ground potential, prevents any other DC crossover currents from flowing in the circuit (21).
Abstract:
A switch system and method transfer a data packet from a source data port to one or more destination data ports through a switch. The system comprises a source input buffer, a first and a second source input path, a first and a second output path and at least one crosspoint circuit. The source input buffer includes a first and a second data section. The first and the second data sections are coupled to the first and the second input paths respectively. The first and the second input paths couple through the crosspoint circuits at each intersection with the first and the second output paths. The method includes loading the data packets into data sections of an input buffer, transferring each data packet across an input path dedicated for each data section, transmitting each data packet over its input path, and switching the data from the input path to the output path based on a voltage differential. A crosspoint circuit in the switch system includes a first and a second reduced voltage swing line, a first and a second transistor circuit for each data input path and a sense amplifier for a data port. The first reduced voltage swing line is coupled to the first transistor circuit, the second reduced voltage swing line is coupled to the second transistor circuit and both reduced voltage swing lines are connected to the sense amplifier. The method of the unit comprises the steps of charging a first and a second reduced voltage swing line to a predetermined voltage, discharging the voltage from the first reduced voltage swing line, maintaining the voltage in the second voltage line, receiving a clock signal at the sense amplifier, and generating an output signal based on a voltage differential between the voltage lines.
Abstract:
A differential sense amplifier includes positive feedback cross coupling to control operation in one mode as a differential sense amplifier and in another mode as a latch to control a data-latching load. Circuit nodes are precharged and equalized in response to applied enable signal.
Abstract:
In a microprocessor, apparatus and method coordinate the fetch and issue of instructions by rotating multiple, fetched instructions into an issue order prior to issuance and dispatching selected of the issue ordered instructions. The rotate and dispatch block including a mixer for mixing newly fetched instructions with previously fetched and unissued instructions in physical memory order, a mix and rotate device for rotating the mixed instructions into issue order, an instruction latch for holding the issue ordered instructions prior to dispatch, and an unrotate device for rotating non-issued instructions from issue order to physical memory order prior to mixing with newly fetched instructions. During the fetch cycle, multiple instructions are simultaneously fetched from storage in physical memory order and rotated into a PC-related issue order within the rotate and dispatch block. During the next clock cycle, selected ones of the previously fetched and rotated instructions enter the issue cycle, a new set of instructions are fetched in physical memory order, the previously fetched and rotated instructions which were not issued are rearranged into physical memory order and mixed in physical memory order with the newly fetched instructions, together all fetched and non-issued instructions are rotated into issue order prior to the next issue cycle, and so forth until all instructions have passed through the pipeline.
Abstract:
Arbitration apparatus and method coordinate access to an output of a routing device in a packet switching network. Access to the output is granted to requests having the highest priority in a current arbitration cycle. For requests having the same priority, access is granted to the first of such requests received. Before granting a request, the arbitration apparatus ensures that a receiving input buffer has sufficient space for a data packet, as well as any higher priority traffic.
Abstract:
Coupleur acoustique combiné avec une sonde à ultrasons, composé d'un gel dont une partie est durcie pour former un support permettant de soulever la sonde avec le coupleur, et dont une autre partie est utilisée pour former un chemin acoustiquement transparent entre la sonde et la surface d'un objet que l'on veut contrôler acoustiquement. Le gel est constitué de préférence d'alcool polyvinylique (PVA). Le procédé de moulage du coupleur consiste à mouler une solution de PVA, en augmentant partiellement la concentration de PVA et/ou en soumettant la solution de PVA à une série de cycles de congélation et décongélation.
Abstract:
A basic unit for obtaining an output is constituted by multiplying a number of inputs by weights, totaling the results of multiplications to obtain a product sum and obtaining the output from this product sum by use of a threshold function. A hierarchical network consisting of an input layer, an intermediate layer and an output layer is constituted by use of such a basic unit. The hierarachical network conducts learning by determining the updating quantity of the weights from errors between the output signals obtained from the output layer for a number of inputs and teacher's signals representing the values which the output signals should take on, in accordance with a back-propagation method in order to obtain the weight value which keeps the sum of error values within a predetermined allowance range. In learning of such a hierarachical network, the updating quantity of the weight to be obtained at the time of the current weight updating cycle is determined in consideration of the updating quantity of the weight obtained at the time of ne cycle earlier updating cycle than the last updating cycle in addition to the updating quantity of the weight determined at the time of the last weight updating cycle.
Abstract:
Améliorations relatives à une plaque sensible aux rayons X, à un procédé de production de cette plaque, à une substance luminescente photostimulée et à un procédé de production de cette substance, comprenant (1) un moyen permettant de n'utiliser qu'une étape de calcination ou d'enlever un substrat d'une feuille de substance luminescente afin d'améliorer l'intensité de luminescence, (2) un moyen permettant d'ajouter un ou plusieurs films résistant à l'humidité sur le film de protection ordinaire, (3) un moyen permettant d'éliminer un liant contenu dans la substance luminescente par la réduction en cendres, afin d'améliorer l'intensité de luminescence, (4) un moyen permettant d'effectuer la calcination de manière à obtenir un semi-produit concassé par une plaque de quartz pour compenser un gauchissement d'une plaque sensible aux rayons X, (5) un moyen permettant d'utiliser au moins de l'hélium comme gaz réducteur dans le but de convertir entièrement l'europium tervalent contenu dans le matériau brut d'une substance luminescente en europium bivalent, de manière à améliorer l'intensité de luminescence, et (6) un moyen permettant d'utiliser un composé complexe contenant des halogénures de métaux alcalino-terreux et un sulfure d'un métal alcalino-terreux, par exemple BaCl2-xBaBr2-yCas:zEu2+ et autres pour accroître l'intensité de luminescence dans la plage de longueurs d'ondes comprises entre 650 et 850 nm, de manière à permettre l'utilisation d'un laser à semi-conducteur comme lumière d'excitation.
Abstract:
A method of diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease by quantitating p97 in a sample of body fluid from a human individual comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a sample of body fluid from an individual suspected of having Alzheimer's Disease, thereby obtaining a test sample; b) determining the amount of p97 in the test sample; and c) comparing the amount of p97 in the test sample with an amount of p97 in control samples, wherein the presence of an amount of p97 in the test sample which is elevated as compared with the amount of p97 in the control samples is indicative of the potential for Alzheimer's Disease.
Abstract:
A fixation mechanism (1) for use in a prosthesis (3, 46, 50) implantable into bone (2) comprises a main body (4) defining an internal passageway (7) and including a plurality of openings (17) extending between the internal passageway (7) and the exterior of the main body (4). The device has a plurality of bone engaging members (18, 37), with each bone engaging member (18, 37) being mounted in a respective opening (17) for movement between a retracted position in which the bone engaging member (18, 37) does not extend outside the body (4), and an extended position in which the bone engaging member (18, 37) extends through the respective opening (17) into surrounding bone (2) to secure the device (1). Displacing means (22, 31) are within the main body (4) adapted to directly or indirectly engage the bone engaging members (18, 37) to displace the bone engaging members (18, 37) out through their respective openings (17).