text:
- Home
- DRF Bets
- Handicapping & PPsThoroughbred Past Performances
ReportsPremium NewsDigital PapersHorsemen's ProductsPicksAlertsRacing and Wagering Information
- DRF Classic PDF PPs
- DRF Formulator PPs
- TimeformUS PPs
- DRF EasyForm PPs
- Daily Racing Program PPs
- Equibase PPs
- TrackMaster PPs
- Using Timeform Ratings
- Entries
- Results
- NewsCategoriesTrack NotesSpecial Events
- Tournaments
- Learn
- Customer Service Center
- Learn to Play
- History of Horseracing
- How to read PPs
- How to use TimeformUS PPs
- How to use EasyForm
- How to use Formulator
- How to use TicketMaker
- Beyer Speed Figures
- Moss Pace Figures
- Using Race Shape Symbols
- Using Timeform Ratings
- BreezeFigs Handicapping
- Wagering and Winning
- Harness Night School
- Point of Call Index
- 3-Year Best Time Chart
- StoreNew StorePast Performances
DRF PlusREPORTSPICKSDIGITAL PAPERDRF Press
- Compare all DRF PPs
- DRF Formulator PPs
- DRF Classic PPs
- TimeformUS PPs
- DRF EasyForm PPs
- Daily Racing Program PPs
- Equibase & Trackmaster PPs - Thoroughbred
- Events
- Breeding
Breeders' Cup: Brown's day a roller-coaster of highs and lows
ARCADIA, Calif. - It was a disappointing ending to what had been a terrific day for trainer Chad Brown.
On top of the world after saddling Zagora to a victory in Friday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Brown was knocked down a few pegs when Awesome Feather, unbeaten in 10 previous starts, finished sixth, 10 lengths behind Royal Delta in the $2 million Ladies' Classic at Santa Anita.
"It's the highs and lows of the horse business, life of a trainer, especially at this level," said the 33-year-old Brown, who also had a second-place finish with Watsdachances in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. "If you want to play in the big leagues, you want to be in the Breeders' Cup races, you're going to have to take big highs and big lows."
[BREEDERS' CUP 2012: Friday results and video replays]
Brown said he knew right away that Awesome Feather was in trouble in the Ladies' Classic. She was parked three wide around the first turn under Jeffrey Sanchez and wasn't grabbing a hold of the bit. She was never closer than 2 1/2 lengths of the lead.
"First quarter I felt I was dead," Brown said. "She may not have cared for the track. With that said, hats off to Royal Delta. Tremendous effort. I think Bill Mott did a fantastic job with that horse under less than ideal circumstances."
Brown was referring to the fact Royal Delta had suffered a laceration on her hip when being loaded onto plane in New York on Monday. She needed to have six stitches and was being treated with antibiotics.
Brown has been dealing with less than ideal circumstances with Awesome Feather since her got her two years ago following her victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs.
She was purchased out of sale by Frank Stronach, but was soon diagnosed with a bowed tendon. Brown got her through that and won the Grade 1 Gazelle last fall. This year, after a victory in the Sunshine Millions Distaff, Brown had to deal with a suspensory issue, but finally got her back to the races in September at Belmont, winning an overnight stakes by 11 1/4 lengths.
Brown said that Awesome Feather's future was never discussed between he and Stronach so he's not sure if her career is over or not.
"Win or lose, there was never any plan for her," Brown said. "First and foremost, we'll take care of the filly, make sure she comes out of the race 100 percent. We love the filly. We're proud of her. We'll take good care of her first."
Brown said Awesome Feather's performance was disappointing, but it didn't take away from Zagora's victory, which likely clinched a championship as North America's top female turf horse.
"At the end of the day, today was a success," Brown said. "I'll make sure my horses are okay coming home and tomorrow's a new day."
On Saturday, Brown will saddle Noble Tune and Balance the Books in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and Corporate Jungle in the Turf Sprint.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Sep 10, 1996
|Filing date
|May 18, 1995
|Priority date
|Jul 24, 1991
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Steven P. Blech, Kerry Van de Steeg, Gerald S. Pepera
|Original Assignee
|Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (34), Non-Patent Citations (13), Referenced by (46), Classifications (6), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/967,948 filed Oct. 27, 1992 now abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/734,842 filed Jul. 24, 1991 now abandoned.
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is digital controllers for controlling a machine, an assembly line or a process. More particularly, the invention relates to Input/Output (henceforth "I/O") modules for controlling output devices and monitoring input devices on a controlled machine or system.
2. Description of the Background Art
Programmable controllers are employed in many industrial and commercial applications to control the operation of various machines and processes. They fall into the broad category of real-time sampled data systems. In a certain maximum time, inputs are read, controlling equations are applied, and actuator outputs are provided. Besides controlling switching devices, these controllers also control closed loop servo devices by generating analog output signals and by reading encoded feedback signals and comparing actual position to desired position.
Controllers generally have a modular construction with some type of system processor module and a number of I/O modules for connection to the I/O devices on a controlled machine or process. The modules are often supported in a chassis and plugged into a backplane circuit board for electrical interconnection and communication.
It is typical to provide an isolation interface in I/O modules to physically and electrically isolate 120-volt alternating current (henceforth "AC") signals or 24-volt direct current (henceforth "DC") signals, for example, on the machine side of the controller, from the 5-volt logic-level signals within the controller electronics. This electrical isolation is typically accomplished with optical coupling circuits. With optical coupling, an overcurrent or fault on the machine side of the I/O module is isolated from the controller electronics.
Techniques for utilizing isolation interfaces in I/O modules have been previously disclosed in Maskovyak et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,403, issued Sep. 13, 1988, and in Pepera et al., U.S. Ser. No. 07/580,716 now abandoned, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
In Maskovyak et al., data is transmitted across an isolation interface as serial data, but in only one direction in an individual I/O module. In Maskovyak et al., four bits of address are transmitted in parallel across the isolation interface to retrieve each bit of serial data. In total, the isolation interface is six bits wide with five bits being needed for one-way data transfer.
In Pepera et al., a stream of serial data bits is associated with two bits for timing signals, so that that three bits are required to transfer data in one direction. Pepera et al. has been extended to two-way communication with three parallel bits being needed for transfer of serial data in each direction.
The invention provides an I/O module with a serial data ring in which serial data is transmitted across an isolation interface in both directions at once in response to a shift clock signal. This requires only a three-bit wide interface for the two-way data transfer, allowing three other bits to be used for other timing and control signals.
The invention is incorporated in an I/O module having a first integrated circuit for communicating system input data to a processor and for receiving system output data from a processor, having an isolation interface, and having a second circuit coupled through the isolation interface to the first circuit.
The first circuit is a programmable logic circuit which includes a first shift register, circuitry for loading a plurality of parallel bits of system output data into the first shift register, and a timing circuit for transmitting a shift clock signal to the first shift register to transfer the serial output data across the isolation interface to the second circuit. The shift clock signal is also transmitted across the isolation interface to the second integrated circuit, which also receives and stores the serial output data.
The second circuit is a programmable logic circuit which includes a second shift register and circuitry for loading a plurality of parallel bits of system input data into a second shift register. The second shift register is responsive to the shift clock signal from the first programmable logic circuit for transmitting the system input data across the isolation interface to the first circuit as serial input data, where circuitry is provided for receiving serial input data and storing it for further transfer as parallel system input data.
Although a pair of large scale integration (LSI), programmable logic circuits are advantageously used to incorporate the various circuits required on opposite sides of the isolation interface, other circuits can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
And although the invention is advantageously applied in a programmable controller I/O module for controlling motion and for communicating I/O data with a controller processor through a backplane, the invention is applicable to other types of I/O modules.
The invention provides further advantages in the specifics of the ring data transfer as shall be described and claimed herein.
Other objects and advantages, besides those discussed above, shall be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which illustrate examples of the invention. Such examples, however, are not exhaustive of the various embodiments of the invention, and therefore reference is made to the claims which follow the description for determining the scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a modular programmable controller with an I/O module that incorporates the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the I/O module which incorporates the present invention;
FIGS. 3-6 are block diagrams of the circuitry included in the I/O module of FIGS. 1 and 2; and
FIGS. 7-9 constitute a three-part timing diagram showing timing and protocol for the serial ring data transfer of the present invention.
The invention is incorporated in a motion control I/O module 15 shown in FIG. 1, which is used in a programmable controller 10 to control a machine or process 22.
Programmable controllers generally have a PC system processor 11 which may be inserted in a left-most slot in an equipment chassis (not shown) that holds I/O module 15 in an adjacent slot. The processor 11 and I/O module 15 have been laid flat for view in two dimensions. The PC system processor 11 is inserted into backplane connector 12 to communicate with the I/O module 15 through an equipment chassis backplane 13 and I/O module backplane connector 14.
Alternatively, an I/O communication adapter module may occupy the position of the PC system processor 11. The adapter module then communicates with the I/O modules, including module 15, through the equipment chassis backplane 13. Examples of the two types of programmable controller systems just described are shown in Struger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,563, issued Feb. 10, 1981.
The PC processor 11 exchanges system I/O data with the I/O module 10 to control a machine or process 22. System I/O data includes "discrete" I/O data which represents the ON/OFF states of groups of single-signal devices. System I/O data also includes word-oriented output data including commands and parameters for an axis servo drive 20 and status data returned from the I/O module 15. System I/O data is converted to and from signals for controlling equipment in real time and for monitoring the status of that equipment.
The I/O module 15 is a motion control I/O module which is inserted in a slot in an equipment chassis. The module 15 has two connectors 16, 17 on the front. A telephone-style connector 16 provides a communication port by which the I/O module 15 is connected to a handheld pendant station (not shown) or a programming terminal (not shown). A 25-pin I/O port connector 17 is electrically connected through a cable that includes analog output lines 18 and feedback input lines 19 connected to an axis servo drive 20 and an encoder device 21, respectively. The encoder device 21 is preferably a differential incremental encoder with markers. For general functional specifications for the I/O module 15, reference is made to Publication No. 1746-2.30 of Allen-Bradley Company, Inc., November, 1990, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Motion control programs are developed using the programming terminal and then loaded into a program RAM (44 in FIG. 3) within the I/O module 15. The handheld pendant is conveniently used to make modifications in fine tuning the program. The programming terminal and handheld pendent communicate through the connector 16 and UART 54 seen in FIG. 3.
As seen in FIG. 2, the I/O module 15 has on-board processing circuitry 23. As shown in FIG. 3, this circuitry 23 includes a microelectronic processor 24 and a programmable read only memory (PROM) 25. The PROM 25 stores configuration data, program instructions for configuration operations, and program instructions for module operations after configuration. After power up, the processor 24 executes the configuration instructions stored in the PROM 25 to read a first portion of configuration data from the PROM 25 and to write the configuration data as a byte stream to a first programmable logic circuit 29 seen in FIG. 2. When all of the configuration data applicable to circuit 29 has been received, the remaining portion of configuration data is read from memory 25 and written to programmable logic circuit 29 as a second byte stream. From there the data is passed as a bit stream of serial data through an isolation interface 31 to a second programmable logic circuit 37. The second programmable logic circuit 37 is connected through interface circuitry 39 to the I/O port 17 described earlier in relation to FIG. 1.
For further description of the configuration operations, reference is made to a copending application, entitled "Soft-Configuration I/O Module for a Machine or Process Controller", filed on even date herewith. To the extent that application adds to the description herein, it is hereby incorporated by reference.
The circuits 29, 37 seen in FIG. 2 include static memory cells which control the logic configuration of configurable logic blocks (CLB's), I/O blocks (IOB's) and interconnection resources. A configurable logic block includes a combinational logic section, two flip-flops and a memory-controlled multiplexer section. An I/O block includes input and output storage elements and certain I/O functions which can be controlled by the static memory cells. The interconnection resources connect the CLB's and IOB's in logical networks. For a description of the internal construction and general methods of configuration of circuits 29, 37, reference is made generally to "The Programmable Gate Array Data Book", Xilinx, Inc., 1989, and more particularly to pages 2-1 to 2-54.
The programmable logic circuits 29 and 37 are coupled for communication through three pairs of optical coupling circuits 32, 33 and 34. One optical coupling circuit in each pair 32, 33 and 34 is used for each signal path across the isolation interface. The signal paths are CCLK/ENC-CLK, SCLK, S. DATA OUT, S. DATA IN, INIT and MASTER RESET/CLEAR, which will be explained in more detail below. Configuration data, and later, system I/O data, are transmitted across the interface in a serial stream rather than as parallel data to minimize the number of optical coupling circuits 32, 33 and 34.
The optical coupling circuits 32, 33 and 34 provide physical and electrical isolation between the controller electronics and the controlled machine or process 22 seen in FIG. 1, while at the same time coupling signals by optical means between the controlled machine or process and the controller side of the isolation interface 31. One pair of the optical coupling circuits 32 provides a shorter propagation delay than the others. Propagation delays for these two opto channels must be less than or equal to 173 nanoSeconds (nSec), or, if propagation delay tracking between the circuits 32 can be guaranteed, the maximum difference in propagation delays must also be less than or equal to 173 nSec. Commercial circuits suitable for this purpose are HCPL 2232 circuits offered by Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif. These circuits 32 have a propagation delay of 300 nSec maximum but track within 130 nSec of each other, since they are in the same physical package. Commercial circuits suitable for use as the other optical coupling circuits 33, 34 are HCPL 2531 offered by Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif.
The data path labeled "S. DATA OUT" in FIG. 2 transmits the configuration data in serial form to the second programmable logic circuit 37 where it is stored. The first configuration circuit 29 counts the number of bytes of configuration data to be transferred to both programmable circuits 29, 37. When all the configuration data has been transferred to the two circuits, 29, 37, a DONE signal is returned by the first programmable logic circuit 29 to the on-board processing circuitry 23 (specifically the decoding circuit 56 in FIG. 3) to confirm that the I/O module 15 has been configured. The decoding circuit 56 then switches addressing from a configuration memory map to a post-configuration memory map.
FIG. 3 shows further details of the on-board processing circuitry 23. The microelectronic processor 24 is preferably the Model 68HC001 available from Motorola Semiconductor of Phoenix, Ariz. and Austin, Tex. For information about the internal circuitry, instruction set, programming and operation of this processor reference is made to the commercial literature available from the manufacturer.
The processor has a twenty-four bit address space in which outputs A0:A21 connect to an address bus 40. The processor also connects to a 8-bit external data bus 41 through data outputs D0:D7. Control lines for memory read (RD), memory write (WR), address strobe (AS) and lower data strobe (LDS) signals are included in a control bus 42. Function code signals are transmitted from outputs FC0:FC2 on function code lines 43.
The processor 24 is connected through lines A0:A17 of the address bus 40 and through the data bus 41 to the PROM 25 identified in FIG. 2. The PROM stores up to 128k bytes of information and can be replaced with a new PROM when it is desired to change the configuration and operation of circuits 29, 37. The processor 24 also connects through lines A0:A14 of the address bus 40 and through the data bus 41 to a 32k-byte program random access memory (henceforth "RAM") 44. This RAM 44 is used for, among other things, storage of the user motion control program. A backup capacitor circuit 45 connects to the RAM 44 and a large capacitor in the circuit 45 is charged during normal operation. This circuit 45 then provides a small discharge current during periods of power down to preserve the contents of the program RAM 44. A write protect circuit is also provided by a two-input NAND gate 46 with its output pulled high and with a chip select signal RAMCS and a write protect signal WR PROT (L) as input signals. The gate 46 blocks access to the RAM 44 when WR PROT (L) is low true as determined by a reset circuit 47.
The circuitry in FIG. 3 also includes an I/O RAM 48 with a storage capacity of 8k bytes for data. This is dual-ported RAM which stores I/O data that is transferred between the processor 24 and the system processor 11 in 8-byte files. For more information on the nature of the data in these files, reference is made to the literature available from Allen-Bradley Company, Inc. on the SLC™ 500 Family of Programmable Controllers. Access to the shared RAM 48 is controlled through an I/O gate array circuit 49. The processor 24 connects to the I/O gate array circuit 49 through the address bus 40 and the data bus 41. The backplane 13 in FIG. 1 is electrically connected to the I/O gate array circuit 49 through a backplane control (BP) bus 50 and a backplane data bus 51. The two sets of buses 40-41 and 50-51 are alternately connected by circuit 49 to the local address bus 52 and data bus 53 of the I/O RAM 44.
To gain access the through the backplane the PC system processor 11 generates an access request interrupt signal to the processor 24. The processor 24 will direct the gate array 49 to connect buses 50 and 51 to the I/O RAM 48 and will return an access grant signal to the PC system processor 11 through the backplane connector 14. After I/O transfer to the RAM 48, the PC system processor 11 transmits an access release signal through the backplane to the processor 24 and the I/O RAM will be reconnected to buses 40 and 41 through gate array 49.
The processor 24 also communicates through lines A0:A2 of the address bus 40 and the data bus 41 with a universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter (henceforth "UART") 54. The UART 54 connects to the communication port 16 through 75ALS176 transceivers (not shown) and lines 55 carrying the signals specified by the RS-485 standard. Also connected to the UART 54 are the URD and UWR lines to control the direction of data flow. The UART 54 converts between serial data received through the port 16 and parallel data communicated on lines D0:D7 of the data bus 41.
The processor 24 activates various circuits on the module 15 through a decoding circuit 56. A crystal 57 supplies timing signals to the decoding circuit 56 which are divided by two and then transmitted to the processor 24 through a 10M CLK line at a frequency of 10 MHz. The 10M CLK line also supplies clock signals to the UART 54 and to the first programmable logic circuit 29.
The processor 24 connects to the decoding circuit 56 through lines A18:A21 of the address bus 40 and through the control bus 42. Signals on these lines are decoded to enable the PROM 25 through the EXECCS (L) line and to enable the RAM 44 through the RAMCS line. Signals on these lines are also decoded to enable the first programmable logic circuit 29 for data transfer operations through the PGACS(L) and PGAWRT(L) lines.
The decoding circuit 56 also provides the DTACK (L) signal to the processor 24 during read and write cycles to the PROM 25 and RAM 44 and, during configurations operations, to the first programmable logic circuit 29.
The first programmable logic circuit 29 is configured by the configuration data to perform the discrete circuit functions seen in FIG. 4. These include a group of registers which send and receive data, as applicable, to and from the processor 24 through the data bus 41. These registers include a watchdog timer register 60, interrupt control/status registers 61, 70, two feedback registers 62, 63 for input data from the encoder, two digital-to-analog output registers 64, 65 for data that is converted to analog output signals going to the servo drive, backplane control/status registers 66, 67 and machine/process control/status registers 68, 69. These registers are defined in the Tables 1-4 below.
In the configuration memory map, information is read from the PROM 25 at addresses 00000 (hex) to 3FFFF (hex). In the configuration memory map, configuration data is written to the first programmable logic circuit 29 in a range of addresses from 80000 (hex) to BFFFF (hex). After configuration, data is still read from the PROM at addresses 00000 (hex) to 3FFFF (hex). However, in the post-configuration memory map, data is read from and written to registers in the first programmable logic circuit 29 (after the DONE signal is received at circuit 56) as shown in the following Tables 1-4.
In the post-configuration memory map, information is written to or read from RAM 44 in an address range from 40000 (hex) to 7FFFF (hex). In the post-configuration memory map, the UART 54 is addressed in a range from A0000 (hex) to AFFFF (hex) and the I/O RAM 48 and backplane are addressed through gate array 49 in a range from B0000 (hex) to BFFFF (hex).
TABLE 1______________________________________Byte-Oriented Registers in Circuit 29 AddressRef. Resister (hex) Bit Description______________________________________60 WATCHDOG 94000 0-7 Any data written toTIMER (WRITE) this address retriggers watchdog61 INT 90000 0-7 Any data written toCONTROL (WRITE) this address enables interrupts62 FEEDBACK 98000 0-3 High Nibble, Feedback dataHI (READ) 4-7 Not Used63 FEEDBACK 9C000 0-7 Low Byte, FeedbackLO (READ) data64 DAC HI 98000 0-3 High Nibble, Analog Out (WRITE) 4-7 Not Used65 DAC LO 9C000 0-7 Low Byte, Analog (WRITE) Out______________________________________
TABLE 2______________________________________Backplane Registers in Circuit 29 AddressRef. Register (hex) Bit Description______________________________________66 BACKPLANE 84000 0 ShutdownCONTROL (WRITE) 2 Access Shared I/O RAM 3 Turn on LED 1 6 Turn on LED 2 7 Test mode for INT's 1, 4, 5 Not used67 BACKPLANE 88000 0 0 = I/O RESETSTATUS (READ) 1 0 = CLOCK > 10 MHz. 4 1 = Restart Watchdog 5 0 = Watchdog disabled 2, 3, 6 Not used 7______________________________________
TABLE 3______________________________________Machine/Process Registers in Circuit 29 AddressRef. Resister (hex) Bit Description______________________________________68 MACH/PROC 80000 2 Z FND ENCONTROL (WRITE) 3 (1 = enable marker detect) LVL Z EN (1 = enable counter reset) 4 CRST (1 = reset counters) 5 ESTOP CMD (1 = Close relay) 6 FOUT (1 = ON) 0, 1, 7 Not used69 MACH/PROC 94000 0 MRKR FOUNDSTATUS (READ) (1 = marker detect) 1 FIN 1 (1 = +24 V, 0 = 0V) 2 FIN 2 (1 = +24 V, 0 = 0V) 3 FIN 3 (1 = +24 V, 0 = 0V) 4 ESTOP RELAY (0 = Open) 5 ESTOP RESET REQUEST (1 = true) 6 ESTOP STATUS (1= String Closed) 7 Not Used______________________________________
TABLE 4______________________________________Interrupt Status Register in Circuit 29 AddressRef. Register (hex) Bit Description______________________________________70 INTERRUPT 8C000 0 1 = Real Time IntSTATUS (READ) 1 1 = Sample Period Int 2 1 = UART Int 3 1 = Backplane Read Done 4 1 = Backplane Write Done 5 1 = Power fault 6 1 always 7 1 = Test Mode Bit______________________________________
In FIG. 4, a decode logic circuit 71 decodes various signals to enable the registers described above, through an internal control bus 72. The registers are connected by an internal data bus 73 to shift register circuitry 74 which converts between parallel data communicated with the processor and serial data sent across the isolation interface. Signals are received by the decode logic circuit 71 through the address bus, the PGACS and PGAWRT lines and the function code lines FC0:FC2, all of which connect to a decode logic circuit 71. The decode logic circuit 71 decodes certain address signals to generate the URD and UWR signals to the UART 54 and other signals to generate the BP/CS enable signal to the gate array 49.
During configuration, certain configuration circuitry 77 internal to the first programmable logic circuit 29 generates a clock signal, CCLK, and other required bus timing signals at the rates required for transfer of configuration data. These times are different than for post-configuration data transfer. The CCLK signal is transmitted through the first optical coupling circuit 32 seen in FIG. 2 to configuration circuitry 85 in the second programmable logic circuit 37 as seen in FIG. 5. After configuration of the I/O module 15, the pin in the signal path from the configuration circuit 77 is switched to high impedance to allow a 1.25 MHz signal (the ENC-- CLK signal) to be generated on the CCLK/ENC-- CLK line by dividing signals on the 10M CLK line through the divide-by-8 circuit 74. The double connections to the CCLK/ENC-- CLK line and the S. DATA OUT line permit a single pair of relatively faster speed optical coupler circuits 32 to be used for both configuration and post-configuration operations.
A second double connection is made to the S. DATA OUT line. The configuration circuitry 77 is connected and active to transmit data on the S. DATA OUT line during configuration. After configuration, this line is switched by internal logic circuitry in circuit 29, so that data from the shift register circuitry 74 is transmitted on the S. DATA OUT line.
The 1.25 Mhz signal is also an input to a shift clock and logic circuit 75. That circuit 75 generates a shift clock (SCLK) signal for shifting 24 bits of serial data out on the S. DATA OUT line during post-configuration operation. At the same time as data is being shifted out during control operations, 24 bits of serial data are also being received on the S. DATA IN line. This is converted to parallel data by shift register circuitry 74 and then transferred to the feedback registers 62, 63 and MACH/PROC status register 69. During configuration of logic circuits 29 and 37, data is sent only in one direction and is not returned on the S. DATA IN line.
A fault logic circuit 76 detects faults in any of the optical coupling circuits in interface 31 and generates a MASTER RESET/CLEAR signal for resetting the second programmable logic circuit 39. A watchdog timer circuit 60 connects to the fault logic circuit 76, and when a watchdog timeout is detected, a reset/clear signal is transmitted to the second programmable logic circuit. Other conditions that will generate a reset/clear are a halt signal from the processor 24, a fault detected during post-configuration serial data transfer, a fault detected on the second programmable logic circuit 37 or a power fail condition.
Referring next to FIG. 5, the second programmable logic circuit 37 is seen in more detail. The CCLK/ENC-- CLK line is connected to two terminals, the first connecting to configuration circuitry 85 and the second connecting to a timing circuit 80 which feeds timing signals to the feedback counter 81. During configuration, the CCLK signal is routed to circuit 85. After configuration, the second terminal is switched to receive the 1.25 MHz ENC-- CLK timing signals which are utilized to sample the position feedback data. A second double connection is accomplished internally for the S. DATA OUT line, so that during configuration, data is routed to the storage portion of the configuration circuitry 85, and after configuration, data is received in the shift register circuitry 86.
During configuration, data comes into the configuration circuitry 85 on the S. DATA OUT line (out being a direction relative to processor 24 and system processor 11). After configuration, the shift register circuit 86 receives the data on the S. DATA OUT line.
This data is in a 24-bit serial data format as discussed below. As data is being received, twenty-four bits of data are also being transferred on the S. DATA IN line.
The data transfer is synchronized by shift clock signals at a frequency of 250 kHz. transmitted on the SCLK line to the shift register circuitry 86 in FIG. 5. The shift register circuitry 86 converts between serial data sent across the isolation interface 31 and parallel data used by registers in the programmable logic circuit 37. Data bus 79 conveys parallel data between elements 81, 87, 88, 89, 90 and shift register 86.
The second programmable logic circuit 37 processes feedback position data during motion control operations and after configuration. The feedback counters 81 count up or down according the signals received on a pulse line 82 and a direction line 83 connecting it to a feedback decoding circuit 84. This circuit 84 converts CHANNEL A square wave signal, CHANNEL B square wave signal and CHANNEL Z marker pulses to a number of counts in one rotational direction or the other.
The second programmable logic circuit 37 also transmits data in digital-to-analog registers 88 on lines DAC 0-11 for conversion to analog output signals going to the servo drive. The second programmable logic circuit 37 also has a machine/process control register 89 and a machine/process status register 90. The machine/process status data register 90 receives three single-bit inputs of data FIN 1-FIN 3 representing the state of three 24-volt discrete DC input devices, and also receives several ESTOP STATUS inputs. The machine/process control register 89 transmits a bit of data on the FOUT line to control a 5-volt discrete DC output device, as well as an ESTOP CMD signal to put the I/O module in ESTOP. The second programmable logic circuit 37 also includes a fault logic circuit 78 that responds to the MASTER RESET/CLEAR signal to clear the present configuration from the circuit 37. The INIT line from configuration circuitry 85 goes back to the on-board processing circuitry 23 as shown in FIG. 2 and will inhibit configuration operations in response to certain conditions.
Referring to FIG. 6, the interface circuitry of FIG. 2 is seen in more detail. Six lines labeled CHANNEL A HI and LO, CHANNEL B HI and LO, and CHANNEL Z HI and LO connect to differential amplifiers in a broken wire detection circuit 91, which provides TTL output signals on a CHANNEL A line, a CHANNEL B line, a CHANNEL Z line, and, if a fault occurs, on a FDBK FAULT line. Lines DAC 0-11 connect to a digital-to-analog converter 92 which converts digital values to a +10 volt to -10-volt DC analog signal (ANA OUT) with the aid of two amplifiers 93 in series. Input and output signal conditioning circuits 95, 96 are provided for the discrete input and output signals, 5 V OUT and 24 V IN. The ESTOP CMD line connects through inverter 97 to an ESTOP RELAY 98 which drops out during an ESTOP (emergency stop) condition. An active ESTOP CMD signal closes the relay 98. The ESTOP RELAY STATUS line signals the state of the ESTOP RELAY 98. The ESTOP 1 and 2 lines are provided for connection to a pushbutton in an external ESTOP string. An ESTOP STATUS line and an ESTOP RESET REQ line are connected through I/O connector 17 to the ESTOP string, and bits of status data are transmitted through input circuits 96 to the second logic circuit 39. Finally there is a power check circuit 99, which generates an USER FAULT signal upon any loss of user power supply signals +5 volts, +15 volts and -15 volts.
Commercial circuits suitable for use in constructing the I/O module 15 as shown in FIGS. 2-6 are listed in Appendix A.
Having described the circuitry on the module, the following is a description the serial data transfer of system I/O data between circuits 29 and 37.
FIGS. 7-9 show the twenty-four bits of OUTPUT data which are transmitted from circuit 29 on the S. DATA OUT line and the twenty-four bits of INPUT data which are received on the S. DATA IN line. The same 24-bit shift register 74, seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, is used to send and receive these bits. As a first bit, DACBIT 0, is shifted out, another bit, FDBK 0, is shifted in from circuit 37. On the other side of the isolation interface 31, bit DACBIT 0 is shifted into 24-bit shift register 86 in FIGS. 2 and 5, as bit FDBK 0 is shifted out. The twenty-four bits transferred in each direction, as shown in FIGS. 7-9, are defined as follows:
TABLE 5______________________________________Data Sent from Circuit 29 to Circuit 37Bit Label Description______________________________________ 1 DACBIT 0 Bit 0, Digital-to-Analog Output Data 2 DACBIT 1 Bit 1, Digital-to-Analog Output Data 3 Z FND EN Zero Found Enable, enables marker detection by inspection of Mrkr Fnd bit 4 LVL Z EN Level Z Enable, enables zero of position counters when marker is detected 5 DACBIT 2 Bit 2, Digital-to-Analog Output Data 6 DACBIT 3 Bit 3, Digital-to-Analog Output Data 7 DACLOAD Active when D-to-A data valid. 8 SPARE Not Used 9 DACBIT 4 Bit 4, Digital-to-Analog Output Data10 DACBIT 5 Bit 5, Digitai-to-Analog Output Data11 DACBIT 6 Bit 6, Digital-to-Analog Output Data12 DACBIT 7 Bit 7, Digital-to-Analog Output Data13 SPARE Not Used14 FOUT Fast Output Control Bit15 ˜FOUT Complement of Fast Output Control Bit16 ESTOP CMD Closes On-board E-Stop relay.17 CRST Resets Position Counters.18 SPARE Not Used19 DACBIT 11 Bit 11, Digital-to-Analog Output Data20 DACBIT 10 Bit 10, Digital-to-Analog Output Data21 SPARE Not Used22 SPARE Not Used23 DACBIT 9 Bit 9, Digital-to-Analog Output Data24 DACBIT 8 Bit 8, Digital-to-Analog Output Data______________________________________
TABLE 6______________________________________Data Sent from Circuit 37 to Circuit 29Bit Label Description______________________________________ 1 FDBK 0 Bit 0, Position Feedback Data 2 FDBK 8 Bit 8, Position Feedback Data 3 FDBK 1 Bit 1, Position Feedback Data 4 FDBK 9 Bit 9, Position Feedback Data 5 FDBK 2 Bit 2, Position Feedback Data 6 FDBK 10 Bit 10, Position Feedback Data 7 FDBK 3 Bit 3, Position Feedback Data 8 FDBK 11 Bit 11, Position Feedback Data 9 FDBK 4 Bit 4, Position Feedback Data10 FDBK 5 Bit 5, Position Feedback Data11 FDBK 6 Bit 6, Position Feedback Data12 FDBK 7 Bit 7, Position Feedback Data13 SPARE Not Used14 ˜ESTOP Complement of Status of external E-StopSTAT string.ESTOP15 STAT Status of external E-Stop string.16 ESTOP RES E-Stop reset request.17 ESTOP RLY Status of E-Stop relay.18 FIN 3 Fast Input, Bit 319 USER FLT Fault on User Side of Iso Interface20 FIN 2 Fast Input, Bit 221 QUAD FLT Quadrature Fault CH. A, CH. B signals22 FIN 1 Fast Input, Bit 123 FDBK FLT Broken wire detected24 MRKR FND Marker detected since last ring update.______________________________________
A SAMPLE-- CLK signal shown in FIG. 7 is generated in each 1.6 millisecond interrupt period. The trailing edge of the SAMPLE-- CLK pulse generates an interrupt signal on lines IPL 1-2 going from the interrupt control circuitry 61 in FIG. 4 to the processor 24 in FIG. 3.
The processor 24 must not access data in circuit 29 while data is being transferred across the isolation interface 31. In response to the 1.6 millisecond interrupt, the processor 24 will read and make a copy of the position feedback data (FDBK 0-FDBK 11), the machine/process status data and the fault data. After that, this data is read from memory by the processor 24 for further operations. The processor 24 also writes out the digital-to-analog servo command data (DACBIT 0-DACBIT 11) from memory on every third interrupt cycle. This data is written within the first of the time of the interrupt so as not to interfere with the serial data transfer across the isolation interface 31. If the processor 24 attempts to read data while a transfer is being made across the isolation interface, a fault will be generated, causing the processor 24 to shut down.
The SAMPLE-- CLK pulse is the last 100 microseconds of this 1.6 millisecond period. When SAMPLE-- CLK status goes high, the SCLK signal goes low and starts to generate a series of low and high pulses, such that each low pulse is 2 microseconds long and each high pulse in 2 microseconds long for a cycle of 4 microseconds. When the SAMPLE-- CLK status first goes low, LOAD-- PLS also goes low. This signal is transmitted to the serial-to-parallel shift register circuitry in the first circuit 29, which loads the shift register with 24 bits of system output data from DAC registers 64, 65. Following the next rising edge transition of the SCLK signal, bit DACBIT 0 is shifted out and FDBK 0 is shifted in during the 4-microsecond interval.
Over the next twenty-three 4-microsecond intervals the next 23 bits are transmitted in each direction across the isolation interface. As seen FIG. 9, on the rising edge of the 25th cycle, the SAMPLE-- CLK signal goes low and the 1.6 millisecond interrupt is generated to the processor 24.
It should be noted in FIG. 8, that a complement is provided for one bit transmitted in each direction. In the system output direction, the ˜FOUT bit is sent along with the FOUT bit. In the system input direction, the ˜ESTOP STATUS bit is sent to circuit 29 with ESTOP STATUS bit. These bits are compared and checked after they are transmitted across the isolation interface 31, to detect any failure of the optical coupling circuits 32, 33 in sticking on transfer of only ones or only zeroes. A second fault check is made by "OR"ing all fault bits from the user side which are considered critical.
As shown in FIG. 9, there are three bits provided for detecting faults. The QUAD FAULT bit signals a fault in the phase relationship of the CH. A and CH. B encoded position signals. A USER FAULT bit signals a fault in the power lines on the user side. A FDBK FAULT bit signals detection of a broken wire.
This description has been by way of example of how the invention can be carried out. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various details may be modified in arriving at other detailed embodiments, and that many of these embodiments will come within the scope of the invention. Therefore to apprise the public of the scope of the invention and the embodiments covered by the invention the following claims are made.
______________________________________APPENDIX AComponent ListingDescription Name Ref. No. Commercial circuit______________________________________Processor 24 68HC001 microprocessor available from Motorola SemiconductorDecoding Circuit 56 22V10 programmable logic array available from Cypress SemiconductorPROM 25 27C2M erasable, programmable read only memory available from HitachiProgram RAM 44 62256LP random access memory available from HitachiGate 46 HC132 NAND gate available from Texas Instruments, Inc.UART 54 82050 universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter available from Intel Corp.I/O RAM 48 7164L random access memory available from HitachiGate Array 49 A-B 2316-192-01 available from Allen-BradleyReset circuit 47 Two NAND gates from HC132 package and one OR gate from ALS09 package available from Texas Instruments and a passive network of resistors, capacitors and one diode.First Programmable 29 XC3030 3000-gate Logic CellLogic Circuit Array available from XilinxSecond Programmable 37 XC3020 2000-gate Logic CellLogic Circuit Array available from Xilinx, Inc.Optical couplers 32 HCPL 2232 dual optical couplers from Hewlett-PackardOptical couplers 33, 34 Two HCPL 2531 dual optical couplers from Hewlett-PackardD-to-A Converter 92 One 7541A 12-bit digital-to- analog converter available from Maxim Integrated CircuitsAmplifiers 93 Two OP 77 operational amplifiers available from Analog DevicesInput circuits 96 Includes inverters from AC14 package of inverters available from National SemiconductorOutput circuit 95 Includes inverter from AC14 package of inverters available from National Semiconductorpower check circuit 99 ICL 7665 available from Maxim Integrated Circuits______________________________________
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Oct 4, 1972
|Jul 9, 1974
|Data Transmission Co
|Synchronous data transmission network
|Apr 11, 1974
|Feb 10, 1976
|Vadic Corporation
|Full-duplex communication system on a two wire line
|Oct 21, 1974
|Sep 7, 1976
|International Standard Electric Corporation
|Delta modulation apparatus
|Dec 22, 1975
|Jan 25, 1977
|Standard Oil Company
|Computer control system
|Apr 9, 1976
|Jan 31, 1978
|Continental Can Co. Inc.
|Machine control system with machine serializing and safety circuits
|Apr 20, 1978
|May 13, 1980
|Prentice Corporation
|Direct access coupler
|Aug 9, 1979
|Feb 10, 1981
|Allen-Bradley Company
|Expandable programmable controller
|Sep 8, 1980
|May 4, 1982
|Rockwell International Corporation
|Data bus fault detector
|Jan 5, 1981
|Dec 28, 1982
|Hitachi, Ltd.
|Signal transmitting and receiving apparatus
|Nov 3, 1980
|Jun 21, 1983
|Riddle H S Jun
|Encoding/decoding syncronization technique
|Mar 9, 1981
|Nov 1, 1983
|Allen-Bradley Company
|Programmable controller for executing block transfer with remote I/O interface racks
|Nov 3, 1980
|Nov 22, 1983
|Universal Data Systems, Inc.
|Electro-optical isolator circuit for line powered modem
|Dec 4, 1981
|May 15, 1984
|Ncr Corporation
|Full duplex integrated circuit communication controller
|Apr 19, 1982
|Feb 26, 1985
|Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Public Corporation
|Consecutive identical digit suppression system in a digital communication system
|Sep 26, 1983
|May 7, 1985
|Northern Telecom Limited
|Full-duplex transmission of bit streams serially and in bit-synchronism on a bus between two terminals.
|Dec 23, 1982
|Jun 11, 1985
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Interface device for modems
|Apr 4, 1983
|Jun 17, 1986
|General Electric Company
|Optically isolated contention bus
|Dec 15, 1983
|Jan 13, 1987
|Teleplex Corporation
|Addressable port telemetry system
|Sep 19, 1984
|Jan 20, 1987
|Jean-Yves Leseure
|Insulator circuit with an optoelectronic coupler
|May 20, 1985
|Jul 21, 1987
|Compagnie Industrielle Des Telecommunications Cit-Alcatel
|Synchronous data transmission method and device implementing same
|Nov 16, 1984
|Sep 1, 1987
|Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for exchanging multiple data bytes with an I/O module in a single scan.
|Nov 16, 1984
|Sep 13, 1988
|Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
|I/O module with multi-function integrated circuits and an isolation interface for multiplexing data between a main processor and I/O devices
|Sep 4, 1987
|Feb 13, 1990
|Burr-Brown Limited
|Analog data acquisition apparatus and method provided with electro-optical isolation
|Apr 14, 1988
|Mar 27, 1990
|Nec Corporation
|Fault detection circuit capable of detecting burst errors in an LRU memory
|Nov 27, 1989
|Aug 14, 1990
|Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
|Enhanced universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter
|Feb 3, 1989
|Oct 23, 1990
|Digital Equipment Corporation
|Method and apparatus for interfacing a system control unit for a multi-processor
|Jun 26, 1989
|Nov 27, 1990
|Takeo Arima
|Signal control system using two synchronous ring counter circuits
|Jan 9, 1990
|Aug 13, 1991
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Optical fiber link card
|Aug 1, 1989
|Aug 20, 1991
|Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
|Digital data modulation circuit having a DC component suppression function
|Feb 2, 1990
|Sep 24, 1991
|Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
|Data transmission error detection in an electronic cash register system
|Oct 22, 1990
|Oct 8, 1991
|Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
|Multi-stage serial-to-parallel/parallel-to-serial converter processing data words by segments
|Sep 14, 1989
|Jun 2, 1992
|Fujitsu Limited
|Zero string error detection circuit
|Nov 13, 1990
|Nov 30, 1993
|Regie Nationale Des Usines Renault S.A.
|Line interface for a data transmission network
|Feb 20, 1991
|Jun 28, 1994
|Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
|Communication system for detecting a communication error in information transmitted between a plurality of units and a main control unit
|Allen Bradley Company, Inc., Publication 1746 1.1, May, 1989, SLC 500 Programmable Controller .
|Allen Bradley Company, Inc., Publication 1746 3.0, Apr. 1991, SLC 500 Programmable Controller:, Bulletin 1746, 1747.
|Allen Bradley Company, Inc., Publication 1747 2.30, Apr. 1991, SLC 500 Family of Small Programmable Controllers .
|Allen-Bradley Company, Inc., Publication 1746-1.1, May, 1989, "SLC™500 Programmable Controller".
|Allen-Bradley Company, Inc., Publication 1746-3.0, Apr. 1991, "SLC™500 Programmable Controller:," Bulletin 1746, 1747.
|Allen-Bradley Company, Inc., Publication 1747-2.30, Apr. 1991, "SLC 500 Family of Small Programmable Controllers".
|Pepera, et al., U.S. Ser. No. 07/580716 specification and drawings.
|Publication 1746 2.30, Nov. 1990 IMC 110 Motion Control System Allen Bradley Company, Inc.
|Publication 1746-2.30, Nov. 1990 "IMC 110 Motion Control System" Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
|Stallings, William, "Data and Computer Communications" (MacMillan 1988), p. 107.
|Stallings, William, Data and Computer Communications (MacMillan 1988), p. 107.
|Xilinx Programmable Gate Array Company, 1989, "Xilinx, The Programmable Gate Array Data Book", pp. 1-3 to 1-6.
|Xilinx Programmable Gate Array Company, 1989, Xilinx, The Programmable Gate Array Data Book , pp. 1 3 to 1 6.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Sep 7, 1994
|Mar 10, 1998
|Adaptec, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for automatically loading configuration data on reset into a host adapter integrated circuit
|Oct 21, 1997
|Mar 9, 1999
|Adaptec, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for automatically loading configuration data on reset into a host adapter integrated circuit
|Sep 29, 1998
|Oct 23, 2001
|Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
|Industrial control systems having input/output circuits with programmable input/output characteristics
|Oct 31, 1998
|Dec 18, 2001
|Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
|UART automatic parity support for frames with address bits
|Apr 18, 2002
|Oct 28, 2003
|Johnson Controls Technology Company
|Self-configuring output circuit and method
|Feb 9, 2001
|Apr 4, 2006
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer-readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|May 3, 2005
|Nov 28, 2006
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|Mar 1, 2000
|Apr 15, 2008
|Moeller Gmbh
|Data transmission system
|Aug 10, 2006
|Jul 29, 2008
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|Aug 10, 2006
|Dec 2, 2008
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|Mar 4, 2005
|Feb 3, 2009
|Netapp, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for boot image selection and recovery via a remote management module
|Apr 15, 2004
|Mar 17, 2009
|Network Appliance, Inc.
|Reconfiguration of storage system including multiple mass storage devices
|Dec 7, 2005
|Apr 14, 2009
|Network Appliance, Inc.
|Method for converting a standalone network storage system into a disk drive storage enclosure
|Jun 30, 2005
|Dec 15, 2009
|Netapp, Inc.
|System and method for remote execution of a debugging utility using a remote management module
|Mar 4, 2005
|Sep 28, 2010
|Netapp, Inc.
|Protecting data transactions on an integrated circuit bus
|May 27, 2004
|Oct 5, 2010
|Altera Corporation
|System memory map decoder logic
|Dec 22, 2006
|Nov 30, 2010
|Nokia Corporation
|Integrated circuits
|Mar 4, 2005
|Mar 1, 2011
|Netapp, Inc.
|Storage of administrative data on a remote management device
|Dec 30, 2005
|May 3, 2011
|Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
|Burning apparatus
|Mar 4, 2005
|Jan 3, 2012
|Netapp, Inc.
|Configuring a remote management module in a processing system
|Sep 4, 2009
|Jun 12, 2012
|Netapp, Inc.
|System and method for remote execution of a debugging utility using a remote management module
|Nov 20, 2009
|Aug 21, 2012
|Lsi Corporation
|Fast turn-on/off for energy efficient ethernet
|Mar 4, 2005
|Oct 16, 2012
|Netapp, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for communicating between an agent and a remote management module in a processing system
|Apr 30, 2008
|Nov 27, 2012
|Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
|Method and circuit for capturing keypad data serializing/deserializing and regenerating the keypad interface
|Sep 29, 2006
|Aug 12, 2014
|Broadcom Corporation
|Virtual interface to the PoE device through an expanded registered map in a networking device such as a PHY
|Mar 15, 2013
|Jan 6, 2015
|Analog Devices, Inc.
|Integrated delayed clock for high speed isolated SPI communication
|Feb 9, 2001
|Aug 15, 2002
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer-readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|Apr 15, 2004
|Oct 7, 2004
|Network Appliance, Inc.
|Reconfiguration of storage system including multiple mass storage devices
|Apr 4, 2003
|Oct 7, 2004
|Network Appliance, Inc.
|Standalone newtork storage system enclosure including head and multiple disk drives connected to a passive backplane
|May 13, 2004
|Nov 17, 2005
|Johnson Controls Technology Company
|Configurable output circuit and method
|May 3, 2005
|Dec 8, 2005
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|Jan 19, 2005
|Jul 20, 2006
|General Electric Company
|Apparatus and method for transferring heat from control devices
|Mar 4, 2005
|Sep 7, 2006
|Mark Insley
|Storage of administrative data on a remote management device
|Mar 4, 2005
|Sep 7, 2006
|Network Appliance, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for communicating between an agent and a remote management module in a processing system
|Mar 4, 2005
|Sep 7, 2006
|Network Appliance, Inc.
|Protecting data transactions on an integrated circuit bus
|Aug 10, 2006
|Dec 7, 2006
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer-readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|Dec 30, 2005
|Jul 26, 2007
|Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
|Burning apparatus
|Dec 29, 2005
|Oct 11, 2007
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Systems and methods for correcting errors in I2C bus communications
|Sep 29, 2006
|Apr 3, 2008
|Broadcom Corporation
|Virtual interface to the PoE device through an expanded registered map in a networking device such as a PHY
|Apr 30, 2008
|Apr 23, 2009
|James Boomer
|Method and circuit for capturing keypad data serializing/deserializing and regenerating the keypad interface
|Dec 22, 2006
|Apr 22, 2010
|Nokia Corporation
|Integrated circuits
|Nov 20, 2009
|May 26, 2011
|Lsi Corporation
|Fast Turn-On/Off for Energy Efficient Ethernet
|Mar 6, 2014
|Sep 17, 2014
|Analog Devices, Inc.
|Integrated delayed clock for high speed isolated SPI communication
|Mar 1, 2000
|Dec 14, 2000
|Moeller Gmbh
|Data transmission system
|Feb 11, 2002
|Aug 22, 2002
|Motion Engineering, Inc.
|A system for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer-readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|Feb 11, 2002
|Nov 20, 2003
|Motion Engineering Inc
|A system for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer-readable instructions for use with the system for motion control
|U.S. Classification
|710/30, 714/823, 710/61
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jan 28, 1997
|Certificate of correction
|Mar 9, 2000
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Mar 10, 2004
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Mar 17, 2008
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Sep 10, 2008
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Oct 28, 2008
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20080910

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- GKSR's revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 1.5%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 4.7%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
- Although GKSR's debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27 is very low, it is currently higher than that of the industry average. Despite the fact that GKSR's debt-to-equity ratio is low, the quick ratio, which is currently 0.67, displays a potential problem in covering short-term cash needs.
- Looking at where the stock is today compared to one year ago, we find that it is not only higher, but it has also clearly outperformed the rise in the S&P 500 over the same period, despite the company's weak earnings results. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year.
- G&K SERVICES INC's earnings per share declined by 8.2% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, G&K SERVICES INC increased its bottom line by earning $1.80 versus $1.56 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.94 versus $1.80).
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- G & K Services (Nasdaq: GKSR) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, attractive valuation levels, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income. Highlights from the ratings report include:


text:
AutoCyte PREP approved
Reprinted from August 1999 CAP TODAY
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of AutoCyte's PREP
System for use in primary screening for cervical cancer.
"This FDA clearance is a significant milestone, both for AutoCyte
and for women's health care," AutoCyte president and chief executive
James B. Powell, MD, said in a statement.
PREP is the second liquidbased, thin-layer slide preparation system to
win FDA approval. Cytec's ThinPrep 2000 system was the first, receiving
its government approval in 1996. The thin-layer technology provides clearer
slides for cervical cancer screening than traditional Pap test methods.
(See "Your CPT questions" for coding
AutoCyte announced earlier that it would merge with NeoPath Inc., which
developed and markets the AutoPap Primary Screening System. The merger
is expected to be completed within six months, pending shareholder and
regulatory approval. The new company will be based in Burlington, NC.
AutoCyte and NeoPath have been conducting a joint clinical trial for
the screening of PREP slides by the AutoPap system.


text:
I had a blast this week with a bunch of fashion media friends at Coquitlam Centre. The task was in one hour to pull together an outfit for $150. It was pretty fun to watch the power changing and the creativity. Okay most of us might have gone a bit over budget, but success!
I think Kelsey Klassen (The Westender) was my favorite transformation. She found this black and white sunflower Guess jeans and black and white striped top paired with a light denim shirt on top.
I scored a deal on a strapless maxi dress in bold stripes from Jacob, with a big hat and gold accessories. It didn't go with the outfit but my shopping also included this funky, python print runners from H&M.
I don't get out to this mall near enough, but now that it's got a Target I think I need to make the trek more often!
P.S. Coquitlam Centre's Best Dressed for Less Sales ends July 14.


text:
Suggs: I exist to stop Roethlisberger
Published: November 3rd, 2011 | Tags: Around the League, Baltimore Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, Terrell Suggs
Terrell Suggs owns Ben Roethlisberger's ass, ladies and gentlemen. And he keeps it in his refrigerator.
Suggs' words, not ours, but who are we to tell him differently? After all, nobody has wreaked more havoc on Roethlisberger than Suggs, who has sacked him more times (10.5) than any other defensive player.
"Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don't …" Suggs said on Thursday's edition of "Around the League". "I keep it in a nice little refrigerator. In the basement — in my basement. Check it out from time to time."
Kinda creepy, but we get it.
Trash talk from Suggs is nothing new. He's normally vociferous both on and off the field, but it's very clear that nothing (and we mean nothing) gets him amped like Steelers-Ravens. In particular, Suggs has an affinity for sacking Roethlisberger. And after doing so three times in the Ravens' 35-7 beatdown of the Steelers in Week 1, it's hard to argue against Suggs' outlandish claim.
Suggs takes great pride in owning Roethlisberger and feels he was put on this Earth for that very specific reason.
"Ravens-Steelers. My rival. I like to think that I exist because they need someone to stop Big Ben … " Suggs said. "So, yeah, we like Smith and Neo from 'The Matrix'. Co-exist for each other — Joker and Batman."


text:
Lights spotted New Year's Eve skies: 'I'm pretty certain it was a UFO'
EUGENE, Ore. -- Some people living along the west coast say they started off 2014 seeing some strange lights suspended in the sky.
Those who experienced the odd occurrence described it as hovering and moving away at a high rate of speed.
"I noticed a little white light and it was moving all over the place," said Eugene-resident Richard Walling. "My camera was lying on the ground. Why is this light moving all over the place."
Richard and his daughter, Hayley, were recording fireworks from their go-pro.
They put the camera down in their backyard, and a couple hours later went inside to edit the video.
Federal authorities said New Year's Day there had been no "unusual flight activity" in California and Oregon the night before.
"I'm pretty certain it was a UFO," said Walling. "A Chinese lantern isn't going to move around back and forth and disappear like that thing did."
The Walling's say they've seen UFOs enough times for them to believe.
"It's just one of those things-like, 'do you believe in unicorns?'," said Hayley.
Seeing the light on a night thousands of other lights are in the skies. Richard says it's really not that surprising.
"I think that attracts them," Walling said.
On the other side of town, Matthew Gall has also seen what he believes are UFOs.
"They always get really close and then disappear," said Gall.


text:
Avoid uncomfortable silences, long pause or burnt bridges with this advice for covering three touchy subjects with clients.
The key to a successful relationship between independent consultants and a client is communication. Both parties need to be able to freely discuss thoughts, ideas, needs, and changes as they relate to the project at hand. However, some topics can be difficult or uncomfortable to bring up. Here are some suggestions of how to address a few touchy subjects with clients.
Money is often an uncomfortable topic of discussion, and this can be especially true when collecting payment from a client. In this case, an ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure. Before beginning work, have the client thoroughly read and sign a contract that outlines your billing rate, estimated time to complete, and total project cost. This may include setting a "milestone" payment structure, where you get paid after completing phases of the project. Stating ahead of time that work will not continue beyond a certain point without payment can be helpful in motivating clients to pay on time without reminders. If your client does fall behind in payments, however, a gentle reminder suggesting that they may have simply forgotten may be appropriate the first time. Whenever possible, communication regarding contracts and payments should be in writing to maintain a paper trail for future reference.
Though this is particularly common in creative industries, independent consultants in nearly any field can be faced with this touchy subject. Clients who have a clear vision of their desired outcome of the project can be extremely helpful in giving a detailed outline from which to work. The problem arises when what they want is not, in your professional opinion, what is best for the success of the project. This is a topic to be handled with care so as not to directly insult the client. Instead of a blunt approach that essentially tells the client that they're wrong, approach this problem by bringing forth "alternative suggestions" for them to consider. Be prepared to give thorough explanations of your proposals, explaining that your professional experience and expertise with best practices in your field brought you to suggest these alternatives. Successful case studies are also very helpful when communicating the rationale for your point of view. Remember to assure them that all of your suggestions are made with concern for their project's success in mind. A word of caution: listen hard for the client's input, even if you initially disagree with it. Perhaps they have good instincts about their own end-user base that may change your creative opinion along the way.
It is important to remember that everyone does not share the same values and morals that you live by. When issues arise around governing principles like these, be cautious when handling discussions of behavior or requests that you find unethical because your client may be unaware that they've done anything wrong. Start the conversation without aggressive confrontation and then explain the issue and why it's a problem to give the client the opportunity to plead ignorance without unnecessary accusations and embarrassment. If the situation is not easily resolved, explain the ramifications you both could face by acting unethically. In the end, be polite but firm as you explain to the client that your morals and professional reputation are too important to risk. Without your reputation, your business is a commodity, so consider the long term benefits to your practice of walking away from a difficult ethical situation. While you may lose money today, you may gain from your decision in the long run and protect not just your reputation, but that of your peers in the profession.
How to create and optimize a website that promotes your business and generates leads
Contracts should clearly articulate services to be performed, timelines for completion, and payment terms and conditions. Here are 6 best practices for drafting the right contract for your independent consulting services.


text:
Emily Thorne has been having more trouble than she expected while trying to carry out her "Revenge" plot on the ABC drama, but she appears to have found a new ally in Season 2 – Aiden Mathis – who already saved her from drowning and from the White Haired Man, who throttled her last week. Not that she said thank you.
"Yeah, he's tried to be the knight in shining armor twice now and the first time he got a knife to his throat," British actor Barry Sloane, who plays the so-far mysterious Aiden, told AccessHollywood.com. "He's taking care of business for her, he's looking out for her, so hopefully, eventually, she'll thank him, but she likes to work alone, and so does he and I think that's what's quite fun about the upcoming few episodes and the fact that they're kind of working together, but they're not used to having a partner. It's interesting."
Emily VanCamp revealed back in July that Aiden was someone Emily studied with (as in learned under the tutelage of Takeda), and had a relationship with "and then he sort of betrayed her," she said at the time.
Already spotted at the side of their instructor Takeda, Barry revealed it was Aiden's decision to help the struggling Emily out recently, and get her back on the right track.
"It wasn't something that Takeda asked him to go and do initially, he forced the issue and said, 'Look, let me go there and try and get her brain back on track and started to [try] and get her thinking strongly again, so that's what he's set up to do. Aside from that, there's an old relationship there and some things that went on between them," Barry said. "But it's very, very much in the forefront of what's gonna go on as well."
Beginning this weekend, "Revenge" watchers are about to really get to know Aiden – and there will be flashbacks.
"Yeah, definitely," he confirmed to Access. "I'm looking forward to this week's [episode]. Obviously I'm bound to death to [not] actually say anything about it, but there's gonna be some in there and I'm really looking forward to it.
"In [episodes] 1 and 2 there's just been a mild suggestion of me really… and little looks and kind of just getting people to go, 'Who the hell is this guy?'" he continued. "What's nice for me in the next episode is I actually talk a little bit which is quite interesting… I think by the end of the episode people will know who Aiden is and they will have made their choices one way or the other as to how they feel about him, so it'll be fun."
As for Barry himself, before moving stateside with his fiancee and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, the Liverpool-bred actor was filming "Noah," the upcoming film from Darren Aronofsky, which stars Russell Crowe.
And, interestingly, a few years ago, in his native UK, Barry had his own headline-making revenge storyline as "Nasty Niall" on the long running British drama "Hollyoaks."
"Yeah! That was quite funny — I've actually had my own revenge storyline for a while," Barry laughed.
But Barry's Niall character carried out his revenge in a far less stylish way than Emily.
"He was outright blatant. I was very fortunate to play that character. It was a very dark place to go to play that character," he said of the role which earned him several acting award nominations. "I'm glad that people enjoyed it and that people still do kind of talk about it."
Last year, Barry was starring on Broadway in the play "Jerusalem," but after the show ended its run at the tail end of the summer, he and his family moved back home. Not long after, he got the call about "Revenge," a show he'd been tuning into as it rolled out on the UK's E4 network.
"We were watching it and then it was quite funny because once I flew over here, I was given a bunch of discs and I watched them in about a week and kind of got right up to speed," he explained. "[Showrunner] Mike [Kelley] wanted me to know the whole season before I uttered a word on set, which made complete sense. So I did."
So far, the role of Aiden has involved some foreign languages (Japanese with Takeda) and some fighting, and Barry's quite happy to get physical in his primetime stateside gig.
"I like getting a bit of a bruise, a bit of a bash. It's all part of the job," he laughed.
As his role gets ready to grow on the show, it appears there's going to be some conflict, or as Barry called it, "Revengenda" (revenge + agenda).
"They both [have] a 'Revengenda'… and so while their relationship was going on during their time in training, some of his mission can conflict with hers," he hinted at Emily and Aiden's past. "They both had a different thing that they were gonna go off and do at some point, they just didn't know when, so it kind of opens it up a little bit."
So far, Emily's main ally has been Nolan and with Aiden now back in the picture, there will be scenes between the two men, but Barry was mum on how exactly their paths cross.
"Yeah I've worked a little bit with Gabe [Mann] and I like him a lot as a person. We've actually got on as guys, so I admire him, all the work he's done as well… It's been cool," Barry said. "He's got a great character and — I won't give anything away, but he has coined Aiden a nickname at some point, so that'll be fun and I'm sure the viewers will enjoy that later on.
"As soon as I read the script [that] I was referred to by Nolan as a nickname, I'm thought, 'Right, I've officially landed in the Hamptons now and [am] on the radar,'" he laughed.
"Revenge" continues on Sunday at 9/8c on ABC.
-- Jolie Lash


text:
The Midnight Writer
The Midnight Writer is a freelance writer and contributor to popular websites and magazines. He's written three humor books and often writes while under the influence. Under the influence of what, he will not say.
Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino has something that the other men on the CBS 'The NFL Today' show don't --
a Super Bowl ring a kid out of wedlock.
Roads? Where we are going we don't need roads. A body of water wouldn't hurt though.
It's easy to send Thank You cards for awesome Xmas gifts but what is appropriate when a show of gratitude is in order but the gift sucked jingle balls?
Individually, the interns were all pretty nice guys. A little juvenile, sure, but tolerable for the most part. Put them all at a conference table in a professional setting, though, and it was like assembling lazy intern Voltron -- Each khaki-panted part sliding onto the next to create one massive jerk...
It appears that you already have an account created within our VIP network of sites on . To keep your personal information safe, we need to verify that it's really you. To activate your account, please confirm your password. When you have confirmed your password, you will be able to log in through Facebook on both sites.
*Please note that your prizes and activities will not be shared between programs within our VIP network.
It appears that you already have an account on this site associated with . To connect your existing account just click on the account activation button below. You will maintain your existing VIP profile. After you do this, you will be able to always log in to http://kygl.com using your original account information.
*Please note that your prizes and activities will not be shared between programs within our VIP network.
Please fill out the information below to help us provide you a better experience.
Not a member? Sign up here
Sign up for Eagle VIP Club quickly by connecting your Facebook account. It's just as secure and no password to remember!


text:
The Houston's of Mill Creek Hundred descend from Person:Christopher Huston (1) who left a will dated 1726 indicating that he lived in Mill Creek Hundred, in northern Delaware. Christopher's will identified
Son Samuel dies in 1739 dies without issue, and leaves bequests to his brothers and sisters. From Samuel's will it is apparent that Chirstopher's married daughter in 1726 was "Margaret". Sister Ann is now identified as "Ann Walker", and Martha and Jean are now identified as "Martha Linn" and "Janat Linn". Their husbands are presumably brothers of Hugh Linn, or at least his close kin.
Christopher and James, grandsons of Christopher of Mill Creek Hundred, are also mentioned in Samuel's will, but from the context it is clear that they are not his sons. This has led some to interpret them as the children of Samuel brother Robert. Robert is not well documented, but is known to have had sons named "Christopher" and "Robert". Neither of these individuals, however, can be the grandson's mentioned by Christopher of Mill Creek Hundred, as both are known to have been born after Chrisotpher's death. This implies that grandsons Christopher and James are the children of an otherwise unidentified son. from other evidence (See Analysis:Christopher Huston's Missing Son) that son is believed to be James Huston who lived on Brandywine Creek near Wilmington Delaware.
The following diagram shows the family relationships of the male line of descent from Christopher Huston and wife Martha:
Some of the descendants shown here are speculative, and the subject of ongoing analysis. The children of Robert Houston are based on commonly available data for a "John Robert Houston", who seems to be a "genealogical construct", resulting from the merger of information for a "John Houston" and a "Robert Houston". This construct seems to be driven by a belief that this family line is related to the family of General Sam Houston (GSH). The "John Houston" in question appears to be Person:John Huston (9) of "the Gap" in Lancaster, while the person:Robert Houston (13) is in fact Christopher's son. The rationale for the merger is complex, but the underlying seems to stem from the belief that both John (9) and Robert Houston (13), were both once believed to be related to GSH. YDNA evidence is said to disconfirm that belief, but the existence of a "John Robert Houston" is accepted by many researching the line of both John 9 and Robert 13.


text:
cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Bigbadvoo
I had a great conversation last night and the gentleman told me a story that I found extremely powerful…
As a teacher, he had a student hand in an assignment the day it was due, and ask him, "Is this good enough?" The teacher looked at the student and asked him, "What do you think?"
The student looked bewildered at the teacher and thought he was messing with him. What the teacher had explained is that the work was not for the teacher, but for the student himself. That every single day, he has to try and do his best work to his ability, not to what he thinks the teacher wants, but to the best of his own ability.
The teacher then said to the student, "If I give you 24 more hours to do this, will you give me your best stuff?" The student then looked at the teacher, wondered if he was serious, and took him up on the opportunity. The next day, he showed up and his work improved dramatically, not because he was doing it for the teacher, but he was doing it for himself.
When the teacher became a principal, he told his staff the story about this student and he said, "If we are expect our students to bring their best work to school everyday, shouldn't we model that ourselves?"
The next time I hear the question, "Is this good enough?", I guess we have to figure out good enough for whom?


text:
With electronica spreading at the speed of a super-virus, adhering itself to every known genre of music and producing new hybrid strains faster than anyone can affix names to them, it would be convenient to accuse London-based singer-songwriter Beth Orton of being a dabbler in trip-hop. After all, her debut album, Trailer Park, contains a number of tracks that bear the stamp of programmed psychedelia. Other numbers, however, resemble lilting pop nuggets or the simplest folk ballads. Pigeonhole her at your own risk.
In Orton's view, categorization is something to avoid, not embrace. "The way I describe it is this," she says in a cockney accent that freely disposes of random consonants. "If I was a painter, I wouldn't just use pencils; I'd probably use oils and crayons and all sorts of things. And if I was an actor, I wouldn't just do theater; I would do TV and film and poetry readings and this, that and the other. Being a musician, I use the same sort of logic. I'm just going to experiment with ideas and sounds and ways of expressing songs and the music that goes around them."
Of the analogies above, acting is the one with which Orton, 27, has the most experience. A Brit who grew up in Norwich, set on the flat, Nebraska-like plains of Norfolk County, U.K., she originally envisioned herself as a thespian. She still speaks warmly about the discipline and sees parallels between it and her current pursuits. "I like all roles," she notes. "I like all characters. I like getting inside someone else's character. It's fun, because then you don't have to be yourself for a little while. I think the thing with musicians is that they act in life and then they are themselves on stage. I worked that out yesterday. I think music and theater are different, see, because with theater you're always speaking someone else's words. Well, not always, but often. And with music, you're speaking your own words."
The subdued, introspective flavor of Trailer Park is in strong contrast to much of the bile she spewed forth when acting. "I was doing Verlaine and Rimbaud, and that was quite extreme--much more extreme than what I do. I'm quite understated. I like understatement as much as overstatement."
In this spirit, Orton describes the events that led to her becoming a musician as a "happy accident." Six years ago, her performance as part of a fringe-theater production based on the life of Rimbaud sparked the imagination of William Orbit, a longtime luminary on the dance-music circuit. He later asked Orton to read a few lines for inclusion on a recording by one of his side projects, Strange Cargo. After fulfilling his wishes, Orton got drunk and started singing as Orbit's tape recorder rolled--an impromptu exhibition that ultimately led them to co-write "Water From a Vine Leaf" for Strange Cargo. Shortly thereafter, the Chemical Brothers recruited Orton to contribute vocals to "Alive: Alone," a come-down tune that concludes their wildly popular Exit Planet Dust disc. She also guested with the acoustic hip-hop outfit Red Snapper, whence she snagged one of the key members of the Trailer Park supporting cast, upright bassist Ali Friend.
Guitarist Ted Barnes and drummer Will Blanchford of the Sandals, an acid-jazz combo, also lent their expertise to Orton's endeavor, helping her to flesh out compositions that, beneath their computer-driven beats, hark back to the folk rock of the early Seventies. When she was sixteen, she points out, she was smitten with Joni Mitchell's signature platter, Blue, as well as the offerings of Rickie Lee Jones and Neil Young. Three years later she discovered the late Nick Drake. Anyone familiar with Drake's voice, a remote, medieval-sounding instrument that suggests a small fire burning in a great castle hall, will be struck by its resemblance to Orton's.
Another influence on Orton, whether she would admit to it or not, is Americana. The artwork on Trailer Park, including a cover photo of Orton lounging on the graying asphalt of a parking lot in blue jeans and Converse All-Stars and a liner shot that pictures her sipping from a straw while slumping over a diner-style lunch counter, fairly oozes heartland sensibilities. It comes as something of a surprise, then, when she reveals that she first came to the States after completing the CD, in order to play a couple of West Coast dates and to film a video for her first single, the lovely "She Cries Your Name." She insists that this sojourn was not swathed in expectations. According to her, "I didn't really have any mythic ideas about it. I'm not a very good 'preconceptor.' I don't really have preconceptions, because I've just always been disappointed when I did. But I really like what I found in America. I like the intelligence. I think it's a good intelligence, a good understanding I found quite a lot of. And I found more humor than I thought there would be. I found myself laughing more than I thought I would. There's a preconception that Americans aren't very ironic. But they are highly ironic. And I really enjoyed it, actually."
Her endorsement of the country whose aesthetic she has so embraced is not without exception. For instance, she found Los Angeles unfathomable. "I didn't quite get it," she concedes. "The lifestyle--what life is it? I couldn't quite see how people would spend their days, what they do, where they are, where they have all gone..." But she was fascinated by residents of a Mojave Desert mobile-home colony she visited. They regaled her with intimate tales that reminded her of her lyrics, which balance general despair with doses of optimism and resolve. As she acknowledges, "I've been very honest in my music. Very real. And part of that was because I wanted to be. I wanted to be real. I wanted to be me and express these feelings that I had. I just think truth is more interesting than fiction."
In this regard, she shares much with many of the artists touring as part of the Lillith Fair, a festival dominated by this year's bumper crop of earnest young female singer-songwriters. Orton has appeared on a number of Lillith stops, and while her music might initially seem too electronically enhanced for such an acoustic-oriented showcase, her live sound is not all that dissimilar from those associated with entertainers such as Sarah McLachlan and Jewel. Critics may prefer the Orton compositions that marry folk to smoky dance effects over her more straightforward turns. But whether they like it or not, Orton is slowly moving toward the road most traveled, a path made flat and smooth by a great many of Orton's Lillith peers.
Why? Because, Orton claims, it is difficult to effectively translate prerecorded sounds to the concert format. "When we play live, the atmosphere of the album is expressed sort of acoustically," she explains. "There's drums and electric guitar, but there aren't samplers, and there really isn't anything digital on stage. So therefore, I have bid towards that live and have gone away from anything electronic. But I'm going to leave myself open to change. It's like, if I get a record I really like, I'll play it and play it and play it and get kind of obsessive about it. But then a month or two down the line, I might get a totally different record and get obsessed about that. I suppose I see my own music the same way."
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!
An example of this phenomenon is Orton's now-waning romance with strings. She became enamored of their sweet scrapings after meeting several players with the group Tindersticks. Her producer, Victor Van Vught (himself a onetime Tindersticks associate), subsequently encouraged Orton to borrow the bow-wielders for her own recording. "I was kind of wary, because I didn't want it to just get drowned out in string chaos," she confesses. "But it seemed right, and then it just sort of grew--like, 'Oh, wouldn't it be nice to have one there? Yeah, and wouldn't it be nice there?'" By the time Trailer Park was complete, many of the songs featured violins gliding around each other like swans engaged in a mating dance. But Orton found that some of the more orchestrated ditties did not hold up on stage. "Some songs have their time and their place, and then suddenly they don't work live, whereas they worked last week. They just suddenly go boomp, and you're like, 'Oh, it doesn't work anymore.'" The reason, she believes, is that "the strings had started to play too much on it. It's like if you were painting, you wouldn't just add green--a really dark green--to everything. You have to be aware of that."
To be able to spend her time making such discoveries is a tremendous luxury for Orton. Before she left acting and took up music, she was struggling to get off the dole. "It pulled me out of a lot of weird situations, actually," she says of her career shift. "It really turned my life around. I think music does that. It's a really positive, powerful force in that respect. It can just take the wrongs and makes them right, kind of. It gives you something to live for, and therefore, you want to find the good in things. Just do it right, because you've been given the chance, the opportunity to do some good. To do something that's really interesting and really satisfying as well."
Ben Harper, Beth Orton, Matthew Ryan and Dan Bern. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 16, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th Street, Boulder, $22.50, 443-3399. Beth Orton. 9 p.m. Sunday, August 17, Bluebird Theater, 3317 East Colfax, $5, 322-2308.


text:
On the Exact Distribution of the Scaled Largest Eigenvalue
In this paper, the authors study the distribution of the scaled largest eigenvalue of complex Wishart matrices, which has diverse applications both in statistics and wireless communications. Exact expressions, valid for any matrix dimensions, have been derived for the probability density function and the cumulative distribution function. The derived results involve only finite sums of polynomials. These results are obtained by taking advantage of properties of the Mellin transform for products of independent random variables. Eigenvalue statistics of Wishart matrices play a key role in the performance analysis and design of various communication systems. Among these, the distribution of Scaled Largest Eigenvalue (SLE), defined as the ratio of the largest eigenvalue to the normalized sum of all eigenvalues, has been shown to be an important measure.


text:
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted 6 to 2 in favor of increasing the cost of dorm living on several campuses.
It costs around $9,000 each year, room and board, to live on campus.
But a new proposal increases that by $400.
It's a 4.5 percent increase for housing in the next academic year. The cost would raise again by no more than 4.5 percent for the 2014-2015 school year.
The increase applies to UNL, UNK, the Nebraska College Of Technical Agriculture and UNO.
Officials say they want more students to live on campus, so they'll appeal to upper class students and more international students.
"We are constantly doing everything we can to keep our occupancy levels at a rate that will allow us to keep our room and board rate increases as low as possible. I want you to know also, we don't have to be 100 percent full to be successful and to be fiscally viable," UNL Housing Administration Director Susan Gildersleeve said.
Add the increase to that the governor's proposal to get rid of a $600 tax exemption, and students are looking at a cost of around $10,000 to live on campus next year.
Freshman Brittney Olson says, "My parents help me out with paying for college and everything but some people don't have that option and I don't think it's a good thing that they're raising the price."
For these students and their parents, it's all part of the rising cost of education.
Freshman Katie Jearram says of her parents, "I think they'd be kind of upset about it but I know that they would pay it anyway if it meant that I could go there."
Some students say an increased cost to live on campus would definitely put a burden on them and their families, but others say they understand - when the cost of living goes up, prices follow.
Freshman Samantha Baker says, "I also understand that there's a lot of expenses that the university has and I know that they're trying to find ways to make budget and all that so I wouldn't be in favor of it but I understand."
A university spokesman says UNL understands the need to keep costs low, but says the increases reflect higher costs of providing services.
He says the university feels it is still competitive with other Big 10 schools.


text:
- Buy New
- Alerts
Item Note:
This product has been discontinued but may be available as a Open Box item.
Similar Items
Obey graphics by Shepard Fairey.
The Squier Obey HSS Strat is a must for the Obey collector, or for the rocker who wants a guitar with cool, contemporary graphics. Shepard Fairey's artwork has gone beyond skateboards to take the modern art world bytorm. Here it decorates a hot, high-powered Strat just waiting for you to take your world by storm. It's equipped with a bridge humbucker and 2 single-coils. Oxidized and worn hardware completes its look.
Basswood body
Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
22 medium frets
Unplated hardware
Die-cast machine heads
Fixed bridge
No pickguard
2 single-coil Alnico magnet pickups (neck and center)
Duncan Designed"¢ HB102B humbucker with alnico magnets
5-way switching
1 volume, 2 tone controls
Obey collage graphic top
Antique violin back and sides
Obey HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar Specifications:
25-1/2" scale
1.650" width at nut
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 3 customers
Comments about Squier Obey HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar:
I got this guitar as a gift for my birthday 6 months ago and its horrible! I changed the stings to 10s and now the bridge lifts up when I tighten the strings. Its has a really odd tone for a guitar with a humbucker. I don't recommend this guitar unless your using it to hang up in a bedroom.
Comments about Squier Obey HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar:
this guitar is awsem but does not have a pick gard
Comments about Squier Obey HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar:
Great Guitar. Highly collectable!!


text:
Denise Truscello/DeniseTruscello.net
Monday, April 30, 2012 | 2:24 a.m.
More arts and entertainment
- Check out Robin Leach's VegasDeLuxe.com for more celebrity and A&E coverage.
Singer-songwriter Cee Lo Green hosted and performed at 1 OAK in the Mirage on Friday night/early Saturday; the new coach on NBC's "The Voice" performed a set around 1:45 a.m. that included his mega-smash "F*ck You" (the radio-friendly and "Glee" version is "Forget You").
Resident DJ Karma started the revelry behind the turntables while Cee Lo, who is about to become a Strip headliner with his show "Loberace" at Planet Hollywood in August, partied at a VIP table. Also at 1 OAK: UFC fighter Urijah Faber, who battles Dominick Cruz here in July.
Before his nightclub duties, Cee Lo led a press conference for the 2012 Billboard Music Awards during the day at Caesars Palace. The awards are Sunday, May 20, at MGM Grand Garden Arena, and he'll be one of the performers, it was announced by Billboard.com Editor M. Tye Comer at the gathering also attended by former Mayor Oscar Goodman and showgirls from "Jubilee!" at Bally's.
Confirming Robin Leach's report Thursday the day before the press conference, "Modern Family" Emmy Award winners Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen (Phil and Claire Dunphy) will co-host the BMAs.
Joining Green as performers: Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood, LMFAO and the Wanted. BMA finalists include Adele, Lil' Wayne, Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Tickets for the 2012 BMAs are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com and MGMGrand.com.
Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and arts and entertainment editor of LasVegasSun.com.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world's premier platinum playground.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.


text:
Article Preview
ENGLISH MAYORS INSTALLED.; Elaborate Pageant in London and Curious Ceremonies Elsewhere.
Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES. ();
November 10, 1907,
, Section Special Transatlantic Wireless and Cable Section, Page C1, Column , words
LONDON, Nov. 9. -- This is "Mayor's Day" throughout England. In London an effort made to revive interest in the Lord Mayor's Show by an elaborate pageant, in which the Edwards of English history figure, has proved very successful, and Louis N. Parker, the dramatist and composer, who is "facile princeps" among the pageant-makers of the British Isles, is being generally complimented upon the result of his efforts.
November 10, 1907
View the full article in TimesMachine.
Subscribers* enjoy full access to TimesMachine—view 129 years of New York Times journalism, as it originally appeared.
Or, download a high-resolution PDF of the individual article.
* Does not include NYT Now or Premium Crosswords subscribers.
Already a subscriber? Log in to view this article »


text:
Venison is a top piece of meat which, for me, conjures up a sense of nostalgia for the Highlands, Queen Victoria and hunting stags.
It is wrapped up in romantic notions and is the epitome of Scotland, in the same way that haggis and smoked salmon are.
Loading article content
However, when it comes to cooking it at home, venison can seem like quite a daunting challenge for the uninitiated and the mystery thickens when it comes to working out the difference between the cuts.
But there is no need to be afraid because you can do the same things with venison that you do with beef, it has the same bits and cuts that you would find on a cow, they just have different names.
When it comes to cuts, you need to ask your local butcher for help and advice. I would get sustainably farmed venison and I'd definitely go for the haunch, shoulder or neck cuts.
What I love about venison is that it is lean, it cooks quickly and it is rich in flavour. It's also a meat that you can throw strong flavours at, it loves mushrooms, root vegetables, garlic, red wine, peppercorns and vinegar and will just absorb these flavours, making an even better final dish.
Venison is a lot less hassle to cook than people think and there are so many things that you can do with it. It's fantastic for braising and it's a beautiful piece of meat to cook with as it is so clean and fresh. If I were not eating beef or lamb and I wanted something new and a bit funky I would go for venison.
You can mince it and make burgers that will blow your socks off. You can also make a venison stew by throwing it in with some root vegetables, mushrooms and red wine and, if you let this cool, you can put a lid on it and make a venison pie. You could even add it to the potatoes, parsnips and pears that I have written about in previous articles and create a fantastic dish.
Venison is a grand meat that's worth investing in. It's gorgeous and, for a couple wanting to go out for a meal, it's a really romantic dish. You can forget your beef, chicken and duck, in a lovely candlelit restaurant I would always go for venison and the Scottish stuff is the best in the UK.
It's absolutely gorgeous so, given the time of year, why not try a romantic and different choice of meat?
Venison is a term that is used to describe deer meat but, did you know that the word originally referred to meat from any animal that was killed during hunting?
Here are 10 more fascinating facts that you might not know about venison.
1 Deer are part of the Carvidae family and are closely related to moose, reindeer and elk
2 Red deer are the largest wild animals in the UK
3 A baby deer takes its first steps within half an hour of its birth
4 For centuries European aristocrats used to own deer parks which were used as a source of sport and high quality meat
5 Venison has a very low fat content and a lower rate of cholesterol than most cuts of beef, pork and lamb
6 Reindeers are the only species of deer in which both male and female grow antlers
7 Venison has been an important part of the human diet since prehistoric times
8 The word venison comes from the latin verb venare, meaning hunting
9 A serving of venison contains just 174 calories along with 49% of your recommended daily allowance of protein, 22% of vitamin B6, 36% of vitamin B12, 17% of iron and 32% of zinc.
10 Venison works really well with juniper, gin, red wine, port, rosemary and redcurrents.


text:
As we expected, UFC president, Dana White announced during this evenings UFC 140 post-fight press conference that the first two 125 pound fights have been booked for March third of 2012.
The announcement marks a new era for the UFC and a new weight class giving fighters like Joseph Benavidez and "Might Mouse" Johnson a more suitable division to compete in.
Demetrious Johnson will square off with Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez will take on Japanese flyweight standout Yasuhiro Urushitani and the winners will face each other for the first ever UFC flyweight title.
March 3 is the date of the yet to be made official UFC on FX 2 fight card. The evenings headliner is expected to be a welterweight bout between Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves, although at this point in time it is too early to be certain.
Click here for the latest UFC on FX 2 coverage provided by BJPENN.COM
Tags: featured, MMA NEWS, Strikeforce, strikeforce news, ufc news