text:
Adblock Plus is a Chrome add-on that makes ads disappear (and has plenty of other useful features, too).
Just install the tool, restart Chrome and it'll begin filtering your web pages immediately. Most, if not all of those annoying Flash ads will disappear right away, speeding up your browsing and allowing you to concentrate on the site content.
The program hasn't worked for you? Adblock Plus provides a choice of more than 40 filters, and you can choose the ones that are most effective for you.
There are filters for many languages beyond just English, for instance, from Dutch, French and German, to Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and more.
And you can also install filters for many specific purposes: to block ads on adult or P2P websites, to protect you from privacy risks, keep you safe from known malware domains, and even a blacklist for known Rickrolling pages (no, really...).
What's new in 1.8.12?
•Fixed: Trailing question marks in URLs were ignored, which caused issues with some video websites
•Fixed some inconsistencies with the new icon and improved support for high resolution displays
•Improved behavior of 'Block element' dialog
Adblock Plus is one of the easiest ways to speed up your web browsing and cut down on web clutter


text:
Hot Sheet: Here, Here
BY Advocate.com Editors
February 20 2014 7:17 PM ET
8. FILM: Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
Younger audiences will know Elaine Stritch, 88, for her role as the strong-willed mother of Alec Baldwin's character on 30 Rock. But the actress boasts a Broadway career that spans decades, from 1952's Pal Joey to the landmark 1970 Stephen Sondheim musical Company, in which she stopped the show with a sardonic, now-iconic musical toast to "The Ladies Who Lunch." A new documentary premiering today, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, follows Stritch as she recalls highlights from her lifetime in entertainment, with testimonials from friends and colleagues such as Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, and James Gandolfini. Watch the trailer below. — Daniel Reynolds
Tags: Hot Sheet
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- Ethics Complaint Filed Against Texas AG Over Stance on Marriage Licenses

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Unprofessional Fridays: 06/26/2015
Become Premium to Watch
Rocksteady's gorgeous-looking third Arkham game refines its open-world format a bit and lets you drive a whole hell of a lot of Batmobile.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Mortal Kombat X moves forward with a snappier version of the previous game's fighting and some cool new characters, but the story and other features around the edges feel a bit rough in spots.
Game »
consists of 5 releases.
Released Nov 16, 2004
A proprietary video codec (.bik extension) developed by RAD Game Tools and used in a very large number of video games.
Camping is when an individual or group stays in the same general area typically with the mentality of putting the opposing players at an unfair disadvantage.
A game in which the object is for each team to retrieve the opponent's flag and return it to their own base. Typically used in multiplayer first-person shooter games.
Circle-strafing is strafing around a target while facing it. This is useful for disorienting the target's aim, making for an easier kill.
Law makers and fat cats who will sell the population down the river just to gain more power and money.
Crawling is a form of locomotion in which a person lies down and uses the hands and knees to move around, or by dragging the body along the ground.
A sight placed on the HUD used to aim and provide a point of reference to the player when looking and interacting with the game world. Although they often aim weapons, they have a variety of uses and have appeared in many games in many different forms.
The main line of distinction between victory or failure in video games, death is the process of a biological being ceasing to be alive.
DNAS was Sony's solution to all of the online cheating on PS2 games. It was also introduced as a means to discourage and prevent illegal copies of games to be played online.
The 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California on May 11-13. This was the 10th annual E3.
A game based heavily on real-world events, usually with heightened realism. Such games include "Six Days in Fallujah".
Receiving damage or dying as a result of falling.
Fascism is a controversial totalitarian, nationalistic political ideology. Within video games, various Fascist regimes are often portrayed as the enemy within the Second World War.
First-Person is a vantage point that attempts to simulate looking through a game character's eyes. It is most commonly found in First-Person Shooters and Racing Games, and to a lesser extent in other genres, such as RPGs and 3D Platformers.
Characters with german accent.
Greatest hits is a general term for re-releases of games which have sold a certain number of copies, as part of a program managed by the console manufacturer.
Grenade spamming is a strategy used in multiplayer shooters; a player chooses a location and throws every grenade in his possession towards it, in hopes that the combined force of the explosions will hit something. Unfortunately, this tactic can work rather well in some games.
Derived from the Spanish word for "little war", guerrilla warfare is waged by a small and mobile armed force against a larger, more regimented force. It typically involves the use of ambushes, sabotage, and other offensive tactics meant to overcome an enemy's greater numbers.
Most modern shooting games add the realistic touch of rendering shots to the cranium instantly fatal. Glorious for the shooter, kind of a bummer to the shootee.
Humans are bipedal, sapient primates capable of abstract reasoning, language, and emotions.
Games often use iron sights to define precision shooting with non-scoped weapons.
It's arguably the one move that symbolizes the medium to those outside it. The ability to jump, be it onto building, onto platforms, or onto skulls, is one of the all time most important abilities ever put in a video game.
Kill Stealing involves a player killing another player's target in order to gain his or her "prize". These include loot, experience points, a point score, etc.
Rather than utilitarian names like "Level 3" or "Warehouse", many games give each level a unique title that has some relevance to its content.
The opposite of open-ended gameplay, linear gameplay uses scripted events, Quick time events, cut scenes, and a restricted path to tell a story exactly how the writer intends, and control elements of the action.
Cutscenes involving real actors on a set or in front of a chroma key screen.
This concept is for games in which the main character is male.
From Beat-em-ups to fighting games to modern FPS, one dude hitting another has made an enjoyable pastime.
Armed forces. The arm of government that deals with fighting wars and protecting a nation from external or internal threats
All militaries have some kind of uniform.
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text: ITEM: 9073 A genius way to carry your smartphone! This utilitarian case has a detachable cross-body strap and detachable wristlet strap giving you several carrying options. Snap tab closure for extra safekeeping. Clear window pocket on the back for ID or cards. Additional zippered compartment for essentials. 6"h x 4"w x 1"d. Imported.


text:
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text:
A semiconductor device package having a substrate, one or more semiconductor devices mounted on the top surface of the substrate, a heat sink having a surface in opposed spaced parallel relation to the top surface of the substrate, and at least one deformable heat transfer member positioned between a device mounted on the top surface of the substrate, and the surface of the heat sink. The heat transfer member is comprised of a porous block of material, and a heat conductive non-volatile liquid retained within the block of material by a surface tension. The heat transfer member being operative to transfer heat from the device to the heat sink.
1. In a semiconductor device package having a substrate, at least one semiconductor device mounted on the top surface of the substrate, a heat sink having a surface in spaced relation to the top surface of the substrate, the improvement comprising,
at least one heat transfer member positioned between said device and said surface of said heat sink,
said heat transfer member comprised of a porous block of material, and
a heat conductive non-volatile low viscosity, high surface tension, liquid permanently retained within said block of material and in contact with said device by capillary action,
said heat transfer member operative to transfer heat by conduction from said device to said heat sink without changing phase.
This invention relates to conduction cooling of small heat-generating electronic devices and, more particularly, to the cooling by conduction of miniaturized electronic devices in an encapsulated enclosure.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved cooling scheme having low thermal impedance for conducting heat from a heat-generating electronic device mounted on a substrate to a heat sink.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved cooling structure for a semiconductor package wherein the thermal impedance between the device and a heat sink is reduced by providing a liquid material which intimately contacts the surface of the device and the cooling sink and which is maintained in place by a porous block of material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide in a semiconductor package an improved cooling structure which includes a liquid for at least contacting the heat-generating element located in a sealed enclosure, wherein the liquid is held in a porous material which prevents potential contamination of associated devices and metallurgy on the substrate or associated heat-generating elements.
Still another object of this invention is to provide in a semiconductor package an improved conduction cooling scheme wherein a liquid is maintained in intimate contact with a heat-generating element to thereby reduce the thermal resistance at the interface whereby the liquid is maintained in position by capillary action in a block of porous material, which also acts as a reservoir for the liquid.
With the seemingly unlimited electronic capabilities afforded by the discovery of solid state electronics, the microminiturization has been extended. This has resulted in the need for various improved techniques for dissipating the heat generated by the solid state components. In modern high density semiconductor packaging technology, it is necessary to transfer heat from the surface of the heat semiconductor element to a heat sink at a rate sufficiently high to limit the increase in the temperature of the semiconductor material. The standard forced air cooling appears to have reached its limit of practicality in that the amount of air that is required to provide sufficient cooling for the limited heat dissipating surfaces of the devices introduces a noise problem, and without some auxiliary techniques cannot maintain each of a large number of components within its critical, narrow operating temperature range. In general, it is desirable to maintain the semiconductor devices at or above 20� C. but at or below 85� C. This temperature range or, on occasions, even a narrower temperature range is required by circuit designers to keep the operating parameters of the devices in designated operating ranges, and also to minimize the noise generated in a circuit by relatively cold devices.
Another and more recent technique has been the immersion cooling system wherein an array of components to be cooled are immersed in a tank of cooling liquid. The liquids used are the fluorocarbon liquids which have a low boiling point. These liquids are dielectric and boil at relatively low temperatures. Cooling systems using this principle are described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,677, U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,221, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,292. However, these types of modular liquid encapsulated schemes must meet certain inflexible requirements. For instance, it requires coolants of extremely high purity free of any contaminants. The liquid is in contact with the device surfaces as well as the substrates which contain metallurgy. Any impurities in the coolant is a potential source for corrosion of the metallurgy and can, therefore, reduce the operating life of the system. Another cooling technique involves providing a thermal conduction route from the device to a suitable heat sink wherein heat is thermally conducted through a suitable heat-conducting material having a relatively low thermal resistance. The technique is more commonly known as conduction cooling. Embodiments of conduction cooling are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,469, 4,034,468, and 3,993,123. In general, these embodiments employ a solid material in contact with the backside of a solder bonded device, and which may contact with a suitable heat sink. The path provided for heat conduction can be rigid, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,469 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,468, or in the form of spring-biased pistons, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,123. In all such techniques it is important that an intimate, large area, firm contact be made between the heat-conducting element and the device in order to reduce the usual relatively high thermal impedance that exists at the interface. Thermal greases have been employed for this purpose. However, with high-performance devices which operate at higher temperatures, this solution has not been entirely satisfactory. The thermal grease can, under certain conditions, move from the interface thereby increasing its thermal resistance and can also accumulate at undesirable locations in the package causing a potential contamination problem.
In order to meet the future cooling requirements for semiconductor packaging with a system that is dependable, inexpensive and efficient, a technique for decreasing the thermal impedance at the interface of a device and coldplate, or extension thereof, is needed.
In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure;
FIG. 1 is an elevational view in broken section illustrating a first embodiment of the cooling concept of the invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevational view in broken section illustrating a second embodiment of the cooling concept of the invention.
FIG. 3 is an elevational view in broken section of a third embodiment which utilizes the cooling concept of the invention.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are elevational views in broken section in greatly enlarged scale which illustrates and aides in the explanation of the capillary action present in the concept of the invention.
By this invention the thermal resistance of the interface between the semiconductor device or other heat producing element and a cooling element, i.e., cold plate, cooling fin, or the like, is reduced by providing a liquid medium, held in position by a block of porous material. The porous material also provides a reservoir ensuring a supply of liquid medium that is available at the interface. The liquid forms a conformable interface with both the device and the cooling element and thereby provides an efficient conduit for transfer of the heat from the device.
Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings there is illustrated in a first embodiment 10 a semiconductor package provided with a substrate 12 formed of an insulating or dielectric material which serves the function of providing electrical connections between the terminals of semiconductor devices 14 mounted thereon and pins 15, and also interconnecting other semiconductors mounted on the same substrate. Substrate 12 is typically formed of ceramic material or organic material and is provided with a metallurgy system either on the top surface or internal thereof. A preferred form of substrate, particularly when large numbers of devices are mounted thereon is known as a multilayer ceramic substrate. This substrate is produced by forming a slurry composed of particulate ceramic material, and organic binder, a solvent for the binder, and a plasticizer, doctor blading the slurry into thin sheets, forming via holes in the sheets, filling the via holes with a conductive paste and simultaneously forming electrical stripes on the surface, laminating the respective sheets into the substrate which provides the desired interconnection pattern, and sintering. The semiconductor devices 14 are preferably joined to substrate 12 by solder bonding techniques as described and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,429,040 and 3,495,133. The pins 15 are joined to the substrate by suitable bonding techniques known in the prior art. A flange 16 is secured to the substrate 12, as for example by brazing techniques which forms a mating surface 17 which meets with a surface 18 of cover 19. Cover 19 is preferably provided with cooling fins 20. In this embodiment heat generated by devices 14 is conducted to the underside of cover 19 by blocks 22 of porous material having impregnated therein a suitable liquid. The liquid supported in the blocks 22 by capillary action forms interfaces with the devices 14 as well as the underside of cover 19.
Referring now to FIG. 2 there is illustrated a second embodiment 30 using the cooling concept of the invention. Package 30 has a substrate 12 provided with pins 15 and semiconductors 14 generally similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. A flange 16 is joined to the substrate which mates with a cover 32 having attached thereto a cold plate 34 provided with a chamber 36 in which a suitable cooling liquid is circulated through inlet 38 and outlet 40. Cover 32 is provided with cylinders 42 located over devices 14 in which are provided movable pistons 44 biased toward the device by springs 46. Positioned between each of the pistons 44 and devices 14 is a block of porous material 48. The porous material can be separable or an integral part of the piston 44. The entire piston could be porous if desired. The porous material 48 is impregnated with a suitable liquid which as in FIG. 1 forms a conforming interface with the device 14. The cover 32 is secured to the flange by the brazing, soldering or the like.
In FIG. 3 there is illustrated a third embodiment 50 which utilizes the cooling concept of the invention. In this embodiment a suitable substrate 12 is provided with pins 15 and has devices 14 joined to the top surface as with the previously described embodiments. A cover 52 is joined to substrate 12 in any suitable fashion, as for example brazing to a metallurgy ring formed on the top surface of the substrate. Cover 52 is provided with openings 54 located over each of the devices 14 to be cooled. A plug 56 preferably of a metallic material is located in each of the openings 54 and has an end portion 58 formed of a porous material. A suitable liquid is impregnated in each of the porous material ends 58 of the plugs 56. In assembling the device after the cap has been joined into substrate 12, the plugs 56 complete with the porous material 58 and liquid are assembled, a solder ring disposed about each of the plugs, and the entire unit heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the solder which subsequently forms a hermetic seal 59 between the plugs 56 and cover 52.
In selecting the porous material and the liquid for the use in the cooling concept of the invention a number of considerations are involved. Three requirements must be satisfied in order to meet the objectives of the invention i.e. (1) the system energy must favor the liquid filling the gap between the chip and the cooling element, (2) the system capillary forces shall not be high enough to separate the fluid into two distinct drops on the chip and the cooling element, and (3) the system energy will favor the liquid staying both in the chip to cooling element gap and in the fluid reservoir formed by the porous material. In selecting the porous material and the liquid for the cooling concept of the invention a number of considerations are involved. A basic requirement is that no chemical reactions or phase changes shall occur between the elements which would detrimentally alter the physical interaction of the system. Fulfilling the aforementioned requirements entails selecting the porous material, the surface of the device, and the liquid such that the wettability of the porous material by the liquid will draw the liquid into the porous material, but this action will not be so great that the capillary action will draw the liquid away from the device surface. In general both the porous material and the device surface must be wettable. If the porous material is not wettable the liquid will not be absorbed. If the device surface were significantly more wettable than the porous material the liquid would be drawn out by the device surface. The back side of the device in contact with the porous material can be coated to provide the desired wettability in the system. Further an annular ring of nonwettable material can be deposited on the device to prevent removal of the liquid from the porous material in the event that the wettability of the device surface is significantly higher than the porous material.
Associated with the wettability considerations is the capillary size of the porous material. Everything else being equal the smaller the capillary size the greater the force tending to draw the liquid into the material. The correlation which defines the variables of the system which assures that the system energy decreases as the device to cooling element gap is filled is as follows: ##EQU1## where d is the capillary size, X is the device to cooling element gap distance, A is a constant, V is the relative surface tension constant, and D is the diameter of the cooling element. Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B there is illustrated schematically a device 14 in closely spaced relationship to a capillary mass of material 60 illustrated as a plurality of axially aligned capillaries. When the condition set forth in the aforedescribed correlation exists the condition illustrated in FIG. 4B exists. Note that the liquid 62 contacts the surface of chip 14. As illustrated the smaller the capillary sizes the higher the force tending to draw the liquid against the force of gravity into the capillary. The condition shown in FIG. 4A might exist if the surface tension on the device 14 is not sufficiently high to attract the liquid 62 and/or the diameter of the capillaries, taking into account the surface tension, are so small as to forceably draw the liquid therein, or the gap between the cooling element and the device is too large.
Another requirement is that the capillary forces in the porous material are not high enough to overcome the surface tension of the fluid in the device-cooling element gap. The following relationships set forth the conditions that prevent this from happening. ##EQU2## and
F≦γFA D (3)
where B is a relative surface energy constant, n is the number of capillaries in the porous material, F is the force on the chip, γFA is the fluid-atmosphere surface energy, and D is the diameter of the cooling element.
Yet another requirement is that the liquid will remain in the porous material and in the device-cooling element gap during accelerations greater than that of gravity. A major assumption is that the critical size of a liquid drop to separate from the porous material includes all the energy in the capillary. Using a system energy approach, the following relationship predicts the maximum acceleration capability of the system as a function of the porous material capillary length and diameter, a liquid surface energy to density ratio and system relative wettability; ##EQU3## where a is the maximum acceleration, γ/p is the surface energy to density ratio of the liquid, d is the porous material capillary diameter, 1 is the porous capillary length, and A, B and C are relative surface energy constants.
Typical liquids that can be used in the practice of this invention are metals having a melting point at or below room temperature such as gallium, indium, mercury and alloys thereof. Various organic liquids can also be used such as transformer oils. Also silicon oils such as Dow Corning 200 fluid can be useful. In general the liquid used in the practice of the invention must have a low vapor pressure and satisfy the aforementioned criteria set forth in the various relationships.
The porous material which can be used in the practice of the invention can be any suitable material which also satisfies the aforementioned criteria taken with the selected liquid. Typical materials are pressed metal wire randomly arranged, pressed metal wire that is axially aligned, sintered particulate ceramic or metal particles. The metal wire must be inert to the liquid or it should be coated with a material that is inert to the liquid. The refractory metals such as tungsten and molybdenum are particularly suited for this application and generally need not be coated. In general copper, gold, silver and other face-centered cubic metals are unsuitable as they alloy with gallium. However if these metal wires are coated with an inert metal such as chromium they have potential useage. It is desirable that the metal selected for forming the porous material be a good thermal conductor. The refractory metals have a relatively poor thermal conductivity but are relatively inert. These metals can be made into porous material by molding the particulate metal to the desired shape and subsequently sintering. However the aforementioned metals may be perfectly satisfactory with the transformer oil or silicon oils previously discussed.
The gap between the device and the cooling element, i.e. the porous material must be relatively small to avoid the problems discussed previously. With liquid metals the gap can be of the order of 30 mils. However with the organic and silicon liquids the gap will ordinarily be less i.e. on the order of 15 mils. Because of its low γ/p ratio, silicon oil may not be used for systems having device to cooling element gaps greater than 0.005 inch. Since this is not ordinarily within the manufacturing tolerances of a rigid piston design, a spring loaded design, such as illustrated in FIG. 2, is necessary to assure positive piston to cooling element contact. Since tension in the liquid is no longer a problem with a positive contact, surface energy density criteria in the second correlation can be ignored and a sintered-metal piston design becomes feasible. The porous tip will provide silicon oil which would bridge the gap between the device and cooling element in any area where positive contact was not available due to device misalignment.
While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
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text:
Pallo Jordan
|Zweledinga Pallo Jordan
|Minister of Arts and Culture
|In office
|Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
|In office
|Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Broadcasting
|In office
|Personal details
22 May 1942
Kroonstad, Free State
|South African
|Political party
|African National Congress
Zweledinga Pallo Jordan (born 22 May 1942 in Kroonstad, Free State) is a South African politician. He was a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, and was a cabinet minister from 1994 until 2009. He studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States (1962). His official biographies, as well as his official CV, claim that he received a PhD and he has presented himself under the title Dr for numerous years, but a newspaper investigation revealed that he did not complete his degree at Wisconsin–Madison.[1][2]
Political career[edit]
|This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. (August 2014)
- He was elected to the National Executive Committee (NEC) (since 1985)lIE
- He served as administrative secretary of the NEC Secretariat (1985–1988)
- He served on the NEC's Strategy and Tactics Committee as convenor (1985–1989)
- He was the director of Information and Publicity (1989)
- He served on the NEC's sub-committee on negotiations and the NEC's sub-committee on Constitutional Guidelines
- He returned to South Africa after the unbanning of the ANC (1990)
- He was elected to be a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of South Africa (since 1994)
- He was Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Broadcasting (1994–1996)
- He was Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (1996–1999)
Claimed qualifications[edit]
Jordan's official CV, as it appeared on the South African Government Communications and Information System's website and elsewhere, is titled, "Zweledinga Pallo Jordan, Dr". Under "academic qualifications", it stated: "Dr Jordan studied at the University of Wisconsin in the United States of America in 1962 and he acquired a postgraduate degree from the London School of Economics."[2]
In the Eastern Cape Province town of Lady Grey, a school was named after Jordan, called the "Dr Pallo Jordan Primary School".[3]
In 9 August 2014, the Johannesburg Sunday Times reported that no evidence could be found that Jordan, who goes by the title 'Dr' has ever had an honorary doctorate bestowed on him.[2]
Jordan has no degrees or diplomas from the University of Wisconsin-Madison or the London School of Economics (LSE), the two institutions cited on his CV. He has no formal tertiary academic qualifications whatsoever, the publication reported.[2]
At the same time, Jordan was fired from his position as a Business Day columnist.[2]
On August 11, 2014, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe announced that Jordan had resigned from Parliament and apologised to the ruling party after the exposure of his faked qualifications.[4] The ANC statement also revealed that Jordan had resigned from the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC and from the ANC.[4]
- ^ "Pallo Jordan not a doctor - claim".
- ^ a b c d e "Pallo Jordan's phantom doctorate".
- ^ Dr Pallo Jordan Primary School, South Africa Schools, http://www.southafricaschools.co.za/node/1636
- ^ a b "Shamed, Pallo Jordan resigns".
External links[edit]
- Government biography
- ANC Biography (broken link)
|Political offices
|Preceded by
|Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting
|Succeeded by
Jay Naidoo
|Preceded by
Dawie de Villiers
|Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
|Succeeded by
Valli Moosa
|Preceded by
Ben Ngubane
as Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
|Minister of Arts and Culture
29 April 2004–10 May 2009
|Succeeded by
Lulama Xingwana
|This article about a politician from the Republic of South Africa is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
- 1942 births
- Living people
- People from Kroonstad
- Xhosa people
- African National Congress politicians
- Communications ministers of South Africa
- Arts and culture ministers of South Africa
- Members of the National Assembly of South Africa
- University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
- Alumni of the London School of Economics
- South African politician stubs


text:
|82 posts found
Spotlight Poster
Joined: 11/14/09
I think few care about housing or displaying items. You are in a minority.
Star Wars Galaxies was losing 10,000 subs a month.
Where were those people going?
What do I want in a game?
How do you make a game fun? I don't know.
How do they make a good book? How do they make a good movie?
If you could figure those out, you'd be rich.
Well shave my back and call me an elf! -- Oghren
Login or Register to never see this panel
Apprentice Member
Joined: 10/15/08
Originally posted by VirusDancer
Could not have said it better... The only thing we can count on is indie developers... And one can see how good they are at their jobs... MO is a perfect example.
I've been uplinked and downloaded, I've been inputted and outsourced. I know the upside of downsizing, I know the downside of upgrading.
I'm a high-tech low-life. A cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, bi-coastal multi-tasker, and I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond.
I'm new-wave, but I'm old-school; and my inner child is outward-bound.
I'm a hot-wired, heat-seeking, warm-hearted cool customer; voice-activated and bio-degradable.
RIP George Carlin.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 3/15/09
Tumbling down the rabbit hole?
If it doesn't have guild or player housing, I'm not getting it
I'm sure Blizz will get over it and survive Cata's launch.
Advanced Member
Joined: 12/31/08
I do like the direction some of the new MMOs are heading in terms of putting in unique combat systems and dynamic content. There are a few things I would love to see them pick up also:
1. More grouping content, just don't throw it all in the end game. Grouping should be more rewarding than soloing at all points in the game. Grouping should also be easy to do, I don't care if a LFG tool is needed to accomplish this - I'd rather be able to log on and get a group immediately then having to sit around spamming a zone or actively looking for players.
2. More unique classes. I'm sick of having choices between the standard priest, warrior, mage, rogue/assassin. Give us classes with a more unique playstyle than these generic archetypes. EDIT: Another good (probably better) option is to go with a skill based system with limitations (so everyone doesn't just make tank mages), but then you'd have to make every single skill worth picking up so the player can make unique classes from these skills.
3. Don't instance so much. It's getting ridiculous - everything is instanced. What ever happened to making huge open ended worlds that required me to go explore and discover things? Now everything is basically a straight line through pointing me to this and that spot. Instancing is fine for the occassional dungeon crawl or epic scripted raid encounter, but it's used way too excessively. A big part of RPGs are the world and freedom.
4. Pick up the good features of MMOs that appeal to just about everyone. I can't believe an "appearance" tab which let's you keep old armor displayed if you like the looks of it hasn't been picked up in many other MMOs after EQ2 (and F2P games before it) did. This isn't exactly a feature people are going to oppose. That's just one example, there are hundreds.
5. I understand sex sells... but does every single piece of armor have to somehow magically shrink and lose half of it's parts everytime a female character wears it? Can I tweak the breast size to be something a bit smaller than double Ds? I want to feel like I'm playing a MMO not a cheesy porno.
6. Add community features outside of the game. I don't mind paying a little extra for them (keyword "little" a dollar a month is good). It's nice having a feature for smaller guild where you can create websites, a way to communicate with people in game when you can't log in for whatever reason (work, not installed on a particular computer, etc). EQ2 has a nice feature where you can communicate with guildmates logged onto the game while you aren't. All MMOs should promote these community features that exist outside the game itself.
7. Get rid of item malls in sub based games. You can have one or the other. Even if they don't contribute to gameplay. I know Blizzard managed to milk some of their customers into paying for their new item mall items, but most of the other companies that tried this (Cryptic, Sony) had negative reactions directed at them. I'm sure enough of those were in the form of new or old customers not willing to play their games anymore.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 11/09/06
Originally posted by uquipu
Nothing to do about housing :/
M59, UO, EQ1, WWIIOL, PS, EnB, SL, SWG. MoM, EQ2, AO, SB, CoH, LOTRO, WoW, DDO+ f2p's, Demo's & indie alpha's.
Originally posted by Amathe
A fun unique combat system. Lots of directional attacks, parrying and blocking. Throw in some martial arts and wrestling. I like your idea too.
Advanced Member
Joined: 10/11/04
Immersion. World interactivity. Overall design based around creating an MMO, not a single-player game with multiplayer options - this means dynamic and player-created content and ever-changing world. (And I don't mean the "solo" vs "group" thing, i mean a story that's designed to have a thousand heroes, not one hero - a story where EVERYONE helps save the world, not each person on their own).
I'd love to see an episode-based MMO where the world you log into play today, is completely different from the world that someone logs into play 2 months from now. A game built this would also be able to take focus of grinding / level-cap based gameplay if done right.
(Simple example: in the first episode you're defending a (massive) city from a siege by orcs. there are quests and storylines based on this. the episode lasts two months, after two months, there is a major event, the city is destroyed and then episode two, you're either living under the city as "the resistance" or are out in the woods -rebuilding. any new people that join the game, join one of these places. the content that existed in episode 1 is gone forever. what matters is what you do NOW.
"I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO
Originally posted by uquipu
Your posts of late have been severely lacking in logical backing. Either that, or I've just happened to start noticing.
Originally posted by VirusDancer
Sounds a lot like the so-called "hardcores" around here who spend all their time crying and whining that games don't cater to them, that nothing is good enough and everyone but them should stop playing. Both sides have serious entitlement issues.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Well, it'd sure be nice if my MMO could get me a new beer everytime I finish one.
But seriously..
I'd like to see some mix between sandbox and themepark. I like persistant changable worlds (permanant change), player driven economies, ffa pvp (even full loot, so long as there is a good enough consequence system to prevent it turning into a world of gank).
At the same time, some instanced theme park style dungeons/events/PQ type things would be cool too. Sometimes I just wanna login and do some quick stuff to kill time and don't want to necessarilly get into the 2nd job feel that some sandboxes can get to.
I think I'm pretty much done with games that involve 'levels', unfortunately I'll most likely have to deal with them indefinitely until another system proves better to the masses..
I'm also done with classes. Just give me a ton of skills to choose from and mix and match as I please.
3rd person view only.. If I have to aim, crosshairs in 3rd person are perfectly acceptable. 1st person view is for FPS.
Genre.. doesn't matter, as long as the graphics and feel of the world are consistent with the theme, and good. I'm sick of shit graphics out of MMO's, it doesn't have to be ultra real, but at the same time, I shouldn't feel like my Wii can pump out better graphics than an MMO on my PC. DX10 has been out for a couple years now, DX11 is in Vista/7... Freakin' use it.
nVidia Physx, use it, if you're team can't figure it out, have them take some seminars from some CCP devs.
Animations... It's sad that the best most fluid animations are in a game approaching 7 years old.
Yeah, alot of my requirements are technical... But what can I say, I'm a developer.
Advanced Member
Joined: 10/11/04
Originally posted by uquipu.
"I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO
Elite Member
Joined: 5/09/09
Originally posted by VirusDancer
It's commonly understood in game development that PVE/singleplayer/coop is substantially more popular than PVP. It's been true for years and years, and will continue to be true.
It becomes particularly apparent when you examine PVP-only games and compare them against No-PVP games.
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Novice Member
Joined: 2/29/08
Grouping, not for the sake to get the phat lootz but just group to group.
GW1 had it just about right before they introduced heroes.
Seems grouping gets watered down more and more in todays mmo. (or should it be called MSO already?)
Originally posted by arieste
That's because the publishing industry in the U.S. is really, seriously screwed up. The chances you'll get an advance of any kind are slim unless you're already a best-selling author and then, they'll throw money at you. Writing isn't really a career these days, authors are expected to do a lot more than just produce books, they're expected to market, advertise and arrange all of their own book signings, interviews, etc., usually at their own expense. Of course, none of this gets them paid any more money and what little they actually get out of the publishers per book has to be split with their agent, who takes a big chunk.
A self-publishing author can make a lot of money if their books are even moderately successful, but to be with one of the big publishing houses, you have to be a mega-hit to make a living at it.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Novice Member
Joined: 7/17/04
The things I want in an MMO will never be put into one. Developers don't make games for me, they make them for the masses. My demographic doesn't have enough $$$ attached to it so, the sad truth is, I'll never get to play an MMO I really like.
Novice Member
Joined: 9/01/06
-Player housing. Always loved open world housing in AC1, as well as DAOC's special housing zone where you could decorate trophies, or shop for goods.
-Class epic quests. Even EQ1 has stopped designing class epic quests, citing that it takes too much work and too much dev resources. Lame excuse, class epic quests were something fun to strive for once you reach level cap.
-Realm vs Realm combat done right. DAOC had the right ideas, the right design, and it worked. Mythic then wrecked it upside down when they came out with Warhammer Online. AoC also had its own siege combat issues, as if the company put it on the backburner and released a broken game. Now just because some big games have failed to deliver, less games are coming out with good RvR design. Would someone please just look at DAOC's RvR and give us what we'e been waiting for?
-DAOC's Realm Abilities design. Farming honor points in WoW is only good for 1 thing, and that's gear. It gets old after awhile when you're just farming gear to get better gear. DAOC's realm abilities give you new things to use, new abilities, new spells. It takes awhile to work your rank up but hardcore or casuals could work on it on their own pace without any problem.
-EQ's AA design. I know talents are popular these days, AA's give you a reason to keep exp & keep doing dungeon runs. These days once I get the piece of gear I want from an instance, I find little incentive to keep going back to them. If I could utilize exp to gain alternate advancement abilities, I would be doing them more often. I don't want as many AA's as EQ has currently, but some would be nice.
-BIG world raid bosses. Games seem to be steering away from contested raid content. I'm fine with having majority of the raid content in instances. But let things switch up a bit, put some world bosses that are worth doing, worth fighting over for, worth having guilds & factions fight all night over.
-Underwater content. Why is everybody so afraid of underwater content? DAOC had underwater done right. There were under water mounts, they were cool too. We've seen all there is to on land, in the air, and underground. Let's get more underwater content please.
Originally posted by neosapience
I've got the same problem, I'm not the lowest common denominator so I don't expect any developer to *EVER* make a game I want to play. It just won't happen because my standards are too high.
However, unlike lots of people around here, I don't sit around and whine about it.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Apprentice Member
Joined: 2/03/04
The truth shall set you free!
Originally posted by Amathe
I don't think I could have said that any better
Novice Member
Joined: 8/16/09
Br0000tal1ty! Seriously, a lot of MMOs lack that.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/14/09
LARPer Hunter
Originally posted by uquipu
Please, you know damn well why people don't play SWG anymore, don't dance around the facts like that. People quit WoW all the time, and you can bet your ass that if it had housing, it would be one more thing to keep people on the fence about quitting. You say you want fun, but you don't even know what that is, and again, you know damn well it runs out after repetition.
What keeps people playing once something runs dry is *investment*.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4


text:
The Coalition is pleased to announce the start of its Ticket Your Parent(s) program!
Encouraging, educating and engaging communities to reduce teen crashes and fatalities in Ohio
Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens in Ohio and teens have the highest crash risk of all drivers. The Ohio Teen Safe Driving Coalition, managed by the National Safety Council in partnership with The Allstate Foundation, is working to help teens build skill and minimize risk through the proven principles of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL).
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Welcome to the Idaho Botanical Garden Press Room. Here you'll find the latest garden news and links to our social media resources. If you are a member of the media and need assistance, please call Warren Maxfield at 208-343-8949
What's Blooming 6/29/2015
Nepeta x faassenii
With its gorgeous, long lasting blooms, lovely scent, and pollinator attracting power, Nepeta x faassenii is one of the great hybrid successes of the horticulture world. Read the article »
What's Blooming 6/22/2015
Bourbon, Hybrid Perpetual, Rambler, Modern Climbing, and Miniature Roses
Bourbon Rose
The Bourbon rose originated from a natural cross between a China rose and a Damask rose on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. The seeds to this rose showed up in Paris in 1891, and cuttings showed up not long after in 1821. The Bourbon rose has a re-blooming trait from the China rose and a strong fragrance because of the Damask rose. Thanks to these characteristics a whole new class of roses was born when the Bourbon rose was introduced. Read the article »
What's Blooming 6/15/2015
Centifolia, Moss, and China Roses
Centifolia Roses
Salet Rose
Historians believe that the Centifolia rose or the Cabbage rose is one of the oldest cultivated roses. It is believed to be a cross between Autumn Damask and an Alba Rose. Read the article »


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Solaris Support Rules!
Finally! nVidia support for Solaris rules!!! Time to pop my 6600GT into my Solaris 10 box! Thanks nVidia!!!
Re: Solaris Support Rules!
I don't have a solaris box, but I think its cool how nVidia support more than just Windows.
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This job posting is no longer available on Indeed.
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Position Title: Senior Leasing ManagerTeam: Leasing, Western CanadaPosition Location: Regina or Saskatoon, SaskatchewanReports to: VP, Leasing, Western Canada
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James Groves / 8/25/2014 - 1/16/2015 5:00:00 PM
This course provides an introduction to the concepts of physics and their application to the world around us and beyond. The course is intended for nonscience majors, very limited math skills are necessary. Topics include the laws of motion, conservation of energy and momentum, properties of matter, heat, sound, electricity and magnetism, light, atomic and nuclear physics, and relativity. This course will satisfy a general education core science requirement but will not serve as a prerequisite or substitute for any other physics course. Corequiste: PHYS 100L.
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The IIHS has just released ratings for boosters in regard to how well they are likely to fit your child. It's been almost a year since Kecia commented on their last round of tests. No doubt, manufacturers and industry groups will be issuing their responses soon, too. You can see some of the previous responses and a video demonstration of correct fit in my blog from last winter.
Within the next couple weeks, we will have a more detailed response to these new ratings and some information to help you determine when your child is really ready to "graduate" from a booster to just a seatbelt. I'll tell you it isn't always at 4'9″ tall, at 8 years old, at 80 pounds or any other easy to remember number! For now, please consider the IIHS guidelines as simply that, good suggestions on models that are likely to work well with a variety of kids in various vehicles. Because they tested with one specific size dummy (average 6-year old size) in four vehicle seats, the ratings are somewhat limited and subjective. That means that there will be many exceptions. Even so, the models they rate as "Best Bets" and "Good Bets" are a good place to start when you are shopping. We've reviewed many of the same models and often agree with the IIHS conclusions. What if your booster is "Not Recommended"? Don't panic! Just check for yourself to see if it fits your child well in your vehicle. Don't know how? Check out Kecia's great guide. If it doesn't, then you might consider a different model or consulting a trained technician in your area for help.
Finally, kudos to Kecia, our booster expert and author of many of our booster reviews. I know she worked with Harmony regarding some concerns with the original Secure Comfort Deluxe and other models. I'd like to think some of that feedback helped Harmony put the revised Secure Comfort Deluxe plus 4 other models in the "Best Bet" category!
Best Bet models include: Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback), Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback), Clek Oobr (dual highback), Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback), Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback), Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback), Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless), Evenflo Maestro (combination highback), Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback), Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback), Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless), Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback), Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless), Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless), Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback), Recaro ProBOOSTER (highback), Recaro ProSPORT (combination highback), Recaro Vivo (highback), Recaro Young Sport (combination highback), Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback), and the The First Years Pathway B570 (highback).
Good Bet models include: Britax Parkway SG (dual highback), Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual backless), Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual highback), Evenflo Symphony 65 (3-in-1 highback), Graco TurboBooster Sachi (dual highback), Graco TurboBooster Wander (dual highback) and the Maxi-Cosi Rodi (dual highback).
Stay tuned, as we hope to have a giveaway or two of some of these top rated models over the next couple weeks!


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A high frequency DC to DC converter having at least two phase differentiated pulsed voltage sources, utilizes two phase differentiated unidirectional power flow resonant circuits to permit multiple quasi resonant operation of the converter and thereby gain the benefit of lowered EMI, high efficiency, lowered component stress and increased power throughput.
1. A power converter comprising: input means for accepting a dc voltage source,
a power transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding;
a resonating capacitor having first and second access terminals;
a first switch for applying the dc voltage source to the primary winding in a first direction;
a second switch for applying the dc voltage source to the primary winding in a second direction opposite the first direction;
a first secondary resonant circuit connected to a first terminal of the secondary winding and including, a first inductance derived in part from a leakage inductance of the transformer, a first rectifying diode and a connection to the first access terminal of the resonating capacitor;
a second secondary resonant circuit connected to a second terminal of the secondary winding and including a second inductance derived in part from a leakage inductance of the transformer, a second rectifying diode and a connection to said first access of the resonating capacitor;
the resonating capacitor having resonant operation with both the first and second resonant circuits; and
output means connected to the resonating capacitor, having constant current sink characteristics and adapted for accepting a load to be energized.
2. A power converter as defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second switch connect a first node of the input means to opposite terminals of the primary winding respectively and a second node of the input means connected to a node of the primary winding intermediate the opposite terminals of the primary winding.
3. A power converter as defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second switch are connected in a series connection and the series connection being connected in parallel across the input means.
4. A power converter as defined in claim 1 where the first and second switches are connected in a bridge configuration with a third switch connected in the bridge configuration operating in accord with the first switch and a fourth switch connected in the bridge configuration operating in accord with the second switch.
5. A power converter as defined in claim 1 and further including regulation control circuitry, comprising:
means for sensing an output signal of the load
means responsive to the means for sensing for generating an error signal responsive to a deviation of the output signal from a predetermined regulation value, and
means for converting the error signal into a frequency, and
means responsive to the frequency to generate a driver signal having a fixed interval value and a variable period, and
means for alternately applying the drive signal to the first and second switches.
6. A power converter comprising
inverting means for generating first and second voltage pulses in phase opposition to one another,
output circuitry including signal shaping circuitry, filter circuitry and output terminals to accept a load,
the signal shaping circuitry including first and second resonant circuits, resonant at a switching frequency of the inverting means, each resonant circuit including inductive impedance and a rectifying diode for limiting resonant flow through the inductive impedance to one direction of flow,
a common resonant capacitor shared by the first and second resonant circuits and having one of its terminals connected to both the first and second circuits respectively.
7. A power converter as defined in claim 6 wherein the inventing means is embodied in a push-pull configuration.
8. A power conversion as directed in claim 6 wherein the inventing means is embodied in a half bridge configuration.
9. A power converter as defined in claim 6 wherein the inventing means is embodied in a full bridge configuration.
This invention relates to high frequency power converters with resonant power throughput.
A common disadvantage of many types of existing power converters with single mode resonant power throughput is the disproportionate voltage and current stress placed on the power train components relative to the level of power throughput. Further disadvantages of existing resonant power converters include limitation to a single switching device (i.e. single ended converters) and limitations on the duty cycle range of the power switch. These single ended converters have a unidirectional flux excursion in the power transformer and hence need the added complexity of a core reset circuit. One such single ended resonant zero current switching power converter having a unidirectional flux excursion in the power transformer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,959. It therefore requires a commutation switch in order to reset the transformer core and to provide continuous power to the load. It also has the aforementioned disadvantage of limited duty cycle operation in order to prevent internal power circulation and to assure power throughput. This limited duty cycle further causes the peak voltage stress on the power switch, rectifying diodes and resonating capacitor to be excessively large compared to the power being processed.
Power converters such as disclosed by F. C. Lee et al in APEC 86, pages 84-89 in an article entitled "Secondary-side Resonance for High Frequency Power Conversion" are double ended and have a bidirectional resonant path permitting bidirectional flux excursions and hence eliminate a need for a core reset circuit. A particular example described therein employs a resonating capacitor which is shunted directly across the secondary winding. Such an arrangement however still operates with a single mode resonance and places high stress on the power train components. In addition the power circuit disclosed has a tendency to circulate energy in the resonant circuit thereby blocking energy flow to the output if the duty cycle of the power switch is too large (i.e., greater than 50%) or if operated at very light load.
It is apparent that the above described prior art exemplary converters operate in single mode resonance and place a high stress on power train components. Attainable power levels for given component capacities is therefore limited. A tendency to circulate energy within a converter tank circuit at certain duty cycles is a further limit on the versatility of these prior art converters.
A high frequency DC to DC converter having at least two phase differentiated pulsed voltage sources, utilized two phase differentiated unidirectional power flow resonant circuits to permit multiple quasi resonant operation of the converter and thereby gain the benefit of lowered EMI, high efficiency, lowered component stress and increased power throughput. A particular embodiment is realized through a double ended push pull power converter in which a resonating capacitor is added subsequent to the rectifier diodes but prior to the output filter circuit. Parasitic capacitance of the diodes and leakage inductance of the power transformer is used as part of two oppositely phased resonant circuits in which each resonant circuit is responsive to a voltage pulse of an associated power switch of the push pull converters. Power flow in each resonant circuit is unidirectional and the single resonant capacitor shared by the two resonant circuits is chosen relative to the impedance of a subsequent filter circuit so that only the dc component of its voltage is transmitted to the load.
The power converter circuit embodying the invention may as shown (but is not limited to) operate in a frequency modulation mode, in which a cyclic interval is varied with a fixed pulse width predetermined for either on or off conditions of the power switch, with a zero current switching condition achieved. Duty cycles above 50% are permitted without impairing energy throughput. Other specific implementations of power converters which may embody these principles include half bridge and full bridge inverters.
FIG. 1 is a circuit schematic of a regulated quasi resonant double ended DC to DC converter operating in a fixed pulse, variable interval mode of operation and embodying the principles of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a circuit schematic power train of a quasi resonant half bridge DC to DC converter embodying the principles of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a circuit schematic of a power train of a quasi resonant full bridge DC to DC converter embodying the principles of the invention;
FIG. 4 discloses current and voltage waveforms useful in explaining the operation of the converter circuit disclosed in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an equivalent circuit useful in describing the operation of the circuit disclosed in FIG. 1.
A push pull or double ended DC to DC converter adopted to operate in a quasi resonant mode is shown in FIG. 1. A DC voltage source 10 connected to the input terminals 11 and 12 is alternately applied to the primary windings 21 and 22 of power transformer 20 through the alternate ON-OFF switching of power transistors 14 and 15, respectively. The secondary windings 23 and 24 are coupled through rectifying diodes 34 and 35 to terminal 4 of a resonating capacitor 40 respectively which is in turn connected across the output filter and load transformation network 41 which is shown as comprising inductor 42 and capacitor 43. A load 50 to be energized is connected to output terminals 31 and 32 so as to shunt filter capacitor 43.
A control circuit for voltage regulation is shown which operates the switching of the two power switching transistors 14 and 15 in a variable frequency mode of operation. A replica of the output voltage sensed at output terminal 31 is coupled to a comparaor 46 which is also connected to receive a reference voltage. The output error signal of the comparator 46 is applied to a duty cycle control 47 which may comprise a voltage controlled oscillator whose frequency is responsive to the magnitude of the error signal. The duty cycle control output is applied to a switch drive circuit 48 which may comprise a monostable multivibrator in which one output is fixed in duration while the other output varies in duration in order to accomplish regulation of the output voltage. The multivibrator output is applied through a toggle gate which alternates the drive to the a and b terminals and hence to the base inputs a and b of the two switching transistors 14 and 15. While bipolar transistors are shown it is to be understood that power MOSFETS may be used with drive applied to the gate terminals.
The power transformer 20 is preferably designed to have the leakage reactances 38 and 39, which appear most prominently on the secondary windings 23 and 24, and which are designed to be an integeral part of the resonant circuitry of converter. Discrete inductances, if needed, may be used in place of or to supplement this leakage inductance. Each of the rectifying diodes 34 and 35 include the parasitic capacitances 36 and 37 which also are an integeral part of the resonant converter operation. These two capacitive elements may also be supplemented or replaced by discrete capacitors if needed.
Each rectifying diode 34 and 35 is connected to terminal 4 of a resonating capacitor 40 whose capacitance is selected so that each series connection of a leakage inductance, parasitic capacitance and resonating capacitor resonates in response to a voltage pulse drive supplied by an associated one of the switching transistors 14 and 15. The other oppositely phased resonant circuit not being driven at that time operates in a filter mode to reduce harmonics applied to the resonating capacitor 40 and to the output. The output filter 41 is designed to have an input impedance substantially exceeding the impedance of the resonant circuit driving it and hence transmits only the DC voltage of the resonating capacitor to the output load 50. While filter 41 is shown as a single stage filter, multi stage filters with similar characteristics may also be used.
This circuit and its many advantages may be readily understood by describing a typical cycle of steady state operation. The converter circuit basically operates in a two phase mode of resonant operation in which a separate quasi resonant signal processing event is independently associated with each switching transistor 14 and 15. A current flow in either one of the switching transistors 14 and 15 causes a current to flow in its associated quasi resonant circuit. The current flow in the resonant circuit, resonates by charging the resonating capacitor 40 first in one direction and then by continued resonant action discharges the resonating capacitor 40 in the opposite direction. During the resonant interval output load current is supplied through the rectifying diodes 34 and 35. When the conducting switching transistor turns off the resonating capacitor finally discharges into the load. Circuit continuity during the simultaneous nonconduction of the switching transducers 14 and 15 is provided by the simultaneous forward conduction action of the rectifying diode 35 and 34 respectively. This sequence of operation is followed in each individual half phase of operation of the push pull circuit, with each oppositely phased quasi resonant circuit operating alternately and independently with respect to one another.
The principles of the circuit are readily ascertained by referring to the various voltage and current waveforms of FIG. 4 occurring during steady state operation of the converter. Prior to the initial time To shown in FIG. 4 both switching transistors 14 and 15 are biased nonconducting and a continuity maintenance current drawn by filter inductor 42 is flowing through both rectifying diodes 34 and 35. Each diode 34 and 35 carries a current magnitude equal to half the output load current.
For the purpose of exploring circuit operation, assume that at time t0 as shown in FIG. 4, the transistor 14 has just been biased into a conducting state and that transistor 15 has been nonconducting for a short interval starting prior to t0 and for the time being remains nonconducting. A current shown by current waveform 410 in FIG. 4, part A begins to flow in the circuit loop comprising the voltage source 10, transformer winding 21 and the switching transistor 14. At this moment there is no current flow in the circuit loop including transistor 15 and hence a voltage equal in magnitude to twice the voltage of voltage source 10 appears across the transistor 15 as shown by voltage level 441 of voltage waveform 440 in FIG. 4, Part D.
The current flowing through transistor 14 has a sinusoidal wave form and continues conducting in duration sufficiently to complete a full half cycle current waveform for which eventually terminates at t3. This is shown in current waveform in FIG. 4, part A which extends from t0 to t3. A current shown by waveform 470 in FIG. 4, part 6 is flowing through the rectifying diode 35 and at the time t0 has a value equal to 1/2 the output load circuit. It steadily increases in value as shown by waveform 470 in FIG. 4, Part G of a value equaling the load current at time t1 and eventually to a peak value at time T2. All the current exceeding the load current is directed into the resonating capacitor 40 as shown by waveform 460 in FIG. 4, Part F. Rectifying diode 34 also conducts a current equaling 1/2 the load circuit at time t0 as shown by waveform 480 in FIG. 4, Part H. This current is decaying and reaches zero value at time t1. Since the output filter inductor 42 acts as a constant current sink only a current equal to the steady state load current is transmitted into the load 50 and any excess current is directed into the resonating capacitor 40. This charging current is shown by waveform 460 in FIG. 4, Part F, and is shown extending between times t1 and t4. It completes a 3/4 period sine wave function at time t3 which is followed by a fixed charging current which abruptly terminaters at t4.
At time t1 the current in the switching transistor 14 and in the associated conducting rectifying diode 35 is at a value substantially equal to the full load current, as shown in waveform 470 in FIG. 4, Part G, ramp 490. The current in diode 34, as shown by waveform 480 in FIG. 4, Part H has decayed to zero by time t1 leaving diode 34 fully reverse biased and nonconducting. After time t1 a charging current continues to increase in both transistor 14 and diode 35 as shown by waveform 460 in FIG. 4, Part F begins to flow into the resonating capacitor 40 causing its voltage to rise along curve 451 as shown by waveform 450 in FIG. 4, Part E.
During the time interval from t1 to t3 the current in conducting transistor 14 rises to its peak value at time t2 as shown by point 411 and the capacitor 40 is also charged to its peak value at this same time t2 as shown by point 452 in waveform 450. This transistor current subsequently declines to zero at time t3, and immediately subsequent to this time t3, the charging current flowing through capacitor 40 goes negative and declines to a negative value equaling the load current magnitude at time t4 as shown by waveform 460 in FIG. 4, Part F.
At time t3 the transistor 14 is biased nonconducting and current flow in its related circuit loop shown by waveform 410 ceases. Similarly, current flow in the rectifying diode 35 shown by waveform 470 has also dropped to zero. The charging current in the resonating capacitor 40 stabilizes at the negative value of the load circuit as shown by level 461 in waveform 460 shown in FIG. 4, Part F. At the time t4 the rectifying diodes 34 and 35 are both individually conducting a current equaling half the load current thereby providing a flyback current path to provide the continuous load current to the filter inductor 42. The current flow in the resonating capacitor 40 drops abruptly to zero at the end of the half cycle as shown by waveform 460 and the voltage drop across each transistor 14 and 15 is equal to the input voltage as shown by voltage levels 432 and 442 in FIG. 4, Parts C and D respectively.
At the end of the half cycle neither switching transistor 14 or 15 is at the moment to conducting. The voltage drop across each transistor is equal to the input voltage as shown by voltage level 432 and 442 in FIG. 4, Parts C and D respectively. At to 1 the switching transistor 15 begins to conduct current in agreement with the waveform 420 in FIG. 4, Part B and the second half cycle is initiated which proceeds in a manner similar to that described for the first half cycle.
It is apparent from the foregoing description that the quasi resonant signal action is advantageously confined to the secondary part of the converter circuit and that since each half cycle is sufficient in duration to permit the desired resonant action, the variable pulse width conduction interval on the primary side may be operated over a considerable range without adversely affecting the resonant properties of the circuit. A particular feature of this arrangement is the parasitic capacitance of the rectifying diode that shunts the rectifying diode and the leakage inductance associated with the idle resonant circuit which in any half cycle functions as a harmonic filter and limits the application of harmonics to the resonating capacitor 40.
A half bridge embodiment of a power train embodying the principles of the invention is shown in a schematic form in FIG. 2 in which two alternately conducting transistor switches 214 and 215 are shown connected in series connection with this series connection being connected in shunt with the DC voltage source 210 and the input voltage terminals 211 and 212. The switched output voltage is taken from the junction node 216 of the two switching transistors 214 and 215 and is applied to the primary winding 221 of transformer 220. A resonant secondary circuit identical to the FIG. 1 is alternately energized by secondary windings 223 and 224. The operation of half bridge inverters is well known to those skilled in the art, and hence its operation need not be discussed in detail.
A full bridge embodiment of the inverter is shown in FIG. 3 which includes four switching transistors 314, 315, 317 and 318 in which two opposing switches are operated in phase with one another to apply alternately directed energy pulses to the primary winding 321 of transformer 320. The secondary portion of the circuit is substantially identical in circuitry and operation to that shown for FIG. 1.
An equivalent circuit showing the electrical funtional operation of the circuit schematic of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 5. The power transformer is not shown and hence a unity transformation ratio is assumed. The two oppositely phased resonant circuits are shown as having oppositely phased voltage pulse source circuits 514 and 515 coupled to them. The first resonant circuit coupled to voltage pulse source 514 includes a switch 535 which is operated as a diode switch, a capacitance 537 shunting the switch and an inductance 539. The second resonant circuit coupled to voltage pulse source 515 includes the diode switch 534, a capacitance 536 shunting the switch and an inductance 538.
The two pulse voltage sources are operated during oppositely phased intervals as that the two oppositely phased resonant circuits are pulsed or pumped alternately during oppositely phased intervals. Each resonant circuit shares a common resonant capacitor 540 which is connected at the input to the output filter 541 which includes inductor 542 and capacitor 543. As each resonant circuit is pulsed, the inductor of that circuit resonates within resonant capacitor 540 for substantially a half cycle of operation with subsequent resonance being cut off by the opening of the associated/switch diode. The inductor and capacitor of the nonresonating circuit in the opposite phase operates as a harmonic filter to reduce harmonics being applied to the resonating capacitor 540. Operation of the circuit at FIG. 5 may be further specified in terms of the following equations specifying the response and conditions of operation of the resonant circuits. ##EQU1## where CR is the capacitance of the resonating capacitor 540.
VMAX is the maximum voltage applied by the source (514) to the resonant network.
Lmatching is the inductance of output filter 41.
VCR is the voltage across the resonating capacitor CR 540.
ICR is the current through the resonating capacitor CR 540.
LR is the leakage reactance 539 or 538 forming part of each resonant
VLR is the voltage across the leakage rectance LR, 538 or 539.
ILR is the current through the leakage rectance LR, 538 or 539.
Patent Citations
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text:
Delivering Happiness The Otha ButtahSKU: #8095279
Product Information
- Meet The Otha Buttah! This sister to the Buttah sweatshirt lets Winkey take the spotlight. No sibling rivalry here . . . both Buttahs spread happiness!
- Supersoft French terry cotton provides a soft, comfy feel on your skin.
- Casual raglan styling.
- Classic body that's ideal for lounging.
- Thumbholes in the cuffs.
- 50% cotton, 50% modal.
- Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Measurements:
- Length: 26 in
- Product measurements were taken using size XS. Please note that measurements may vary by size.


text:
|By PR Newswire
Article Rating:
|April 18, 2014 06:30 PM EDT
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., April 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Device organizations are increasingly being challenged to deliver exceptional services to a diverse set of customers and stakeholders. On top of this, concerns about compliance and legal limitations are forcing companies to re-examine how their medical science liaisons (MSLs) and internal medical staff are working to build relationships with key customer groups and decision-makers.
Given the expanding role of MSLs, it's critical for organizations to continually improve their MSLs group's activities and services to ensure that they are creating value for diverse customer groups. According to research by benchmarking firm Best Practices, LLC, regulatory and political pressures have led many companies to increase the role of MSLs with more scientific focus, but potential commercial pressure. This shift has implications for how a company structures, assigns and supports MSL management and MSL support responsibilities.
The report, "Medical Science Liaison Services Excellence: Generating Value for Diverse Customer Groups within the Medical Device Industry," provides metrics and insights that will help leaders to determine how to create value for diverse customer groups. The report also outlines the many services and stakeholders that MSLs are involved with as a part of their growing responsibilities at device organizations.
Key study topics include:
- Key Opinion Leaders Management
- MSL Internal Services and Activities
- MSL Services and Payer Education and Support
- MSL Services and Hospital/Health Care Access
- Emerging Trends and Mitigating Risks
- MSL Services and Physician Education
- MSL Services and Patient Education and Advocacy Support
- MSL Group Structure and Oversight
- MSL Activities Throughout Lifecycle
This 77-page benchmarking study drew participation from eight executives and managers from eight different medical device companies. Three-quarters of the group currently work at the director level or above.
To access the full report, or to download a complimentary summary containing insights found in this report, click on the following link: http://www.best-in-class.com/rr1284.htm.
For more information on other recent primary research studies, contact us at 919.403.0251. For related research, visit our Best Practices, LLC website at http://www.best-in-class.com/.
Best Practices, LLC is a leading benchmarking, consulting and advisory services firm serving biopharmaceutical and medical device companies worldwide. Best Practices, LLC's clients include all the top 10 and 48 of the top 50 global healthcare companies. The firm conducts primary research and consulting using its comprehensive proprietary benchmarking tools and analysis. The operational insights, findings and analysis form the basis for our Benchmarking Reports, databases and advisory services to support executives in commercial and R&D operations. Best Practices, LLC believes in the profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of world-class companies.
SOURCE Best Practices, LLC
Containers are revolutionizing the way we deploy and maintain our infrastructures, but monitoring and troubleshooting in a containerized environment can still be painful and impractical. Understanding even basic resource usage is difficult – let alone tracking network connections or malicious activity. In his session at DevOps Summit, Gianluca Borello, Sr. Software Engineer at Sysdig, will cover the current state of the art for container monitoring and visibility, including pros / cons and liv...
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In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Simone Brunozzi, VP and Chief Technologist of Cloud Services at VMware, reviewed the changes that the cloud computing industry has gone through over the last five years and shared insights into what the next five will bring. He also chronicled the challenges enterprise companies are facing as they move to the public cloud. He delved into the "Hybrid Cloud" space and explained why every CIO should consider 'hybrid cloud' as part of their future strategy to achie...
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DevOps Summit, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, is co-located with 17th Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. The widespread success of cloud computing is driving the DevOps revolution in enterprise IT. Now as never before, development teams must communicate and collaborate in a dynamic, 24/7/365 environment. There is no time to wait for long development...
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"A lot of the enterprises that have been using our systems for many years are reaching out to the cloud - the public cloud, the private cloud and hybrid," stated Reuven Harrison, CTO and Co-Founder of Tufin, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 16th Cloud Expo, held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City.
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The last decade was about virtual machines, but the next one is about containers. Containers enable a service to run on any host at any time. Traditional tools are starting to show cracks because they were not designed for this level of application portability. Now is the time to look at new ways to deploy and manage applications at scale. In his session at @DevOpsSummit, Brian "Redbeard" Harrington, a principal architect at CoreOS, will examine how CoreOS helps teams run in production. Attende...
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The time is ripe for high speed resilient software defined storage solutions with unlimited scalability. ISS has been working with the leading open source projects and developed a commercial high performance solution that is able to grow forever without performance limitations. In his session at Cloud Expo, Alex Gorbachev, President of Intelligent Systems Services Inc., shared foundation principles of Ceph architecture, as well as the design to deliver this storage to traditional SAN storage co...
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Internet of Things (IoT) will be a hybrid ecosystem of diverse devices and sensors collaborating with operational and enterprise systems to create the next big application. In their session at @ThingsExpo, Bramh Gupta, founder and CEO of robomq.io, and Fred Yatzeck, principal architect leading product development at robomq.io, discussed how choosing the right middleware and integration strategy from the get-go will enable IoT solution developers to adapt and grow with the industry, while at th...
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In the midst of the widespread popularity and adoption of cloud computing, it seems like everything is being offered "as a Service" these days: Infrastructure? Check. Platform? You bet. Software? Absolutely. Toaster? It's only a matter of time. With service providers positioning vastly differing offerings under a generic "cloud" umbrella, it's all too easy to get confused about what's actually being offered. In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Kevin Hazard, Director of Digital Content for SoftL...
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Live Webinar with 451 Research Analyst Peter Christy. Join us on Wednesday July 22, 2015, at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET In a world where users are on the Internet and the applications are in the cloud, how do you maintain your historic SLA with your users? Peter Christy, Research Director, Networks at 451 Research, will discuss this new network paradigm, one in which there is no LAN and no WAN, and discuss what users and network administrators gain and give up when migrating to the agile world of clo...
Jul. 4, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,120
17th Cloud Expo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterprises ar...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Harbinger Systems will exhibit at SYS-CON's 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Harbinger Systems is a global company providing software technology services. Since 1990, Harbinger has developed a strong customer base worldwide. Its customers include software product companies ranging from hi-tech start-ups in Silicon Valley to leading product companies in the US a...
Jul. 4, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,909
Agile, which started in the development organization, has gradually expanded into other areas downstream - namely IT and Operations. Teams – then teams of teams – have streamlined processes, improved feedback loops and driven a much faster pace into IT departments which have had profound effects on the entire organization. In his session at DevOps Summit, Anders Wallgren, Chief Technology Officer of Electric Cloud, will discuss how DevOps and Continuous Delivery have emerged to help connect dev...
Jul. 4, 2015 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,341
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Has the terrorist war clouded Obama Administration's judgment?
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local pastor and educator who identified the need to create a formalized training that would be geared towards teaching church ministers/leaders how to minster to and build other ministers as well as the different individuals whom they may encounter in their everyday lives. ...Read more ›
Burger King Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: BKW) announced that Burger King Corp. (BKC), a longtime donor to the Urban League of Broward County, recently became a signature partner of the Urban League's Center of Excellence/National Achievers Program ...Read more ›
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BASU: Monsanto's influence grows, creates bad law
You know something is bad when it's the target of first-tier jokes on "The Daily Show." The "Monsanto Protection Act," as opponents have dubbed it, is bad indeed.
The otherwise-named Farmer Assurance Provision, which is now law, takes away the power of U.S. courts to block the planting and sale of genetically modified seeds if evidence indicates they are harmful.
It was slipped in anonymously at the last minute as part of the budget bill President Barack Obama signed to avoid a federal government shutdown.
"Who is responsible? Sen. Poppington J. Cornarms?" mocked comedian Jon Stewart last Wednesday, accompanied by a lampooning graphic of a mythical lawmaker.
How could such a provision, which undermines both the public health and the democratic process to serve the bottom-line interests of a major corporation, get through without broad public attention and lobbying? Why were no hearings held on it and no reviews conducted by either the agriculture or judiciary committees?
And how could members of Congress claim not to know when, as Stewart dryly noted, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., lashed out at the provision in a Senate speech and sponsored an amendment to nullify it? An organic farmer, Tester said he had tried to find out which lawmakers put it in there, but no one would own up to it.
Of course they wouldn't. Mother Jones magazine reports that Monsanto spent $5.9 million in lobbying last year. No politician wants to appear to have been bought.
Democrats should at least have been alert to the possibility of such a provision, since attempts were made last year in the House agriculture appropriations subcommittee to insert one into a House agriculture appropriations bill.
That followed a 2010 federal injunction against the planting of Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beets on the grounds that the USDA had approved them without conducting a substantial environmental review.
The rider, which failed last year, passed this year despite the collection of more than 250,000 petition signatures against it by the advocacy organization, Food Democracy Now.
Coincidentally, another nonprofit group, Food & Water Watch, released a report alleging what it calls Monsanto's undue influence over lawmakers, regulators, academic research and consumers. It claims the corporation has used aggressive media tactics and misleading or dishonest claims in its bid to "promote industrial agriculture and genetically engineered seeds all over the world."
The report also diagrams membership by Monsanto board members on federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Obama's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and on international policymaking groups.
Monsanto has also had influence over academic research, with board members at universities. Monsanto "has donated enough for naming rights at some schools," the report notes. "Iowa State University now has a Monsanto Student Services wing in the main agriculture building, thanks to a million-dollar pledge."
Even in the era of the Citizens United ruling, when undue powers have been accorded corporations, we have three branches of government to protect and balance public interests.
Congress and the executive branch should not be able to take power away from the judiciary at the behest of a corporation, or any other entity.
And lawmakers should not be doing a corporation's bidding at the expense of the public health and economic well-being.
That sinister provision needs to be overridden, one way or another.


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Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco - Mexico
Property ID: 5793
Print Page
Sea Garden & Marina Vallarta is on Puerto Vallarta's sparkling harbor, minutes from the marina and perfect for yacht-lovers. For golfers, the famous Campo de Golf is less than a half mile away. Enjoy the nearby beach and facilities of Mayan Palace Resort just across the street.Check-in Time: 17:00Check-out Time: 10:00Check-in Days: Sunday, Friday, SaturdayImportant Information1BR units occupancy 4 / privacy 4 are best suited for 2 Adults & 2 children