Gum manufacturing machinery and method of manufacturing gum is illustrated in which a gum loafing machine generates loaves of finished gum that are then subsequently run through a gum conditioner to more uniformly set the temperature and viscosity of the gum material prior to further processing. Upon achieving the appropriate conditioning level, a further forming extruder may be used to generate a continuous gum ribbon for subsequent rolling and scoring operations. The gum conditioner may include vertically stacked conveyors that have different operational modes including a first mode that provides a serpentine path for a long residence time and a second mode that provides a cascading path that avoids or bypasses much of the length of some of the conveyors to provide a shorter residence time. The gum manufacturing machinery may be used in an adjustable manner so as to accommodate difference gum recipes for different batches of gum product.

A bookbinding apparatus for producing a booklet by coating an adhesive onto a back side of a bundle of sheets and by pasting a book cover onto the back side of the bundle of sheets, comprises: an oblique cutout portion forming section to form a cutout on an edge of each sheet of the bundle of sheets in such a way that an oblique cutout portion is formed along the width of the back side of the bundle of sheets; a sheet bundle accommodating section to accommodate the bundle of sheets on which the oblique cutout portion is formed; a coating section to coat an adhesive on the back side of the bundle of sheets accommodated in the sheet bundle accommodating section; and a bookbinding section to paste a book cover on the adhesive-coated back side of the bundle of sheets so as to produce the booklet.

Proposed is an image processing apparatus in which the data processing method is changed over in suitable fashion in accordance with job settings when binding is performed. To accomplish this, the image processing apparatus is such that when stored image data is processed, the output format is determined from a job ticket and processing for dividing image data is controlled in accordance with the output format determined. In accordance with the output format determined, the apparatus changes over the output timing of divided page image data.

A notch forming device, comprises a notch forming section to form a notch on an edge of a sheet constituting a sheet bundle to be outputted in accordance with an execution of a job; a shifting section to shift a position of a notch to be formed on a sheet by the notch forming section; and a control section to control the shifting section. When plural sheet bundles are outputted in accordance with the execution of the job, the control section controls the shifting section to make a position of a notch on a leading sheet of each sheet bundle at the same position.

A machine for binding a packet of sheets of binding elements has a transfer belt designed to magnetically fix the binding elements and to move between a disengagement position in which it receives the binding elements and an engagement position in which it is positioned in a closure zone, closure devices disposed upstream of the transfer belt and designed, in the closure zone, to close the elements, a magnetic binding table disposed upstream of the closure devices, and comprising a fixing zone for holding a series of ends of the elements, and a magnetic top guide disposed upstream of the closure devices and above the binding table, and comprising a fixing zone for holding the other series of ends of the elements, the packet of perforated sheets being inserted between the table and the top guide.

An image forming system including a control section provides control in such a way that, the ring binder of the size determined for the first set of copies is adopted so that ring binding is performed for a second set of copies or copies thereafter in a case of executing a job for ring binding of a plurality of copies. When at least one of a status change in the sheet feed section, a main power source being turned off, or a change in a job ticket is occurred from a suspension to a resumption of the job, since the thickness of a bundle of sheets may change, the thickness measuring section is caused to measure the thickness of the bundle in a first set of copies subsequent to resumption. And the control section judges continuation or suspension of a job.

A method and system for on-demand book production is provided in which covers and book content are synchronized at book binding equipment. In one exemplary system and method, a single printer prints a book cover followed by its corresponding book block. The cover and book block are each sequentially staged and synchronized together for binding in the binding equipment. In another method and system for on-demand book production, covers are printed and encoded at a first printer and a book block printing instruction is initiated in response to decoding of the cover in the binding equipment. Printing of the book block is in a separate but integrated printer and the book block is fed to the binding equipment for binding with the book cover. In each instance, synchronized book covers and book blocks are bound in and output from the binding equipment.

Apparatus is disclosed for controlling the depth of a layer of a layer of adhesive on a peripheral surface of a rotary member (e.g., a wheel) for the application of the adhesive to an object. The apparatus comprises a heated reservoir containing a supply of hot melt adhesive maintained within a desired temperature range, where the rotary member is partially immersed in the adhesive and is rotated by a motor such that the as the rotary member is rotated up out of the peripheral surface of the rotary member has the layer of adhesive thereon. A computer controls system controls the motor such that the speed of the rotary member may be increased or decreased so as to vary the depth of the adhesive on the peripheral surface of the rotary member.

Disclosed are various embodiments relating to verifying a printed work comprises a correct number of pages. Associated with a stack comprising one or more pages is an identifier that may be used to obtain an expected thickness of the pages in the stack. A sensor may then measure an actual thickness of the pages in the stack. Before binding the pages in the stack, the expected thickness of the stack may be compared to the actual thickness of the stack in order to verify the stack comprises the correct number of pages.

A binding apparatus performs a binding process by bonding the end side of the sheet bundle, and is provided with a notch cutter that forms a notch in the end side used in the sheet binding process in the middle of the sheet conveyance path of the binding apparatus. The notch-forming unit includes a pair of sheet conveyance guides for forming a part of the sheet conveyance path, a cutter provided in a rotatably supported bracket, and a biasing means for applying a force to the cutter to face the sheet conveyance path formed by a pair of the sheet conveyance guides at all times.

A book binding machine includes a collating machine, a perfect binder and a transfer device disposed between the collating machine and the perfect binder. The collating machine and the perfect binder are actuated by a common control device. In each case, one transport segment is assigned to a respective book block clamp by the control device. The control device also has a program which, if a defective or missing book block clamp is detected, actuates the collating machine in such a way that no book block is collated for that book block clamp. A method for operating a book binding machine is also provided.

A paper sheet binding die set comprises first and second dies, each having an opposed surface comprising a plurality of tooth portions. The first and second dies face each other such that the first die and the second die are capable of meshing with each other. Each tooth portion of the first die comprises a valley-bottom portion, and a peak-top portion. Each tooth portion of the second die comprises a valley-bottom portion, a peak-top portion, and an inclined-surface portion extending at an incline from the valley-bottom portion to the peak-top portion. The peak-top portion of each of the plurality of tooth portions of the first die has a length so as to cover the inclined-surface portion of the corresponding tooth portion of the second die upon meshing of the first and second dies. The first and second dies pressurize the plurality of stacked paper sheets to bind them together.

The present invention relates to a binding apparatus (10) for facilitating placement of a book block (44) in relation to a cover (16). The cover (16) has front and back panels (28 and 32) for subsequent attachment of the book block (44) to the cover (16). The apparatus (10) includes a first guiding means (46), a second guiding means (56), a first positioning element (54) and a second positioning element (62). The first guiding means (46) is adapted to guide a first edge (58) of the front panel (28). The second guiding means (58) is adapted to guide a second edge (37) of the front panel (28). The first positioning element (54) is movably attached to the first guiding means (46) and is adapted in use to abut at least part of a first peripheral surface (60) of the book block (44). The second positioning element (56) is movably attached to the second guiding means (56) and is adapted in use to abut at least part of a second peripheral surface (64) of the book block (44).

In binding a cover sheet together with a sheet bundle, ever-accurate spine-creasing irrespective of bundle thickness is made possible. A sheet stacker stacks sheets into bundles, an adhesive applicator applies adhesive to a spine part of the sheet bundles, and a cover-sheet binder binds cover sheets together with the spine parts. The cover-sheet binder is constituted from a left-and-right pair of spine-creasing press members arranged free to shift between standby and spine-creasing positions; a shifter that reciprocates the spine-creasing press members between the standby and spine-creasing positions; and a controller. The controller functions to vary, in accordance with sheet bundle thickness, any of: (1) the standby position of the press members; (2) the start time of an operation whereby the press members are shifted from the standby to the spine-creasing position; or (3) the traveling speed of the press members in shifting from the standby to the spine-creasing position.

An image forming system includes: a ring bookbinding section which perform a ring bookbinding to a bundle of sheets by using a binder provided with a spine portion and a plurality of finger portions; and a judging section, wherein a last page is firstly fed immediately after job initiation and, subsequently after having fed the last page, image formation based on the image data is initiated, when the judging section judges that an image is not formed on the last page, and wherein all of the image data is firstly acquired completely after job initiation, subsequently the last page is fed and formed image thereon, and then image formation of remaining pages is carried out, when the judging section judges that image is formed on the last page.

A device for controlling the application of glue on the spine of a book. The device consists of a computerized controller that tracks the precise location of the book in the binding system, and a servo motor that controls a doctor blade, the servo motor is connected to the controller and is instructed when to open or close the doctor blade at the precise time to precisely place the glue on the book spine. The doctor blade can also be adjusted to control the thickness of the glue on the book spine.

A measurement unit (6) is provided with a fixed body (19) which is fixed on a base (17) and has a reference surface (19a). A movable body (21) slides in the base along a guide rail, and a measurement body (22) having a measuring surface (22b) slides in the movable body along the guide rail. The measurement body is always pressed against a first side wall (21a) of the movable body by a coil spring (24). A first sensor (27) to detect the time when a book body is located on the front side of the reference surface, and a second sensor (28) to detect the time when the measurement body is separated from the first side wall of the movable body by a predetermined distance, are provided.

A machine for attachment of a cover to a book block comprises a press plate elevating mechanism for elevating a press plate 8, a nip plate drive mechanism for sliding nip plates 9 and 10, and a controller 30 controlling the press plate elevating mechanism and the nip plate drive mechanism. The press plate 8 elevates from the lower standby position to an upper press position. The press plate 8 presses the cover 12 to the book block 4 at the upper press position. The cover 12 is attached to the book block 4 by pressing the cover 12 to the lower end surface of the book block 4. The press plate 8 is elevated from the intermediate position to the upper press position, staying at the intermediate position during a waiting time for adjustment. The press plate 8 elevates from the intermediate position to the upper press position.

A bookbinding apparatus inserts ring parts of a comb-shaped ring into binding holes of a sheet bundle and files and binds the sheet bundle, sequentially and includes a binding hole forming section configured to form binding holes in the sheet, a compiling section configured to arrange the sheet in which the binding holes are formed to make the sheet bundle, a comb-shaped ring feeding section configured to feed the comb-shaped ring piece by piece, a binding section configured to receive the fed comb-shaped ring, insert the ring parts of the comb-shaped ring into the binding holes of the sheet bundle, and bind the sheet bundle, and a bound-book discharging section configured to transfer the sheet bundle bound by the binding section to a storage stacker.

A sheet binding apparatus which forms concavity and the convexity on a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets in a thickness direction so as to bind the sheet bundle, the sheet binding apparatus includes: a pair of concave-convex members, each of which has concave-convex portion in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle and which forms the concavity and the convexity on the sheet bundle in the thickness direction while niping the sheet bundle therebetween; wherein in the pair of concave-convex members, one of the concave-convex members has a greater difference in height of the concave-convex portion than that of the other concave-convex member which engages with the above-described concave-convex member.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of squeezing members having a projection and a recess to engage each other, to squeeze a sheet bundle inserted therebetween in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle, and a pressure applying unit to apply pressing force to the squeezing members to squeeze and bind the sheet bundle. The pressing force generated between the squeezing members by the pressure applying unit increases in strength as a relative distance between the squeezing members decreases.

A multi-function binding machine is proposed. The multi-function binding machine (700) comprises a binding station (135) for binding blocks of signatures (105), and a feeding station (115) for receiving signatures in succession, opening the signatures, and feeding the signatures to the binding station; in the solution according to an embodiment of the invention, the multi-function binding machine further comprises a further feeding station (715) for receiving pre-signatures in successions, folding groups of at least one pre-signature into further signatures (729), and feeding the further signatures to the binding station.

The object of the invention is to provide a method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a peeled layer bonded to a base material with curvature. Particularly, the object is to provide a method for fabricating a display with curvature, more specifically, a light emitting device having an OLED bonded to a base material with curvature. An external force is applied to a support originally having curvature and elasticity, and the support is bonded to a peeled layer formed over a substrate. Then, when the substrate is peeled, the support returns into the original shape by the restoring force, and the peeled layer as well is curved along the shape of the support. Finally, a transfer object originally having curvature is bonded to the peeled layer, and then a device with a desired curvature is completed.

The present invention provides an optical compensated bending (OCB) mode liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a method for manufacturing the same. The method comprises the following steps: forming alignment layers on substrate, respectively; forming a liquid crystal layer between the alignment layers to form a liquid crystal cell; applying an electrical signal across the liquid crystal cell; and irradiating light rays to or heating the liquid crystal cell, so as to form a first polymer alignment layer and a second polymer alignment layer, respectively. The present invention can reduce a phase transition time of liquid crystal molecules from a splay state to a bent state.

A method of expanding and maintaining human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in an undifferentiated state by culturing the ESCs in a suspension culture under culturing conditions devoid of substrate adherence is provided. Also provided are a method of deriving ESC lines in the suspension culture and methods of generating lineage-specific cells from ESCs which were expanded in the suspension culture of the present invention.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) having thyroid stimulating activity (TSAb), especially full or considerably agonistic activity, or thyroid blocking activity (TBAb), which are obtainable by genetic immunization of mice, or fragments (F(ab')2, Fab or Fv) or humanized forms of such monoclonal antibodies or single chain forms (SCA; scFv) of such fragments, which antibodies, or their fragments, compete with bovine TSH for epitopes of the human TSHr, compete with autoantibodies from sera from Graves' patients as well as with autoantibodies from sera from patients harboring blocking autoantibodies for epitopes of the human TSHr, bind to conformational epitopes of the human TSHr located in the first 281 amino acids of the human TSHr, and usually also bind to TSFR receptors (TSHr) from different animals. Various uses of such antibodies, or of peptides corresponding to variable regions of such antibodies, are also described and claimed.

Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides and recombinant DNA constructs particularly useful for altering agronomic characteristics of plants under nitrogen limiting conditions, compositions (such as plants or seeds) comprising these recombinant DNA constructs, and methods utilizing these recombinant DNA constructs. The recombinant DNA construct comprises a polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter functional in a plant, wherein said polynucleotide encodes an LNT1 polypeptide.

The present invention relates to a composition useful for the diagnosis of diseases associated with aberrant expression of the genes encoding the secreted proteins Futrin 1, 2, 3 and/or 4(=R-Spondin 2, 3, 1 and 4, respectively), e.g. in connection with tumors or diseases of the muscle, kidneys or bones. The present invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound which is capable of modifying (a) the expression of the gene encoding Futrin 1, 2, 3 and/or 4 or (b) the activity of the Futrin 1, 2, 3 and/or 4 protein.

More specifically, the crash indication system for a child safety seat includes a seat bottom. A base is provided for supporting the seat bottom, which is slidably connected to the bases so that the seat body is movable relative to the base, between a resting position and a ride down position, a position due to a change in environmental forces. The seat body is adjustably affixed to a carriage to set a recline position. An indicator member is attached to the carriage and moves therewith to visually track and monitor the movement of the seat. When ride down of the seat occurs due to a change in forces to the seat, the indicator member moves with the sliding carriage to reflect a ride down position of the seat bottom. A ratchet connection is provided to prevent the carriage from going back to its resting position.

A method and apparatus for securely fastening a pipe collar or a bracket to a riser pipe of a boiling water reactor (BWR) jet pump assembly. A pipe plug assembly includes an angled pipe plug that acts as a wedge to expand a bushing assembly as the pipe plug is drawn into the overall pipe plug assembly. Expansion of the bushing assembly allows a tight tolerance to exist between an outer diameter of the pipe plug and an inner diameter of the collar/bracket and riser pipe. Expansion of the bushing assembly allows a straight hole to be match drilled into the collar/bracket and riser pipe, thereby avoiding a more complicated tapered hole to be drilled into the collar/bracket and riser pipe. An ensuing tight fit between the pipe plug assembly, the collar/bracket and the riser pipe mitigates vibration of components and minimizes leakage to acceptable levels for use in the flooded environment of the annulus region where the jet pump assembly exists in the BWR.

A sintered fuel pellet for a water nuclear reactor fuel rod including a peripheral wall extending along a central axis and two end faces. At least one of the end faces includes at least a first chamfer extending from the peripheral wall towards the central axis with a first non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis and a second chamfer extending from the first chamfer towards the central axis with a second non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the first slope is different from the second slope.

Each play of a base game increases the likelihood of winning a bonus award. A display provides a graphical indication of the change in likelihood of winning the bonus award. In one aspect, the bonus award comprises the opportunity to play a secondary game.

System, including a code scanner, for using multi-function codes, such as multi-function QR codes, MobiTags, ShotCodes, 2-dimensional bar codes, 3-dimensional bar codes, or images to open multiple ports of a telephone device. One of the ports is a text port, enabling the system to obtain the telephone number of a device that reads a code associated with an item and then generate a lead for follow-up by an agent. The lead is sent to the agent via a text or email message. The system may also pass the lead to other agents if the first agent doesn't respond, and it may also send additional information to the telephone device. The system may include a database of item-associated information and the capability of accessing the item-associated information for inclusion in outgoing messages to the agents and/or the telephone device.

A portable radio-frequency identifier (RFID) reading terminal can comprise a microprocessor, a memory, an RFID reading device, and a display. The portable RFID reading terminal can be configured to display a scan trace provided by a line comprising a plurality of time varying points. Each point can be defined by a projection of a radio frequency (RF) signal coverage shape of the RFID reading device onto a chosen plane at a given moment in time.

An illuminating, indicia-reading device includes a hand-held indicia reader and a charging-and-communication base. The charging-and-communication base's communication button places the hand-held indicia reader in presentation mode when the hand-held indicia reader is seated in the charging-and-communication base, thereby facilitating hands-free scanning and providing work lamp functionality via activation of the hand-held indicia reader's light source. When the hand-held indicia reader is not seated, the communication button pages the hand-held-indicia reader.

The present application discloses apparatus and methods for increasing channel utilization for a high-speed serial interface of an integrated circuit (IC). A new circuit architecture is disclosed which provides circuitry that may be programmed flexibly to support a multitude of different channel bonding schemes. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the new architecture decouples the granularity of control-signal channel bonding from the granularity of data-aggregation channel bonding. This advantageously allows optimization of configurations for both types of channel bonding. In another aspect of the invention, the logical boundaries of bonded user channels are decoupled from the physical boundaries of the PCS modules. This decoupling advantageously eliminates a rigid constraint of previous architectures.

An apparatus (40,60) for aligning a rail conditioning system, such as a sanding system or a compressed air snow removal system of a locomotive. A source of light (50,70) is removeably and unmovingly attached to a conduit (44,62) of the rail conditioning system to direct a beam of light (53) toward a rail (46) to verify a location of impingement (56) of a spray of rail conditioning material (45,66). The source of light may be a battery operated laser pointer, and it may be attached to a fixture (48,72) that is removeably secured to the conduit. The fixture may be attached over an outlet nozzle (42,62) of the conduit, or it may be threaded onto the conduit in place of the nozzle when the nozzle is removed for cleaning and inspection.

Conditioning device (24) and method for drying and/or controlling the temperature of a ballast bed (12) of a railway track system (10), wherein the railway track system (10) has sleepers (14) resting on the ballast bed (12) and rails (16) resting on the sleepers, wherein the conditioning device has a bogie (30) for moving the conditioning device (24). An outlet nozzle (36) for blowing temperature-controlled air into the ballast bed (12) via at least one blowing-in region (26) positioned between two adjacent sleepers (14) is connected to the bogie (30), as is at least one cover plate (42) for essentially air-tight coverage of an upper side, pointing essentially in the direction counter to the direction of gravity, of a side strip (20), provided next to the sleepers (14) in the direction of travel, of the ballast bed (12). In a method for drying and controlling the temperature of a ballast bed (12) of a railway track system (10), an upper side of the ballast bed (12) and/or at least one sleeper (14) and at least one rail (16) are sealed in an essentially air-tight fashion outside a blowing-in region (26) before temperature-controlled air is blown into the ballast bed (12) via the blowing-in region (26).

A highly reliable vacuum heat insulating material having excellent processability, usability and heat insulating performance and a heat insulating box using the vacuum heat insulating material are provided. A vacuum heat insulating material related to the present invention includes: a core material structured by a laminated structure of an organic fiber assembly formed by forming an organic fiber into a sheet shape and cutting an end face with a predetermined length, and having a core material opening portion formed by a through hole or a notch with cutting; a gas-barrier outer cover material containing the core material inside, having a sealing portion for sealing surrounding of the sheet-shaped organic fiber assembly and surrounding of the core material opening portion, and hermetically sealing an inside with almost vacuum status by sealing the sealing portion; and an outer cover material opening portion provided at the outer cover material under a status in which the sealing portion provided at the surrounding of the sheet-shaped organic fiber assembly and the surrounding of the core material opening portion is sealed, being a through hole or a notch which is smaller than the core material opening portion with a sealed amount, and a long fiber being equal to or longer than a length of the sheet is used for the organic fiber.

A rosin composition includes a gum rosin, an emulsifier, a randomizing additive and a bonding agent. This rosin composition may be used as a temporary or permanent adhesive for the soldering of components. The rosin composition may be temporary as it is easily removed from a surface without damaging the surface.

Disclosed herein is an adapter for use with ordinary lawn and leaf bags and a method for manufacture of such adapter. The adapter has a cavity that has four sides and four corners, and a lower portion consisting of four flaps. The use of a frame, side and/or corner fasteners create an adapter where the flaps lie inside the bag and the cavity remains outside the bag to create a large surface area for filling the bag and also prevents the mouth of the bag from closing due to wind or other forces.

The present invention regards a package (1) for food products comprising a flexible container (2) having a first wall (5) and a second wall (6) opposite each other and peripherally sealed along at least the respective side edges (5a, 6a, 5b, 6b), a space (8) inside said walls containing, optionally in sterile conditions, a food product (73), and a gusset element (10) extended between the upper edges (5c, 6c) of said first wall (5) and of said second wall (6), said gusset element (10) defining a pocket (14) turned towards the interior of said flexible container (2), characterized in that it comprises an opening and closing device (3) housed in said pocket (14) and constrained to said flexible container (2), said opening and closing device (3) comprising a pourer body (15) associated with an opening and closing cap (16), and cutting means (42) suitable to perforate said flexible container (2) at the time of the first opening of said packaging (1). The invention also regards a method for packaging a food product, in particular in sterile conditions, in a package of the aforesaid type, a flexible container for a package of the aforesaid type as well as a method for producing such container.

A machining apparatus for grinding, milling, polishing or the like of a dental workpiece. The machining apparatus contains a machining tool, a housing to which the machining tool is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation relative to the housing, and a holding device to which the housing is fixed. The housing is mounted yieldingly movably to the holding device in dependence on forces exerted on the machining tool.

A translocation-simulating loading apparatus for the gear grinding machine with the shaped grinding wheel is provided. The apparatus includes a load-receiving test piece disposed on the gear grinding machine with the shaped grinding wheel and a load-exerting component for use in loading simulation. The gear grinding machine enables linear movements along the X, Y, and Z axes, a rotary movement around the Y axis, a rotary movement C around the Z axis, and a rotary movement A around the X axis. An angle α is formed between the axis L of a ball seat of the load-exerting component and the X axis direction of a Y axis component and an angle formed between the normal line of a load receiving face a and the X direction of the coordinate system of the machine tool is α. A detection method for static stiffness distribution is provided.

The invention provides a method and system of monitoring bending strain on a wind turbine blade. The method in one aspect comprises: locating at least three strain sensors on the turbine blade, in use each strain sensor providing a strain measurement, the strain sensors located such that edgewise and flapwise bending can be determined from the strain measurements; calculating a plurality of resultant bending strains using the strain measurements; calculating an average resultant bending strain from the plurality of resultant bending strains; and calculating a confidence value for a first sensor based on a comparison of resultant bending strains derived from the strain measurement from the first sensor with the average resultant bending strain.

Provided is a propeller fan including a hub having an oval shape in an axial direction, a plurality of wings that extend from the hub, and at least one reinforcement rib that extends from the hub and is formed closer to a leading edge of each of the plurality of wings. Through this configuration, the propeller fan has blowing efficiency and stiffness, and the weight and material cost of the propeller fan can be reduced.

A line length remainder and justification indicator device for use with a line composing machine in which the device employs a continuously rotating drum having preselected values of line remainder and justification information indicated thereon. A controlled intermittent flash illuminates only the desired information.

A method and system provides for execution of calibration cycles from time to time during normal operation of the communication channel. A calibration cycle includes de-coupling the normal data source from the transmitter and supplying a calibration pattern in its place. The calibration pattern is received from the communication link using the receiver on the second component. A calibrated value of a parameter of the communication channel is determined in response to the received calibration pattern. The steps involved in calibration cycles can be reordered to account for utilization patterns of the communication channel. For bidirectional links, calibration cycles are executed which include the step of storing received calibration patterns on the second component, and retransmitting such calibration patterns back to the first component for use in adjusting parameters of the channel at first component.

A data transmission apparatus disposed within two network layers operative at different data rates is provided. The data transmission apparatus is coupled to a clock generator which provides a reference clock for a lower network layer and is coupled to a frequency synthesizer with an integer division factor that generates a divided clock for an upper network layer according to the reference clock and the integer division factor. The data transmission apparatus includes a first processing circuit and a second processing circuit. The first processing circuit corresponding to the upper network layer receives and transmits data by using the divided clock as its operation frequency. The second processing circuit corresponding to the lower network layer receives and transmits data from the first processing circuit by using the reference clock as an operation frequency for encoding data. The divided clock is generated from the frequency synthesizer with the integer division factor.