Dell USA L P

Analog Devices,inc.

Michael Lynch

Richard D Amberg

Roger W Wong

Javier Alejandro Salcedo

Brian Anthony Moane

Bi-directional blocking voltage protection devices and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a protection device includes an n-well and first and second p-wells disposed on opposite sides of the n-well. The first p-well includes a first P+ region and a first N+ region and the second p-well includes a second P+ region and second N+ region. The device further includes a third P+ region disposed along a boundary of the n-well and the first p-well and a fourth P+ region disposed along a boundary of the n-well and the second p-well. A first gate is disposed between the first N+ region and the third P+ region and a second gate is disposed between the second N+ region and the fourth P+ region. The device provides bi-directional blocking voltage protection during high energy stress events, including in applications operating at very low to medium swing voltages.

Bi-directional blocking voltage protection devices and methods of forming the same

An apparatus for use in the manufacture of a computer system comprises a step table and a component table. The step table contains substantially all software installation and/or testing steps for all components of all computer systems being manufactured at a given site. The component table contains substantially all components that are included within all computer systems being manufactured at the site. The apparatus also includes a step dependency table and a step parameter table. The step dependency table identifies steps in the step table which are incompatible with the presence in the computer system of a component other than that corresponding to the step. The step parameter table identifies steps in the step table which require a parameter.

Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a computer system

A method of installing software on and/or testing software for build-to-order computer system includes reading a plurality of component descriptors from a computer readable file. Each component descriptor describes a respective component of the computer system. A plurality of steps are retrieved from a database, each step being associated with a respective sequence number. The plurality of steps are sequenced in a predetermined order according to the sequence numbers to provide a step sequence. The step sequence includes commands for installing and/or testing software upon the computer system. For each step read from the database, it is determined if that step is incompatible with the presence in the computer system of a component other than that corresponding to the component descriptor associated with the step. If so, the step is discarded or not according to data associated with that step in the database. Also, for each step read from the database it is determined if that step requires a parameter, and if so the parameter is calculated according to data associated with that step in the database.

Method of installing software on and/or testing a computer system

A method of installing software on and/or testing a computer system includes providing a step sequence having a plurality of software installation and/or testing steps to be executed in an order determined by the step sequence, and reading and executing consecutive steps from the step sequence. The method further includes updating, in respect of each step which is executed, a file with data relating to the current status of the installation and/or testing, and, prior to the execution of each step, determining from the file if that step is properly the next consecutive step in the step sequence.

A method of installing software on and/or testing a computer system includes reading a plurality of component descriptors from a computer readable file, each component descriptor describing a respective component of the computer system, reading a plurality of steps from a database, each step being associated with a component descriptor and including a respective sequence number, and sequencing the plurality of steps in a predetermined order according to the sequence numbers to provide a step sequence including commands for installing software on and/or testing the computer system. The method further includes determining for each step read from the database, from data associated with that step in the database, if that step is incompatible with the presence in the computer system of a component other than that corresponding to the component descriptor associated with the step, and if so, discarding or not discarding the step according to further data associated with that step in the database. It can also be determined if that step requires a parameter, and if so, calculating such parameter according to further data associated with that step in the database.

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Limerick, Ireland

Michael Lynch