John T Trnka, Age 773708 1St Pl NW, Rochester, MN 55901

5517040, May 14, 1996

Oct 21, 1991

7/782773

Robert L. Hedman - Rochester MN
Gordon G. Koehler - Rochester MN
Karl L. Ladin - Rochester MN
John T. Trnka - Rochester MN

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

H01L 27118

257205

A computer converts a description of an analog circuit to a physical representation in terms of devices on a personalizable chip. The devices are placed and wired automatically for fabrication of the chip. Descriptions of resistors in the circuit are expanded by wiring multiple contacts of one or more actual resistor devices on the chip. The chip uses multiple rows of devices arranged in columns; each row contains multiple transistor and resistor devices.

4484178, Nov 20, 1984

Jun 22, 1982

6/391059

Jeffrey L. Lovgren - Rochester MN
George C. Thomas - Longmont CO
John T. Trnka - Rochester MN

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

H03K 1302

340347DA

The digital-to-analog converter described herein generates an analog signal level from a digital value and a modulation coefficient. The converter modulates the digital word applied to the conversion stages and smoothes the resultant duty cycle modulated analog levels to produce additional analog levels between the normal levels provided by the conversion stages of the DAC. In one embodiment the duty cycle modulation of the digital value is accomplished by a rate multiplier controlling the incrementing of the digital word applied to the conversion stages. In another embodiment of the invention, the duty cycle modulation of the digital word is performed by a microcomputer. A low pass filter or a DC motor is used to smooth or filter the duty cycle modulated levels from the conversion stages.

5069522, Dec 3, 1991

Mar 19, 1991

7/672193

Timothy R. Block - Rochester MN
Marcia B. Ebler - Rochester MN
Ladd W. Freitag - Rochester MN
Gerald M. Heiling - Rochester MN
Spencer C. Holter - Rochester MN
Dennis L. Karst - Rochester MN
David W. Siljenberg - Rochester MN
Ronald L. Soderstrom - Rochester MN
John T. Trnka - Rochester MN

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G02B 636

385 39

An optical fiber link card communication module, and process for fabricating the module, where the module provides a parallel electrical interface to the user, facilitates high speed serial transmission of data over an optical data link, and contains a plurality of converters for performing conversions between both electrical and optical signals. A preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates fabricating the optical communication module on a single multilayer card with all the transmitter electrical components being located on one side of the card, all receiver electrical components being located on the other side of the card, and the transmitter and receiver components being separated by shielding layers in the card. By using two transmitter/receiver pairs (with the transmitters and receivers being located on respective sides of the card) an embodiment of the invention provides for double full duplex communications.

5039194, Aug 13, 1991

Jan 9, 1990

7/462681

Timothy R. Block - Rochester MN
Marcia B. Ebler - Rochester MN
Ladd W. Freitag - Rochester MN
Gerald M. Heiling - Pine Island MN
Spencer C. Holter - Rochester MN
Dennis L. Karst - Rochester MN
David W. Siljenberg - Byron MN
Ronald L. Soderstrom - Rochester MN
John T. Trnka - Rochester MN

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G02B 626
G02B 636

383 88

An optical fiber link card communication module, and process for fabricating the module, where the module provides a parallel electrical interface to the user, facilitates high speed serial transmission of data over an optical data link, and contains a plurality of converters for performing conversions between both electrical and optical signals. The module further includes edge mounted optical components having leads mounted on the surface of a card (as opposed to standard pin-in-hole type leads) to minimize lead capacitance and inductance from the optical components to the card electronics, on board card control means for the converters and safety shut down means on the same card as the electrical and optical components.

5124571, Jun 23, 1992

Mar 29, 1991

7/677067

Ronald D. Gillingham - Rochester MN
James F. Mikos - Rochester MN
James D. Strom - Rochester MN
John T. Trnka - Rochester MN

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

H03K 513
H03K 1900

307269

A digital system generates a single-phase master clock and distributes it to multiple cards and chips incorporating the functional logic of the system. A circuit in each chip divides the single clock into four spaced clock phases at the same frequency as the master clock. The individual phases are then distributed to functional logic circuits within the same chip. The circuit generates the phases by detecting the midpoints of a triangular wave produced from the single-phase master clock.

5136410, Aug 4, 1992

Jan 9, 1990

7/462367

Gerald M. Heiling - Pine Island MN
David A. Knodel - Rochester MN
Michael J. Peterson - Rochester MN
Brian A. Schuelke - Rochester MN
David W. Siljenberg - Byron MN
Ronald L. Soderstrom - Rochester MN
John T. Trnka - Rochester MN

IBM Corporation - Armonk NY

H04B 1012

359110

A fully redundant safety interlock system is provided comprising, means for detecting the loss of light on a fiber optic link; controller means, coupled to said means for detecting, for determining the safety condition of the link based on the output of said means for detecting, and for controlling the radiant energy output of an optical transmitter, based on the determined safety condition, via redundant output control signals; and means, coupled to said controller means, responsive to said redundant control signals, for interconnecting the output of said controller means to transmitter drive circuitry to thereby adjust the radiant energy output by the transmitter. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the controller means includes an electronic implementation of two independent state machines, each of which redundantly determines the connection state of the optical link between two optical link cards. The output from the state machines is used to adjust (for example, turn on and turn off) the drive circuitry for the transmitter via fully redundant paths which carry the redundant control signals.