2 comments about The Boundary-Scan Handbook.

1. This is a great book for anyone who plans on using boundary scan. I have been working in boundary scan for years and found areas of this book very useful.



2. Since the mid-1970s, the structural testing of the loaded printed circuit boards (PCBs) has relied very heavily on the use of the so-called in-circuit "bed-of-nails" technique. This method of testing makes use of a fixture containing a bed-of-nails to access individual devices on the board through test lands laid into the copper interconnect, or other convenient contact points. Testing then proceeds in two phases: the power-off tests followed by power-on tests. Power-off tests check the integrity of the physical contact between nail and the on-board access point. They then carry out open and shorts tests based on impedance measurements. Power-on tests apply stimulus to a chosen device on a board, with an accompanying measurement of the response from that device. Other devices that are electrically connected to the device-under-test (DUT) are usually placed into a safe state (a process called "guarding"). In this way, the tester is able to check the presence, orientation, and bonding of the DUT in place of the board.

   Fundamentally, the in-circuit bed-of-nails technique relies on physical access to all devices on a board. Such was the technique in the mid-1980s when a group of concerned test engineers got together to examine the problem and its solutions. The method of solution was based on the concept of a serial shift register around the boundary of the device - hence the name "boundary scan".

   Principles of Boundary Scan
   Each primary input signal and primary output signal is supplemented with a multi-purpose memory element called a boundary-scan cell. Cells on device primary inputs are referred to as "input cells"; cells on the primary output are referred to as "output cells". The input and outputs is relative to the core logic of the device. The collection of the boundary cells is configured into a parallel-in, parallel-out shift register. A parallel load operation, called a "capture" operation, causes signal values on device input pins to be loaded into input cells and, signal values passing from the core logic to the device output pins to be loaded into output cells. A parallel unload operation called an "update" operation causes signal values already present in the output scan cells to be passes out through the device output pins. Signal values already present in the input scan cells will be passed into the core logic.

   Data can also be shifted around the shift register, in serial mode, starting from a dedicated device input called TDI and terminating at a dedicated device output pin called TDO. The test clock TCK, is fed in via another dedicated device input pin and the mode of operation is controlled by a dedicated TMS serial control signal. At the device level, the boundary scan elements contribute nothing to the functionality of the core logic. In fact, the boundary scan path is independent of the function of the device. On board the four; boundary scan devices are connected from one to the next in a serial format. The TDI input to the board is connected to the TDI input of the first device; the TDO output of the first device is connected to the TDI input of the next device; and so forth; creating a global scan path terminating at the TDO connecter output. TCK is connected in parallel to each device, TMS the control pin works similarly.

   In this way, particular tests can be applied to the device interconnects via the global scan path by loading the stimulus into the appropriate device output scan cells via the edge connecter TDI (shift-in operation), applying the stimulus (update operation), capturing the responses at the device input scan cells (capture operation), and shifting the response values out to the edge connector TDO (shift-out operation). Essentially the boundary scan cells can be thought of as the "virtual nail".

   There are four modes to be aware of normal, update, capture, and serial shift. During normal mode, data_in is passed straight through to Data_out. During update mode, the content of the output register is passed through the Data_out. During capture mode, the Data_in signal is routed to the shift register and the value is captured by the next ClockDr state. During shift mode, the scan_out of the register flip flop is passed through to the scan_in of the next via a hard wired path.

2 comments about Minimalist Lofts.

1. what a great ide to put together in a book the two most modern trends in residential design: minimalism + lofts. the result is impressive



2. I've never seen a book repeat so many of its images. Page after page of the same photos repeated over and over. I wasn't expecting that. The book is just okay. Nothing really new.

3 comments about Structural Steel Designer's Handbook.

1. That is one more handbook with a lot of pages full of words, photos and figures that teaches the buyer almost nothing. The only exception is Mr. Hedefine's article about plate bridges.
   Save your money.



2. This book is written by various experience P.E. or Professors. It is not emphasis on practical calculation. There are very few example and definitions for formulars and related equation. If reader has no experience before, it would be very difficult to understand. Half of the book is devoted to bridge design, and it dose not provide enough information to design a bridge..

   This is not really a how-to book.




3. Many eng. firm have this book, this is a good reference for many structural problem, The most difficult for a designer is the simplify the problem, and create model with the forces on it. Merrits book cover a very large utility of different subjets. And this is not a fist edition, no error a have see on this book. The autors for each part of this book is a engineering with many years of experiences on this subjet. For me this is a very good thing, for the knowlege....

   Dont hesitate ...

5 comments about Inside The Java Virtual Machine.

1. so many pages, and so little stuff. what a waste of time and money!



2. This book spends too much paper explaining the Java history and why it is a good programming language. It is very, very boring. The advanced stuff begins after chapter 3, but they are not well explained. Well, all I can say is I really regret having bought this book, and I do not recommend it to any expirienced and short-in-time Java programmer like me.



3. The book covers many abstract concepts, but it is hard to understand what something abstract means without a concrete example. Implementation of the heap, object layout, etc. is difficult to conceptualize without a real example. I would have been happy if this book discussed the VM as it does now with a running commentary on the Sun Win32 JVM implementation.



4. This book is mostly a rehashing of the Java Virtual Machine Specification (which is available online from Sun, or in printed form). I found its reference section to be slightly less intuitively-organized than the JVM spec, and the rest of the book didn't really add a lot of new insight, beyond a semi-guided tour of the Java Class File format. I would've like a much more detailed tour of the really interesting JVM elements: locking/synchronization implementation, JITs, threads, and advanced garbage collection implementations. There's a lot of active research into JVM design, but not a drop of it can be found in here, sadly.



5. This book is somewhat less terse and succint than other books I've read. I don't have tons of time to read so appreciate short books that get to the point. This book was a little thicker than it needed to be. I like it but "Programming for the Java Virtual Machine" by Engel and O'Reilly's "Java Virtual Machine" are somewhat better books and thinner. PFTJVM has some nice diagrams while JVM has some better explainations on things like exceptions. It might be best to check out these three and pick according to taste.

No comments about Behind Bars: Design for Cafes and Bars.

5 comments about Mastering AutoCAD 2004 and AutoCAD LT 2004.

1. As a student landscape and gardenarchitecture (last year), i found myself lacking the courage and will to learn autocad as they taught us at school.
   I actually got very bad grades untill i decided to make an effort and buy some kind of book that could teach me.
   
   After giving it some thought i decided to buy this book written by Omura and boy! i am i glad i did.
   My grades went up a whole bunch and suddenly i understood what the teacher was explaining. Students around me started to come to me to get answers on things they didn't understand about the program.
   So in short, what makes this a good book?
   It starts from zero, absolutely from the beginning, working itself up to the point where you enter a more advanced level.
   each step is fully explained, instead of telling what to do, George Omura tells you WHY you need to do what you do.
   
   The best about the book is that in the back of the book, there is a list with keywords, enabling you to fastacces things you are stuck with or don't understand as you use the program.
   
   So this book isn't only handy to learn autocad, it's also good for a fast look-up on something you need to know.
   
   I did at a certain point hunger for more knowledge on the more advanced 3D operations. George Omura does a good job explaining the fundaments, but i wish he would've gone more deeper into it sometimes. Sometimes the explanation felt lacking more information.
   
   But overall, i class this a 5 star book!



2. I used this book to teach myself AutoCad in two weeks and got a job as an engineer. (Yes, I still have the position!)
   The book is clear and concise in it's instructions. The index works exactly as an index should work allowing you to quickly find solutions to perplexing problems. It covers the ACAD program from beginning (Look! I drew a box!) to end (3-D modeling).
   There's more info than you can possibly remember so buy a copy and guard it jealously. Users of any level will walk away enlightened.



3. I've been an Autocad user for 9 years going back to version 12. I've used every version since. Let me state right off the bat, whether you're a beginner or a very experienced cad user, BUY THIS BOOK. This book will give you a solid foundation for every area of Autocad. The book is structured from beginner to expert and includes 4 appendixes.

   For the beginner (I read the beginner chaps just for fun and to see what's new in 2004) excellent walk-thru exercises with great pictures and easy to understand instructions should have you drawing in no time as well as building your confidence with each chapter.

   For the more experienced user who wants to delve in to the 3d features and customization capabilities of Autocad (ex. database integration, VBA, Lisp, Web dev, sys vars, etc.), excellent coverage including walk-thru's of these areas will provide you with the solid foundation to do whatever you want. I was particularly impressed with the coverage of the 3d environment as Omura devotes 4 chapters to this topic with each one being a must read.

   The inclusion of good screen shots throughout the book allows you to read and understand while away from the computer.

   Very satisfied with the purchase of this book!!




4. I love Omura's books about AutoCAD.I have all the versions from AutoCAD13 to AutoCAD2004, it is wonderful, easy to read to Understood to deal with, since I am an architeact& a lecturer in University, I this book very helpful in my work& teching.
   Thank you
   Arqem



5. Page 963 alone is worth the price of the book if you are an advanced user. I learned how to set up all my blocks into a custom tool palette. Tool palettes are a new feature in 2004.
   I started at chapter one, and learned about features I have overlooked although I've been using AutoCAD since version 10.
   I can't praise Mr Omura enough, he even gives his e:mail address and invites suggestions for improvements. There isn't a better book on the market for new users of AutoCAD, or experienced users either. The writing style and exercises are so easy to follow.

No comments about Homes Within Reach: A Guide to the Planning, Design, and Construction of Affordable Homes and Communities.

2 comments about Stadia, Fourth Edition: A Design and Development Guide.

1. If you're looking for a book with architectural drawings such as floor plans, sections or elevation i believe it's not the best book for you.
   
   This book mainly contains lots of information and diagrams about stadiums and it's standards which is very helpful for any architectural studies.. it's a very rich book for those who want to know more about stadium design but i recommend having beside it another book with more architectural drawings to give you the whole picture.



2. I was amazed by the information overflow and detailed accuracy in this work. You may think there's a lot of extra info and not enough pictures/diagrams, but believe me there's plenty of images that helps reader's comprehension levels. I think it is a very good source for anybody, who needs to get inspired and to design new stadia. It helps you from ground up. As for the price, it is well worth to spend on this book rather than try to compile bunch of other cheap ones. This book gives back much more value than it takes out from your pocket. Finally, it is a very successful work and keeps replenishing with newest inventions in stadia technology. That is why this is the 4th edition.

No comments about Energy Simulation in Building Design, Second Edition.

No comments about Poster Collection 08: Black & White.