1. A method of operating a Dynamic Frequency Scaling (DFS) cache memory including a line buffer DFS cache memory and a DFS main cache memory associated therewith, the method comprising:
modifying access to the DFS cache memory based on whether the DFS cache memory is operating according to a low frequency DFS clock or a high frequency DFS clock, wherein modifying comprises:
accessing the DFS main cache memory without accessing the DFS line buffer cache memory when the DFS cache memory is operating according to the high frequency DFS clock; and
accessing the DFS line buffer cache memory responsive to a miss on accessing the DFS main cache memory when the DFS cache memory is operating according to the low frequency DFS clock.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein accessing the line buffer DFS cache memory further comprises:
accessing the DFS line buffer cache memory at a first time in a single low frequency DFS clock cycle of the low frequency DFS clock to determine whether data associated with an address is stored therein; and
accessing the DFS main cache memory at a second time in the single low frequency DFS clock cycle responsive to determining that the data is not stored in the DFS line buffer cache memory.
3. A method according to claim 2 wherein accessing the DFS line buffer cache memory comprises beginning accessing the DFS line buffer cache memory during the first time in the single low frequency DFS clock cycle.
4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the second time comprises a time interval in the single low frequency DFS clock cycle between completion of a single high frequency DFS clock cycle and completion of the single low frequency DFS clock cycle.
5. A method according to claim 2 wherein the single low frequency DFS clock cycle comprises a time interval between two time adjacent low frequency DFS clock edges having no intervening low frequency DFS clock edges.
6. A Dynamic Frequency Scaling (DFS) cache memory system comprising:
a line buffer cache memory configured to store line buffer cached tag and data information;
a line buffer cache memory enable circuit configured to enable access to the line buffer cache memory during an idle time in a single low frequency DFS clock cycle based on the DFS signal in an on state and configured to disable access to the line buffer cache memory based on the DFS signal in an off state;
a main cache memory configured to store main cached tag and data information; and
a main cache memory enable circuit configured to disable access to the main cache memory based on a DFS signal in the on state and configured to enable access to the main cache memory during the idle time based on the DFS signal in the on state and a miss on an access to the line buffer cache memory.
7. A DFS cache memory system according to claim 6 wherein the main cache memory enable circuit is further configured to disable access to the main cache memory during the single low frequency DFS clock cycle prior to the idle time.
8. A Dynamic Frequency Scaling (DFS) cache memory system comprising:
a filter cache memory configured to store filter cached tag and data information;
a main cache memory configured to store main cached tag and data information; and
a main cache memory enable circuit configured to enable access to the main cache memory during an idle time in a single low frequency DFS clock cycle based on the DFS signal in the on state and a miss on the access to the filter cache memory and configured to disable access to the main cache memory during the idle time based on the DFS signal in the on state and a hit on the access to the filter cache memory.
9. A DFS cache memory system according to claim 8 wherein the main DFS cache memory is configured to begin access during the idle time in the single low frequency DFS clock cycle.
10. A DFS cache memory system according to claim 8 wherein the idle time comprises a time interval in the single low frequency DFS clock cycle between completion of a single high frequency DFS clock cycle and completion of the single low frequency DFS clock cycle.
11. A DFS cache memory system according to claim 8 wherein the cache memory enable circuit further comprises:
a storage element circuit configured to store a result of the access to the filter cache memory on a transition of a DFS clock signal at a beginning of the idle time to provide a clocked filter cache hitmiss result; and
a multiplexer, coupled to the storage element, configured to select the clocked filter cache hitmiss result responsive to the DFS signal in the off state and configured to select the result of the access to the filter cache memory responsive to the DFS signal in the on state to provide a main cache memory enabledisable signal to the main cache memory.
12. A DFS cache memory system according to claim 11 wherein the storage element circuit comprises a flip-flop circuit.
13. A DFS cache memory system according to claim 8 wherein the DFS cache memory comprises a cache memory system configured to operate using a first clock signal having a first frequency in a first mode when the DFS signal is in the off state and configured to operate using a second clock signal have a second frequency that is less than the first frequency in a second mode when the DFS signal is in the on state.
14. A DFS cache memory system according to claim 8 wherein the first mode comprises a high frequency mode and the second mode comprises a low frequency mode.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A microscope drape coupling system, comprising:
a first adapter configured to couple to a first objective lens barrel of a first microscope, the first adapter comprising:
an annular surface disposed around a perimeter of the first adapter and adapted to couple to a drape; and
a mounting ring defining a mounting aperture adapted to couple to the first objective lens barrel, the diameter of the mounting aperture slightly smaller than the diameter of the objective lens barrel;
a housing configured to rotatably couple to the first adapter; and
a substantially flat transparent protective lens within the housing such that a geometric normal to the transparent protective lens forms an angle with respect to an optical axis of a first objective lens housed within the first objective lens barrel when the housing is coupled to the first objective lens barrel.
2. A microscope drape coupling system, comprising:
a first adapter configured to couple to a first objective lens barrel of a first microscope;
a housing configured to rotatably couple to the first adapter; and
a substantially flat transparent protective lens within the housing such that a geometric normal to the transparent protective lens forms an angle with respect to an optical axis of a first objective lens housed within the first objective lens barrel when the housing is coupled to the first objective lens barrel.
3. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 2, wherein the housing is selectively removable from the first adapter via one or more locking tabs disposed around a perimeter of the housing.
4. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 2, further comprising a second adapter configured to rotatably couple to the first adapter and further configured to couple to a second objective lens barrel of a second microscope.
5. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 2, wherein the first adapter further comprises an annular surface disposed around a perimeter thereof, the annular surface adapted to couple to a drape.
6. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises one or more locking tabs disposed around a perimeter thereof, each locking tab comprising a tongue adapted to engage a respective groove formed on the first adapter for rotatably coupling the housing to the first adapter, and wherein the housing is selectively removable from the first adapter via the locking tabs.
7. A microscope drape coupling system, comprising:
a first adapter having a first objective lens barrel aperture;
a first mounting ring coupled to the first adapter and having a first mounting aperture configured to couple the first adapter to a first objective lens barrel of a first microscope;
a second adapter having a second objective lens barrel aperture;
a second mounting ring coupled to the second adapter and having a second mounting aperture configured to couple the second adapter to a second objective lens barrel of a second microscope, the second mounting aperture having a diameter smaller than the first mounting aperture;
a housing having a plurality of locking tabs disposed around a perimeter thereof, each locking tab comprising a tongue adapted to engage a groove formed on the first adapter for rotatably coupling the housing to the first adapter, the housing selectively removable from the first adapter via the locking tabs; and
a substantially flat transparent protective lens within the housing such that a geometric normal to the transparent protective lens forms an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of either the first or second objective lens barrel when the housing is coupled to either the first or second objective lens barrel.
8. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 7, wherein the first and second mounting rings are each formed from a flexible material such that the first and second mounting rings are each adapted to elastically constrict about the first and second objective lens barrels, respectively.
9. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 7, wherein the first mounting ring comprises a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the first objective lens barrel aperture, wherein the first mounting aperture is defined by the inside edges of each tab.
10. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 7, wherein the second mounting ring comprises a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the second objective lens barrel aperture, wherein the second mounting aperture is defined by the inside edges of each tab.
11. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 7, wherein the second adapter comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to rotatably couple the second adapter to the first adapter.
12. A method of coupling a drape to a microscope, comprising:
providing a first adapter having a first objective lens barrel aperture and a first mounting ring, the first mounting ring having a first mounting aperture;
rotatably coupling a housing to the first adapter, the housing having a substantially flat transparent protective lens therein such that a geometric normal to the transparent protective lens forms an angle with respect to an optical axis of a first objective lens housed within a first objective lens barrel when the housing is coupled to the first objective lens barrel; and
coupling the first adapter to the first objective lens barrel, the first objective lens barrel having an outside diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the first mounting aperture and slightly smaller than a diameter of the first objective lens barrel aperture.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
providing a second adapter having a second objective lens barrel aperture and a second mounting ring, the second mounting ring having a second mounting aperture;
coupling the second adapter to the first adapter; and
coupling the second adapter to a second objective lens barrel, the second objective lens barrel having an outside diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the second mounting aperture and slightly smaller than a diameter of the second objective lens barrel aperture.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling a drape to an annular surface disposed around a perimeter of the first adapter.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein coupling the first adapter to the first objective lens barrel comprises elastically constricting the first mounting ring about the first objective lens barrel.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein coupling the second adapter to the second objective lens barrel comprises elastically constricting the second mounting ring about the second objective lens barrel.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first mounting ring comprises a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the first objective lens barrel aperture, wherein the first mounting aperture is defined by the inside edges of each tab.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the second mounting ring comprises a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the second objective lens barrel aperture, wherein the second mounting aperture is defined by the inside edges of each tab.
19. The method of claim 12, wherein rotatably coupling the housing to the first adapter comprises engaging a plurality of tongues on respective ones of a plurality of tabs formed on the housing with respective ones of a plurality of grooves formed on the first adapter.
20. A microscope drape coupling system, comprising:
a first adapter having a first objective lens barrel aperture;
a first mounting ring coupled to the first adapter and having a first mounting aperture configured to couple the first adapter to a first objective lens barrel of a first microscope that has an outside diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the first mounting aperture and slightly smaller than a diameter of the first objective lens barrel aperture;
a housing configured to rotatably couple to the first adapter; and
a substantially flat transparent protective lens within the housing such that a geometric normal to the transparent protective lens forms an angle with respect to an optical axis of a first objective lens housed within the first objective lens barrel when the housing is coupled to the first objective lens barrel.
21. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 20, further comprising a second adapter configured to couple to the first adapter, the second adapter comprising:
a second objective lens barrel aperture; and
a second mounting ring coupled to the second adapter and having a second mounting aperture configured to couple the second adapter to a second objective lens barrel of a second microscope that has an outside diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the second mounting aperture and slightly smaller than a diameter of the second objective lens barrel aperture, the second mounting aperture having a diameter smaller than the first mounting aperture.
22. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 21, wherein the second adapter comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to rotatably couple the second adapter to the first adapter.
23. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 20, wherein the first adapter further comprises an annular surface disposed around a perimeter thereof, the annular surface adapted to couple to a drape.
24. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 20, wherein the first mounting ring is formed from a flexible material such that the first mounting ring is adapted to elastically constrict about the first objective lens barrel in order to couple the first adapter thereto.
25. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 21, wherein the second mounting ring is formed from a flexible material such that the second mounting ring is adapted to elastically constrict about the second objective lens barrel in order to couple the second adapter thereto.
26. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 20, wherein the first mounting ring comprises a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the first objective lens barrel aperture, wherein the first mounting aperture is defined by the inside edges of each tab.
27. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 21, wherein the second mounting ring comprises a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the second objective lens barrel aperture, wherein the second mounting aperture is defined by the inside edges of each tab.
28. The microscope drape coupling system of claim 20, wherein the housing comprises one or more locking tabs disposed around a perimeter thereof, each locking tab comprising a tongue adapted to engage a respective groove formed on the first adapter for rotatably coupling the housing to the first adapter, and wherein the housing is selectively removable from the first adapter via the locking tabs.