1. A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium used in a design process, the design structure including an apparatus for handling a signal, the apparatus comprising:
at least one common signal node operable to conduct a first signal;
a first circuit coupled to said common signal node, operable to receive said first signal; and
a signal-handling element coupled to said first conductor, having
an isolating circuit coupled to said first conductor,
a second conductor operable to conduct an output of said isolating circuit, and
a signal-handling circuit coupled to said second conductor, said signal-handling circuit operable to perform a signal-handling function in response to said output of said isolating circuit,
wherein said isolating circuit is operable to isolate said common signal node and said first circuit from said second conductor and said signal-handling circuit.
2. A design structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first signal includes a first communication signal and said first circuit is operable to perform first analog signal processing of said first communication signal including analog amplification of said first communication signal.
3. A design structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said common signal node defines a critical path of said apparatus.
4. A design structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal-handling circuit is operable to determine a state of said first signal at said common signal node.
5. A design structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein said signal-handling element is operable to detect a cable fault affecting the state of said first signal at said common signal node.
6. A design structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal-handling element includes a hysteresis comparator, wherein said isolating circuit includes an input transistor of said hysteresis comparator, said input transistor being coupled to receive input from said common signal node and to provide output onto said second conductor, said hysteresis comparator further including a portion included in said signal-handling circuit, said portion including comparator circuitry responsive to said output on said signal conductor.
7. A design structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the common signal node includes a pair of first conductors, wherein the first communication signal includes a differential communication signal conducted on said pair of first conductors, wherein said first signal-handling element is operable to detect a fault affecting transmission of said first communication signal on said pair of first conductors.
8. A design structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said common signal node includes a plurality of first conductors, said isolating circuit includes a first self-bias reference generator including a low-pass filter coupled to one of said plurality of first conductors, said signal-handling element further includes a multiplexer operable to provide an output selected from a fixed potential and an output of said self-bias reference generator, said output selected in accordance with at least one of a direct current (\u201cDC\u201d) and an alternating current (\u201cAC\u201d) transmission mode of said first communication signal.
9. A design structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said common signal node includes a pair of first conductors, said second conductor includes a pair of said second conductors, said first communication signal includes a differential communication signal conducted by said pair of first conductors, and said signal-handling element includes a signal detector, said isolating circuit includes a front stage receiver element of said signal detector operable to regenerate said differential communication signal as a pair of regenerated signals on said pair of second conductors, and said signal-handling circuit of said signal detector includes circuitry operable to produce time-averaged signals from said regenerated signals, said signal-handling circuit being operable in response to said time-averaged signals to detect presence or absence of said first communication signal.
10. A design structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said common signal node includes a pair of first conductors, said second conductor includes a pair of said second conductors, said first communication signal includes a differential communication signal conducted by said pair of first conductors, said signal-handling element includes a signal detector, said isolating circuit includes a front stage receiver element of said signal detector operable to regenerate said differential communication signal as a pair of regenerated signals on said pair of second conductors, said signal-handling circuit includes a level generator responsive to said differential communication signal to generate level signals representing time-averaged levels of said pair of outputs, and includes a level detector responsive to said level signals and said pair of regenerated signals to generate level detector signals representing a presence or absence of signal activity, said signal-handling circuit further including a comparator responsive to said level detector signals to output a detector signal representing presence or absence of the signal activity.
11. The design structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the design structure comprises a netlist which describes the signal-handling apparatus.
12. The design structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the design structure resides on storage medium as a data format used for the exchange of layout data of integrated circuits.
13. The design structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the design structure includes at least one of test data files, characterization data, verification data, or design specifications.
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 turbocharger comprising a center housing (1), a variable nozzle device (11, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31), and an exhaust housing (47) being mechanically andor thermally decoupled from the variable nozzle device, wherein the variable nozzle device (11, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31) comprises a circumferential arrangement of vanes (27) interposed between a nozzle ring (23) and an outer ring (15) integrally formed with a peripheral ring (13) fitted on said nozzle ring and coupled to said center housing (1).
2. A turbocharger according to claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral ring (13) is radially and axially spaced from the exhaust housing, so that any contact between the exhaust housing and the peripheral ring (13) is avoided.
3. A turbocharger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said exhaust housing (47) is mounted directly to a center housing (1) carrying a shaft (3) with a turbine wheel (5), so that both housings (1, 47) define an inner space in which said variable nozzle device (11, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31) and said turbine wheel (5) are located.
4. A turbocharger according to claim 3, wherein said exhaust housing (47) comprises a gas inlet portion (53) attached to said center housing (1) and a gas outlet portion (63) encompassing with an axially extending clearance a gas outlet portion (65) of the variable nozzle device.
5. A turbocharger according to claim 4, wherein the gas inlet portion (53) of the exhaust housing (47) comprises a flange member (51) axially abutted via a sealing element (55) to the center housing (1) and mounted thereto by a fastening member (49).
6. A turbocharger according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by a sealing system (65, 67) for avoiding a gas leakage between the exhaust housing (47) and the variable nozzle device (11, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31).
7. A turbocharger according to claim 6, wherein the sealing system (65, 67) comprises a circumferential recess formed in said gas outlet portion (65) of the variable nozzle device and containing a piston ring (67), characterized by at least one further circumferential recess (69) formed in said gas outlet portion (63) of said exhaust housing and opened to said axially extending clearance between the gas inlet side of said exhaust housing and the piston ring (67).
8. A turbocharger according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said vanes (27) are pivotally supported on the nozzle ring (23), said nozzle ring being axially urged by the peripheral ring (13) against an annular disc member (45) supported on said center housing (1).
9. A turbocharger according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said gas inlet portion (53, 51) of the exhaust housing (47) encompasses with a further axially extending clearance (57) the peripheral ring (13) of said variable nozzle device.
10. A turbocharger according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said peripheral ring (13) is abutted against the same sealing element (55) via which the flange member (51) of the exhaust housing (47) is secured on the center housing (1).