Point-to-point electrical loading for a multi-drop bus
AssigneeCompaq Information Technologies Group, L.P.
InventorsMichael Y. Chan, Dwight D. Riley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A switching technique allows multiple interconnect bus devices to be connected to a single bus segment, even if the interconnect bus protocol only allows a one of the interconnect devices to be connected at any time. Each of the interconnect devices is connected to the interconnect bus segment with a switch, such that the interconnect device is electrically isolated from the interconnect bus segment when the switch is open. An interconnect sourcing agent connected to the interconnect bus segment controls the switches, closing the switch for one of the interconnect devices when a transaction is destined for that interconnect device, opening all of the other switches so that only one device is connected to the bus at any time.
Claims34
A method for connecting interconnect devices to an interconnect bus segment, the method comprising the steps of:
- connecting an interconnect sourcing device to the interconnect bus segment, the interconnect sourcing device implemented according to an interconnect bus protocol;
- electrically connecting to the interconnect bus segment one interconnect device of a first interconnect device and a second interconnect device responsive to each interconnect transaction destined for the one interconnect device;
- and
- electrically isolating from the interconnect bus segment the other interconnect device of the first interconnect device and the second interconnect device responsive to the interconnect transaction.
A computer interconnect bus system, comprising:
- an interconnect sourcing device;
- an interconnect bus segment coupled to the interconnect sourcing device, the interconnect bus segment implemented according to an interconnect bus protocol;
- a first interconnect device, dynamically couplable to the interconnect bus segment, the first interconnect device dynamically coupled to the interconnect device responsive to a first interconnect transaction destined for the first interconnect device and dynamically isolated from the interconnect bus segment responsive to a second interconnect transaction destined for the second interconnect device;
- and
- a second interconnect device dynamically couplable to the interconnect bus segment, the second interconnect device dynamically coupled to the interconnect device responsive to the second interconnect transaction and dynamically isolated from the interconnect bus segment responsive to the first interconnect transaction.
An interconnect bus bridge, comprising:
- means for connecting the interconnect bridge to an interconnect bus segment, the interconnect bus segment implemented according to an interconnect bus protocol;
- means for dynamically coupling a first interconnect device to the interconnect bus segment responsive to a first interconnect transaction destined for the first interconnect device and for dynamically isolating the first interconnect device from the interconnect bus segment responsive to a second interconnect transaction destined for a second interconnect device;
- and
- means for dynamically coupling the second interconnect device to the interconnect bus segment responsive to the second interconnect transaction and for dynamically isolating the second interconnect device from the interconnect bus segment responsive to the first interconnect.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.