System and method for switching clock sources
OwnerEdward Angladainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for switching clock sources is presented. One embodiment of the system comprises a main clock and removable card having normally unused pins. The removable card is configured to host a secondary clock. This embodiment of the system further comprises a clock-selection circuit configured to determine whether or not the removable card is hosting the secondary clock. If the clock-selection circuit determines that the removable card is hosting the secondary clock, then the clock-selection circuit selects the secondary clock and the signal from the secondary clock is relayed through the unused pins. If, on the other hand, the clock-selection circuit determines that the removable card is not hosting the secondary clock, then the clock-selection circuit selects the main clock.
Claims21
A clock source switching system comprising:
- a main clock configured to generate a main clock signal;
- a removable card having unused pins;
- a secondary clock configured to generate a secondary clock signal, the secondary clock located on the removable card, the secondary clock configured to transmit the secondary clock signal through the otherwise unused pins;
- and
- a clock-selection circuit configured to receive the main clock signal and the secondary clock signal, the clock-selection circuit further configured to detect presence of the secondary clock on the removable card, the clock-selection circuit further configured to output a secondary clock signal in response to detecting the presence of the secondary clock, the clock-selection circuit otherwise configured to output a main clock signal.
A clock source switching system comprising:
- a main clock configured to generate a main clock signal;
- a removable card having unused pins, the removable card configured to host a secondary clock, the secondary clock configured to generate a secondary clock signal, the removable card further configured to relay the secondary clock signal through the unused pins;
- and
- a clock-selection circuit configured to receive the main clock signal and the secondary clock signal, the clock-selection circuit further configured to detect either presence of the secondary clock on the removable card, the clock-selection circuit further configured to output a secondary clock signal in response to detecting the presence of the secondary clock, the clock-selection circuit otherwise configured to output a main clock signal.
A clock source switching system comprising:
- a main clock configured to generate a main clock signal;
- an input/output (I/O) slot configured to receive a peripheral device, the peripheral device having a secondary clock, the secondary clock configured to generate a secondary clock signal, the peripheral device configured to relay the secondary clock signal through the I/O slot;
- and
- a clock-selection circuit configured to receive the main clock signal and the secondary clock signal, the clock-selection circuit further configured to detect presence of the secondary clock at the I/O slot, the clock-selection circuit further configured to output a secondary clock signal in response to detecting the presence of the secondary clock, the clock-selection circuit otherwise configured to output a main clock signal.
In an electronic assembly having a main clock and a pre-existing module having at least two unused pins, a clock source switching method comprising:
- installing a secondary clock on the pre-existing module;
- generating a secondary clock signal using the installed secondary clock;
- and
- relaying the generated secondary clock signal through one of the at least two unused pins.
In an electronic assembly having a main clock, a clock source switching method comprising:
- detecting a secondary clock installed on a removable card having unused pins;
- and
- selecting the secondary clock in response to detecting the secondary clock.
In an electronic assembly having a main clock and a pre-existing module having at least two unused pins, a clock source switching system comprising:
- means for generating a secondary clock signal from the pre-existing module;
- and
- means for relaying the generated secondary clock signal through one of the at least two unused pins.
In an electronic assembly having a main clock, a clock source switching system comprising:
- means for detecting a secondary clock installed on a removable card having unused pins;
- and
- means for selecting the secondary clock in response to detecting the secondary clock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.