Remote access gateway for semiconductor processing equipment
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorRONALD VERN SCHAUER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for providing an interface for semiconductor processing equipment is disclosed. In some embodiments, an apparatus for providing an interface for semiconductor processing equipment having an interface card includes a display logic subsystem to provide an interface to one or more devices such as video and information displays, light pens, keyboards, computer mice, and warning light networks and alarms via a data and control bus; a bridge to provide access to the data and control bus; and a local computer subsystem coupled to the bridge and the display logic subsystem, wherein the local computer subsystem provides access to one or more remote devices.
Claims20
An apparatus for providing an interface for semiconductor processing equipment having an interface card, comprising:
- a display logic subsystem to provide, via a data and control bus, an interface to a light pen and one or more video and information displays;
- a first bridge coupled to the display logic subsystem to provide access to the data and control bus;
- a local computer subsystem coupled to the first bridge and the display logic subsystem, wherein the local computer subsystem provides access to one or more remote devices;
- and
- a second bridge coupled to the local computer subsystem to provide access to the data and control bus.
A method for providing an interface for semiconductor processing equipment having an interface card including a local computer subsystem and a display logic subsystem, comprising:
- processing at least one of an input or an output using the local computer subsystem that provides access between the semiconductor processing equipment and one or more remote devices;
- and
- accessing the display logic subsystem to perform the at least one input or output, wherein the display logic subsystem comprises a video memory and a light pen memory.
An apparatus for providing an interface for semiconductor processing equipment having a Versa Module European (VME) interface card, comprising:
- a display logic subsystem to provide an interface via a VME bus to one or more devices comprising video and information displays, light pens, keyboards, computer mice, and warning light networks and alarms, the display logic subsystem comprising a light pen memory for providing the local computer subsystem with access to one or more of light pen registers, offset calibrations, or cursor positions, and further comprising a video memory for providing the local computer subsystem with access to video display data;
- a first VME bridge coupled to the display logic subsystem to provide access to the VME bus;
- a local computer subsystem coupled to the first VME bridge and the display logic subsystem, wherein the local computer subsystem provides access to one or more remote devices, and wherein the remote devices comprise at least one of a local video display, a high speed messaging services interface, a network interface, a secondary keyboard and mouse interface, or an external storage interface;
- a second VME bridge coupled to the local computer subsystem to provide access to the VME bus;
- a switch mechanism coupled to the local computer subsystem to provide fail-safe and local cutoff functionality wherein the switch mechanism automatically disconnects remote access in the event of a hardware failure;
- and
- a video interface providing video output and a light pen interface providing input access for a light pen tool coupled to the display logic subsystem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.