Self-configuring bus termination component
AssigneeDigital Equipment Corporation
InventorNicholas A. Warchol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A termination component that is capable of configuring itself to accommodate buses having different electrical characters that connect to it. The termination component includes resistor lines and resistor-diode lines that connect to a power source. These resistor lines and resistor-diode lines when properly powered permit the self-configuration of the termination component.
Claims11
A circuit that is configurable for terminating a bus which operates, at any given time, according to one of at least a first and second bus protocol, the circuit comprising:
- n signal lines for connecting to a bus which operates, at any given time, according to one of at least the first and second bus protocols;
- power supply means for powering the circuit according to a first characteristic of the bus when the bus is operated according to the first bus protocol and according to a second characteristic of the bus when the bus is operated according to the second bus protocol;
- n resistor-diode subcircuits connected respectively to the n signal lines, and connected to the power supply means, with each of the n resistor-diode subcircuit providing a first impedance level to the connected signal line when powered by the power supply means;
- and
- n resistor subcircuits connected respectively to the n signal lines, and connected to the power supply means, with each of the resistor subcircuits when powered by the power supply means along with the corresponding diode-resistor subcircuit connected to the same signal line being powered by the power supply, providing a second impedance level to the connected signal line.
In a circuit including n diode-resistor circuits connected to n signal lines connected to n bus lines to provide one of a first impedance level and a second impedance level, a method for terminating buses operated using one of a first protocol and a second protocol, comprising the steps of:
- powering each of the n diode-resistor circuits connected to the n signal lines connected to the n bus lines to provide the first impedance level on the n signal lines for impedance matching when the bus is operated using the first protocol;
- and
- powering each of the n resistor circuits and each of the n diode-resistor circuits connected to the n signal lines connected to the n bus lines to provide the second impedance level on the n signal lines for impedance matching when the bus is operated using the second protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.