Method and apparatus for automatic initialization of pluggable option cards

A method for initializing and configuring a computer system having a set of peripheral devices attached thereto via a set of adapter cards, wherein each card in said set of adapter cards has a unique card type ID value associated therewith and means for transmitting said ID value located thereon, said computer system including a plurality of sockets into which each card in said set of adapter cards may be interchangeably plugged, nonvolatile memory means, coupled to said plurality of sockets, for storing said card ID values, together with parameter information signals pertaining to said plurality of sockets and any cards plugged therein, in predefined portions of said nonvolatile memory means, where each of said predefined portions is associated with a particular one of said plurality of sockets and software-adjustable parameter storage means, located on each card and coupled to said nonvolatile memory means via said plurality of sockets, used for configuring said system to support said set of peripheral devices, comprising the steps of:

• (a) disabling all sockets;
• (b) scanning the I/O address space to determine if a non-compatible feature card is attached to said system;
• (c) sequentially enabling all sockets so long as no non-compatible feature cards are attached to the system;
• (d) sequentially obtaining card ID values, transmitted by said means for transmitting located on each card, for the set of cards plugged into said plurality of sockets;
• (e) comparing each ID value obtained with a set of ID values known to the system and, for each ID value known to the system, creating parameter information signals for the card that transmitted the known ID value;
• (f) signalling the system user whenever a transmitted card ID value is not known to the system
• (g) receiving user input parameter information signals pertaining to any card having an ID value unknown to the system;
• (h) creating a configuration table from the card ID values obtained and parameter information signals created by the system, together with any parameter information signals received from the user, via steps (d), (e) and (g), and storing said configuration table on a diskette;
• (i) storing the parameter information signals and ID values located in said configuration table into said predefined portions of said nonvolatile memory means so that the configuration information for the card attached to a particular socket is stored in the portion of nonvolatile memory associated with said socket;
• and
• (j) transferring the parameter information signals stored in said nonvolatile memory means pertaining to each socket and attached card, to the said parameter storage means on each card to thereby initialize and configure said system.

A computer system that facilitates user transparent establishment of system resource parameters, including parameters associated with addressing a first configuration of peripheral devices attached to said system via a set of adapter cards which support the operation of said devices, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of sockets into which each card in said set of adapter cards may be interchangeably plugged;
• (b) nonvolatile memory means having memory locations therein, coupled to said plurality of sockets, for storing parameter information signals pertaining to each of said plurality of sockets in a corresponding memory and any card plugged into a given socket whenever the system is powered down;
• and
• (c) software-adjustable parameter storage means, coupled to said nonvolatile memory means, for automatically configuring said system on power up to support said first configuration of peripheral devices.

A computer system with software-adjustable means to automatically configure said system on power up so long as no change in system configuration has occurred since the computer system was powered down, comprising:

• (a) a set of adapter cards, wherein each card in said set is of a predetermined card type and has a predefined unique card type ID value stored thereon;
• (b) a central processing unit (CPU);
• (c) a system bus;
• (d) a plurality of slots into which any card in said set may be plugged;
• (e) slot address decoder means coupled between said system bus and each of said plurality of slots;
• and
• (f) nonvolatile memory means for storing, in memory locations thereof, parameter information signals pertaining to each of said slots and any card attached to a given slot when the system is powered down.

A computer system including a set of adapter cards, wherein each card is identifiable as to card type by a unique predefined ID value stored thereon, comprising:

• (a) a central processing unit (CPU);
• (b) a system bus;
• (c) a plurality of slots into which any card in said set may be plugged;
• (d) slot address decoder means coupled between said system bus and each of said plurality of slots;
• and
• (e) nonvolatile memory means for storing, in memory locations thereof, parameter information signals pertaining to each of said slots and any card attached to a given slot when the system is powered down, said parameter information signals further including an ID value for each card attached;
• (f) means coupled to said slots and said nonvolatile memory means effective after power-up following the system power-down for comparing the ID value stored in a memory location of the nonvolatile memory means to the predefined ID value of each card attached to said slots;
• and
• (g) means for configuring a card attached to said slots if the ID value in said nonvolatile memory means does not match the predefined ID value on said card.

A computer system that facilitates user transparent establishment of variable system parameters, including parameters associated with addressing a first configuration of a set of adapter cards, each of which has a unique card type ID value associated therewith and means for transmitting said ID value located thereon, that support the operation of said devices, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of sockets into which each card in said set of adapter cards may be interchangeably plugged;
• (b) nonvolatile memory means, coupled to said plurality of sockets, for storing said card ID values, together with parameter information signals pertaining to said plurality of sockets and any cards plugged therein, in predefined portions of said nonvolatile memory means, where each of said predefined portions is associated with a particular one of said plurality of sockets;
• (c) software-adjustable parameter storage means, located on each card in said set of adapter cards and coupled to said nonvolatile memory means via said plurality of sockets, used for automatically configuring said system on power up to support said first configuration of a set of adapter cards;
• and
• (d) first system configuration means, coupled to said nonvolatile memory and to each adapter card via said plurality of sockets, for automatically transferring the parameter information signals from the predefined portion of said nonvolatile memory means associated with a particular one of said plurality of sockets, to said software-adjustable parameter storage means on the card attached to said particular socket, so long as no change in system configuration has occurred since the system was last powered down.

A computer system, including at least one adapter card having a unique card type ID value associated therewith and means for transmitting said ID value located thereon, comprising:

• (a) a socket into which a said card may be plugged;
• (b) nonvolatile memory means, coupled to said socket, for storing said card ID value, together with configuration information pertaining to said socket and the card plugged therein, in a predefined portion of said nonvolatile memory means associated with said socket;
• (c) software-programmable parameter storage means, located on said card and coupled to said nonvolatile memory means via said socket;
• and
• (d) configuration means, coupled to said nonvolatile memory and said adapter card via said socket, for automatically transferring the configuration information from said predefined portion of said nonvolatile memory means, to said software-adjustable parameter storage means, to thereby automatically set said parameter storage means, so long as no change in system configuration has occurred since the system was last powered down.

A device card for a central processing system, the central processing system having an I/O socket for attaching said device card to the central processing system, a bus for electrically connecting said card to the central processing system, a central processor unit, and a nonvolatile memory, the nonvolatile memory including a first identity value associated with said device card, the nonvolatile memory further including corresponding parameter data for said card, the parameter data being representative of variable system resource information to enable said card to operate within the central processing system, said device card comprising:

• storage means provided on said card for permanently storing a second identity value for indicating a respective card type;
• decoding means for decoding on said card, said decoding means being responsive to a first control signal initiated from the central processing unit for effecting the transfer of the second identity value to the central processing unit,
• a driver circuit means responsive to said decoding means for transmitting the second identity value to the central processing system, wherein the central processing unit generates a second control signal when the second identity value of said card then connected to the central processing system matches the first identity value stored in the nonvolatile memory, the central processing unit further transferring the parameter data to the bus upon a successful comparison of said identity values;
• card programming means for transferring the parameter data from said bus to said card in response to the second control signal initiated from the central processing unit;
• and
• parameter storage means provided on said card for storing the parameter data from the central processing unit.

A data processing system comprising;

• a system board having a plurality of I/O sockets thereon, said plurality of I/O sockets being adapted for attachment of peripheral control cards of various types having identity values corresponding to the card stored on the card,
• nonvolatile memory for storing, in locations thereof assigned to respective I/O sockets, the identity values of cards attached to said I/O sockets when power was last applied to said system,
• a comparator effective after power has been removed from and reapplied to said system for comparing the identity value on the cards with the identity value stored in the respective memory location to determine if any cards have been added, changed or moved since the previous removal of power from said system;
• and,
• a processor responsive to outputs of said comparator for indicating successful comparisons of identity values for transferring and storing into each respective card, parameter data stored in the respective memory location, thereby eliminating the need to create the parameter data.