Automatic slot identification and address decoder arrangement
AssigneeWestinghouse Air Brake Company
InventorVincent Ferri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic slot identification and address decoding arrangement having a motherboard for conveying address information, data and control signals to printed circuit cards. An electrical cable connector for establishing a particular address for each of the printed circuit cards. Each of the printed circuit cards includes a programmable logic device for dynamically recognizing the address information received from the motherboard, and each of the printed circuit boards includes electronic circuitry for conveying the data and control signals to the electrical cable connector.
Claims20
An automatic computer slot identification and address decoder arrangement for a computer having a central processor unit, and a motherboard communicating with such central processor unit, such motherboard having a bus of such computer thereon, such bus having a first group of electrical conductors for conveying each of address information, control signals and data, such control signals including signals for reading and signals for writing, such bus having a plurality of in-line connectors, each of such in-line connectors being adapted to receive a printed circuit card, and make multiple electrical connections to a second group of electrical conductors on such printed circuit card, such printed circuit card being connected to an external electrical cable which is connected to external equipment, said automatic computer slot recognition and address decoder arrangement comprising:
- (a) a third group of electrical conductors disposed on such printed circuit card;
- (b) a first multiple contact connector means disposed on such printed circuit card for connecting to such external electrical cable, a plurality of contacts of said first multiple contact connector means being connected to corresponding members of said third group of electrical conductors;
- (c) a second multiple contact connector means disposed on such external electrical cable having a fourth group of electrical conductors, a plurality of contacts of said second multiple contact connector means being connected to corresponding members of said fourth group of electrical conductors disposed on such electrical cable, said first multiple contact connector means mating with said second multiple contact connector means to provide individual electrical connections between corresponding members of said third group of electrical conductors and said fourth group of electrical conductors;
- (d) means for connecting shunt conductors between a plurality of members of said fourth group of electrical conductors for establishing an electrical configuration indicative of address information for such computer card to which such cable is attached;
- (e) means disposed on each of such printed circuit cards for applying electrical voltages to a plurality of members of said third group of electrical conductors whereby voltages are applied through contacts of said first multiple contact connector means and contacts of said second multiple contact connector means to a plurality of members of said fourth group of electrical conductors to sense said electrical configuration indicative of address information;
- (f) means disposed on each of such printed circuit cards for determining an address for reading and an address for writing, based on said electrical configuration;
- (g) means disposed on each of such printed circuit cards for decoding address information from such motherboard, and responding to address signals indicative of said address for reading and said address for writing;
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- (h) means responsive to control signals received from such computer bus for placing a plurality of members of such first group of conductors on such computer bus in communication with a corresponding plurality of said fourth group of conductors on such electrical cable to external equipment.
A dynamic address recognition and decoding arrangement for a computer having a central processor unit, and a backplane communicating with such central processor unit, such backplane having a bus of such computer thereon, such bus having a first group of electrical conductors for conveying each of address information, control signals and data, such control signals including signals for reading and signals for writing, such bus having a plurality of in-line connectors, each of such in-line connectors being adapted to receive a printed circuit card, and make multiple electrical connections to a second group of electrical conductors on such printed circuit card, such printed circuit card being connected to an external electrical cable which is connected to external equipment, said automatic computer slot recognition and address decoder arrangement comprising:
- (a) a third group of electrical conductors disposed on such printed circuit card;
- (b) a first multiple contact connector means disposed on such printed circuit card for connecting to such external cable, a plurality of contacts of said first multiple contact connector means being connected to corresponding members of said third group of electrical conductors;
- (c) a second multiple contact connector means disposed on such external cable having a fourth group of electrical conductors, a plurality of contacts of said second multiple contact connector means being connected to corresponding members of said fourth group of electrical conductors disposed on such electrical cable, said first multiple contact connector means mating with said second multiple contact connector means to provide individual electrical connections between corresponding members of said third group of electrical conductors and said fourth group of electrical conductors;
- (d) means for connecting shunt conductors between a plurality of members of said fourth group of electrical conductors for establishing an electrical configuration indicative of address information for such computer card to which such cable is attached;
- (e) means disposed on each of such printed circuit cards for applying electrical voltages to a plurality of members of said third group of electrical conductors whereby voltages are applied through selected contacts of said first multiple contact connector means and selected contacts of said second multiple contact connector means to a plurality of members of said fourth group of electrical conductors to sense said electrical configuration indicative of address information;
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- (f) a programmable logic device disposed on each of such printed circuit cards for determining an address for reading and an address for writing, based on said electrical configuration, for decoding address information from such backplane, and for placing a plurality of members of such first group of conductors on such computer bus in communication with a corresponding plurality of said fourth group of conductors on such electrical cable to external equipment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.