Enhanced active port replicator having expansion and upgrade capabilities

An active port replicator having a data bus and an address bus for replicating ports on a portable personal computer, comprising:

• a housing, said housing including means for enabling the data bus and the address bus to removably receive one or more predetermined interface cards for use by the portable personal computer;
• means for replicating one or more ports on a portable personal computer, said replicating means including one or more connectors for enabling said replicated ports to be connected to external I/O devices;
• said connectors being disposed so as to be accessible from the outside of said housing;
• means for enabling communication with one or more ports in said portable personal computer to be replicated, said enabling means including one or more connectors adapted to be connected with one or more predetermined mating connectors on said portable personal computer;
• one or more guides for aligning said connector on said personal computer and said active port replicator;
• and
• means for latching said portable personal computer and said active port replicator when said connector on said port replicator is properly inserted and
• means for electrically disconnecting said predetermined one or more interface cards from said data bus and the address bus when voltage in said personal computer is below a predetermined value.

An active port replicator having a data bus and an address bus, the active port replicator for replicating ports on a portable personal computer comprising:

• one or more predetermined replicated I/O ports for connection to one or more external I/O devices;
• means for enabling said one or more replicated I/O ports on said active port replicator to mate with corresponding ports on said portable personal computer;
• means for electrically connecting one or more predetermined interfaces to the data bus and the address bus for use by said portable personal computer, said predetermined interfaces including a network interface card;
• and
• means for automatically electrically disconnecting said network interface card from the data bus and the address bus when power supply voltage in said personal computer is less than a predetermined value.