Device and method for continuously polling for communication bus type termination

In a peripheral device having a communication bus into and out of the peripheral device wherein the communication bus comprises a plurality of communication lines therein, at least one of said plurality being electrically broken, and having a termination means for terminating the communication bus, a method for identifying the type of communication bus with which a peripheral device should be configured to communicate and for polling the communication bus to determine if electrical termination is necessary, comprising:

• sensing the signals received over at least one of said plurality of communication lines to determine whether the communication bus is operating as a SCSI bus or a parallel bus;
• if the communication bus is a SCSI bus, transmitting a signal along said one electrically broken line out of the device which causes the line to have a first logical level;
• sensing said one electrically broken line out of the device to determine if the communication line remains at said first logical level;
• if said one electrically broken line out of said device does not remain at said first logical level, deactivating the termination means and reevaluating the identification of the bus as a SCSI bus;
• if said one electrically broken line out of said device remains at said first logical level, transmitting a signal along said one electrically broken line out of the device which causes the line to have a second logical level;
• sensing said one electrically broken line out of the device to determine if the communication line remains at said second logical level;
• if said one electrically broken line does not remain at said second logical level, deactivating the termination means and reevaluating the identification of the bus as a SCSI bus;
• if said one electrically broken line remains at said second logical level, activating the termination means and reevaluating the identification of the bus as a SCSI bus.

An apparatus for identifying the type of communication bus with which a peripheral device should be configured to communicate and for polling the communication bus to determine if electrical termination is necessary, comprising:

• a communication bus into and out of the apparatus wherein the communication bus has a plurality of communication lines therein, at least one of said plurality being electrically broken;
• a termination means for terminating said communication bus;
• a microprocessor electrically connected to said plurality of communication lines, said microprocessor having instructions located therein for performing the following steps:
• sensing the signals received over at least one of said plurality of communication lines to determine whether the communication bus is operating as a SCSI bus or a parallel bus;
• if the communication bus is a SCSI bus, transmitting a signal along said one electrically broken line out of the device which causes the line to have a first logical level;
• sensing said one electrically broken line out of the device to determine if the communication line remains at said first logical level;
• if said one electrically broken line out of said device does not remain at said first logical level, deactivating the termination means and reevaluating the identification of the bus as a SCSI bus;
• if said one electrically broken line out of said device remains at said first logical level, transmitting a signal along said one electrically broken line out of the device which causes the line to have a second logical level;
• sensing said one electrically broken line out of the device to determine if the communication line remains at said second logical level;
• if said one electrically broken line does not remain at said second logical level, deactivating the termination means and reevaluating the identification of the bus as a SCSI bus;
• if said one electrically broken line remains at said second logical level, activating the termination means and reevaluating the identification of the bus as a SCSI bus.

An apparatus for identifying the type of communication bus with which a peripheral device should be configured to communicate and for polling the communication bus to determine if electrical termination is necessary, comprising:

• a communication bus into and out of the apparatus wherein the communication bus has a plurality of communication lines therein;
• termination means for terminating said communication bus;
• and
• a microprocessor electrically connected to said plurality of communication lines, said microprocessor having instructions located therein for performing the following steps:
• sensing the signals received over at least one of said plurality of communication lines to determine whether the communication bus is operating as a SCSI bus or a parallel bus;
• if the communication bus is a SCSI bus, transmitting a signal along one of said plurality of communication lines to cause said one line to have a first logical level;
• sensing said one line to determine if the communication line remains at said first logical level;
• if said one line does not remain at said first logical level, deactivating the termination means and reevaluating whether the bus is operating as a SCSI bus;
• if said one line remains at said first logical level, transmitting a signal along said one line to cause the line to have a second logical level;
• sensing said one line to determine if the communication line remains at said second logical level;
• if said one line does not remain at said second logical level, deactivating the termination means and reevaluating whether the bus is operating as a SCSI bus;
• if said one line remains at said second logical level, activating the termination means and reevaluating whether the bus is operating as a SCSI bus.