Enhanced bus connectivity through distributed loading
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorDouglas A. Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface unit providing a duplicate set of control signals enhances the load bearing capacity of a PCI bus. The duplicate set of control signals permit devices coupled to the original set of control signals to be electrically decoupled from devices coupled to the duplicate set of control signals. Decoupling in this manner distributes PCI bus loads between a first sub-bus associated with the original set of control signals and a second sub-bus associated with the duplicate set of control signals; each sub-bus may support the maximum number of loads.
Claims28
A bus control apparatus for use in a system having a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector, and a first set of data signal pathways for coupling to the first connector and second connector, and a second set of data signal pathways for coupling to the second connector and the third connector, the bus control apparatus comprising:
- an interface to couple to data signals, the data signals comprising a lower data portion and an upper data portion;
- and
- a signal control device to route the lower data portion over both the first set of data signal pathways and the second set of data signal pathways in a first mode, and to route the lower data portion over the first set of data signal pathways and the upper data portion over the second set of data signal pathways in a second mode.
A computer system comprising:
- a first set of connectors;
- a second set of connectors;
- a third set of connectors;
- a bus having lower data signal pathways, upper data signal pathways, lower control signal pathways and upper control signal pathways, the upper control signal pathways being a duplicate of the lower control signal pathways, the lower data signal pathways coupled to the first and second set of connectors, the lower control signal pathways coupled to the first and second set of connectors, the upper data signal pathways coupled to the third set of connectors and the upper control signal pathways coupled to the third set of connectors;
- and
- a bus control device coupled to the bus.
An apparatus for use in a system having a first connector of a first width, a second connector of the first width, and a third connector having a second, larger width, comprising:
- control signal paths having an upper control portion for connection with the first connector, and a lower control portion for connection with the second connector;
- data signal paths having an upper data portion for connection with the first connector and a lower data portion for connection with the second connector,
- both of the upper and lower data portions for connection with the third connector;
- and
- a signal control device to selectively route data onto the upper and lower data portions based on which of the first, second, and third connectors is involved in a transaction.
A system comprising:
- a first connector of a first width;
- a second connector of a second width larger than the first width;
- a third connector of the first width;
- first data signal pathways;
- second data signal pathways;
- first control signal pathways;
- second control signal pathways that are a duplicate of the first control signal pathways,
- the first data signal pathways coupled to the first and second connectors, the first control signal pathways coupled to the first and second connectors, the second data signal pathways coupled to the second and third connectors, and the second control signal pathways coupled to the third connector;
- and
- a bus control device coupled to the first and second data signal pathways and first and second control signal pathways.
A method for use in a system having a first connector of a first width, a second connector of a second, larger width, and a third connector of the first width, the method comprising:
- selectively routing data over first and second data signal pathways, the first data signal pathways coupled to the first and second connectors, and the second data signal pathways coupled to the second and third connectors;
- selectively routing control signals over first and second control signal pathways, the first control signal pathways coupled to the first and second connectors, and the second control signal pathways coupled to the third connector,
- wherein selectively routing the data and control signals is based on which of the first, second, and third connectors is involved in a transaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.