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US 7,096,303 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for configuring an integrated bus
AssigneeATI International SRL
InventorsGordon Caruk, Kuldip Sahdra, Arkadi Avrukin, Michael Frank, Jamil Ahmed, James B. Fry, Sasa Marinkovic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A configurable bus interface circuit includes an internal bus bridge and an internal circuit. The configurable bus interface circuit also includes an internal I/O circuit couplable to an external circuit, via the internal bus bridge. The configurable bus interface circuit electrically isolates the internal circuit to avoid the propagation of signals between the internal I/O circuit and the external circuit.
Claims21
A configurable interface circuit comprising:
- a first internal circuit operable to provide a first internal signal via a first internal signal path;
- an input buffer operable to receive a first external signal via a first external signal path;
- a selector circuit coupled to the first internal circuit via the first internal signal path, and to the input buffer, the selector circuit operable to select either the first internal signal or the first external signal to provide a selected signal;
- an output buffer operative to receive a second internal signal via a second internal signal path and to provide the second internal signal via the first external signal path;
- and
- a second internal circuit operable to provide the second internal signal via the second internal signal path and to receive the selected signal via a third internal signal path, the selector circuit inoperable to receive the second internal signal.
3 more elements
A configurable interface circuit comprising:
- an internal graphics controller operable to provide a first internal signal via a first internal signal path;
- an input buffer operable to receive a first external signal via a first external signal path;
- a selector circuit coupled to the internal graphics controller via the first internal signal path, and to the input buffer, the selector circuit operable to select either the first internal signal or the first external signal to provide a selected signal;
- a bus bridge, comprising a bus interface, operable to provide a second internal signal to the internal graphics controller via a second internal signal path and to receive the selected signal via a third internal signal path;
- and
- an output buffer operative to receive the second internal signal via the second internal signal path and to provide the second internal signal via the first external signal path such that the input buffer and the selector circuit are inoperable to receive the second internal signal.
3 more elements
A configurable bus interface circuit comprising:
- a first internal circuit operable to provide a first internal signal via a first internal signal path;
- an input buffer, operatively coupled to a first external signal path, and to the first internal circuit via the first internal signal path, and operative to receive the first internal signal from the first internal signal path and to provide the first external signal on the first external signal path;
- a selector circuit, operatively coupled to the first internal circuit via the first internal signal path, and to the input buffer, and operative to cause the input buffer to provide the first internal signal from the first internal signal path to the first external signal path, and to isolate the first internal signal on the first internal signal path from the first external signal;
- an output buffer operative to receive a second internal signal via a second internal signal path and to provide the second internal signal via the first external signal path;
- and
- a second internal circuit operable to provide the second internal signal via the second internal signal path and to receive the selected signal via a third internal signal path, the selector circuit inoperable to receive the second internal signal.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.