Apparatus for interfacing buses

Details Apparatus for interfacing buses Apparatus for interfacing buses

1997-10-01

2001-01-30

Etienne, Ario (Department: 2781)

Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/

Intrasystem connection

Bus access regulation

C710S052000, C710S053000, C710S120000, C710S120000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06182180

ABSTRACT:

APPENDICES
Appendix A, which forms a part of this disclosure, is a list of commonly owned copending U.S. patent applications. Each one of the applications listed in Appendix A is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.
COPYRIGHT RIGHTS
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to interfaces between communication buses in electronic systems. Additionally, the invention relates to an interface between two buses in a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Technology
In the electronics industry, and more particularly in the computer industry, various bus architectures are used to permit parts of computer systems, multiple processors, and controllers to communicate. However, different bus architectures which are governed by different standards are frequently used within a single overall system. Therefore, there is a continuing need to develop interface methods and systems to permit communication between different buses.
One such bus architecture is the Inter-IC control bus (I
2
C bus). The I
2
C bus is a bidirectional two-wire bus (a serial data line and a serial clock line). Advantages of the I
2
C bus architecture are that it provides flexibility and lowers interconnecting costs by reducing board space and pin count. The I
2
C bus has particular application in video cards for computer systems and electronic components such as television tuners, AM/FM tuners, video decoders, video encoders, television audio decoders and video cross bars).
Another common bus architecture is the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA bus). The ISA bus is commonly used in computer systems to transfer data to and from the central processing unit or units.
There is a need for a method and apparatus for interfacing an I
2
C with an ISA bus. Such an interface would permit a CPU in a computer system to communicate with devices interconnected over an I
2
C bus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention addresses the above and other needs by providing an interface apparatus and method, which in one embodiment includes a system interface processor coupled to a first bus and including a command register accessible via a second bus. A request buffer and a response buffer are provided which are accessible via the second bus and coupled to the interface processor. The request buffer can be used to store information to be transmitted from the second bus to the first via the interface processor while the response buffer can be used to store information to be transmitted from the first bus to the second bus via the interface processor. The interface processor may include a status register to indicate the status of the interface controller. The interface controller may also include a command register to receive commands transmitted over the second bus.


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