Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Intrasystem connection – Bus access regulation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-24
2001-07-17
Sheikh, Ayaz (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Intrasystem connection
Bus access regulation
C710S100000, C710S108000, C710S108000, C710S108000, C710S120000, C710S120000, C711S004000, C711S112000, C345S501000, C345S503000, C345S519000, C345S520000, C345S520000, C361S310000, C361S689000, C361S689000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263391
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of computer systems, and in particular, to a modular bus bridge that can be readily converted from one version to another.
2. Statement of the Problem
Computer system block diagrams typically show a central processor unit (CPU) and an Input/Output (I/O) subsystem which includes peripheral devices such as disk drives, tape drives, and printers. For high-performance data transfers, I/O subsystem controllers physically interface to the CPU through one of several different internal bus architectures. The I/O controller normally plugs into the CPU bus and then cables to the actual peripheral devices through yet another bus called the peripheral bus. Popular peripheral bus interfaces include the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) and Fiber Channel (FC). SCSI and FC protocols are specified by ANSI standards X3T9.2 and X3T9.3, respectively.
Conceptually, the SCSI I/O controller serves as a “bridge” between the CPU bus and the peripherals' SCSI bus in that it does wire transport layer conversions from the CPU bus to SCSI and also takes care of any software protocol translations and data buffering. The SCSI controller can also further fan out to multiple peripheral busses since the data bandwidth capabilities of the CPU bus significantly exceed that of the peripheral buses. The peripheral SCSI bus connects directly to the peripheral device (for example, a disk drive) within the CPU cabinet or it can be cabled remotely to another cabinet that contains the peripheral devices. When this remote bus interface leaves the CPU cabinet, it is then called the Host channel. Within the remote external cabinet a comparable bridge can be used to convert the host channel to fan out to additional peripheral busses, called Device channels. Thus, a bridge can be a one-to-many control device, for example, one SCSI Host channel to two SCSI Device channels, referred to as a “1×2 bridge”.
Within the external cabinet the bridge can be designed as a single board (Motherboard) that plugs into a local backplane. All interfaces into the bridge including the Host and Device channels, and other supporting buses for management interfaces, for example RS-232, have to be accommodated in the design of the backplane. The backplane also needs to accommodate an interface to any visual displays through yet another interface. Design of the back plane and associated cabinetry are problematic and typically delay implementation of new bridges.
An alternative packaging scheme is to design the bridge in such a way that in addition to plugging directly to a backplane, it can also occupy an existing peripheral device slot (for example, 5.25 inch disk drive), in which case the Host and Device channels, and the management interfaces are cabled directly to the bridge. A simple I/O patch panel and display panel can also be designed that attach directly to the bridge.
Since current bridge products offer flexible host interfaces, the I/O patch panel could be designed to accommodate several different host channel technologies (for example, SCSI or FC) and the user selects the configuration merely by changing the cabling scheme; there is no need to change backplanes. This makes the customization and conversion effort between interfaces and bridge versions virtually transparent, and benefits the end-user in reduced implementation schedules, field upgrades, and re-installations. Resellers would benefit because they could easily modify the external bridge to fit end-users varied demands. Similarly, the display panel could be removed and easily replaced with a blank enclosure panel or just left off.
SUMMARY OF THE SOLUTION
The invention solves the above problems with a modular bus bridge that can be bought or sold in multiple versions and readily converted from one configuration to another. The modular bus bridge allows end-users to easily upgrade or re-install the bus bridge, and allows the resellers to tailor in the bus bridge to meet the specific end-user demand for each particular version.
The bus bridge includes an I/O bridge controller board which has all the logic for changing the physical bus interfaces between the Host channel and the Device channels and supports the Display interface. The controller provides a monolithic connector which presents all the signals for all external buses; including channels, display logic, and other physical interfaces. This connector attaches directly to the backplane in one configuration. A second connector is used for physically attaching to a display panel. Thus, the controller is designed to plug directly to a backplane or to be configured with a display panel or blank panel, and an I/O patch panel.
The modular bus bridge system then includes the I/O controller, Display panel, blank panel, and associated cables to allow implementation in several different configurations. For non-backplane implementations, it also would be designed into a sheet metal enclosure with guide rails allowed to be inserted into a standard 5.25 inch slot or other device form factor slot. The users then have the complete flexibility to determine how to configure a system to meet their needs.
The invention is a modular bus bridge that comprises an I/O controller board, an optional display, and various connectors. The connectors allow a choice of backplane mounting or cable connections. The I/O controller board interconnects bus interfaces and controls the display. The I/O controller board is connected to the display by releasable connectors, so the display may be optionally added or removed. The display allows an end-user to scroll through a menu presented on the display and select operations from the menu. The I/O controller board is coupled to a backplane connector for backplane mounting. A cable interface can be releasably connected to the backplane connector if cable connections are desired instead of backplane mounting.
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IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin; title: Personal Computer Mobile Work Station; pp. 3488-3489, Nov. 1984.
Hartling John M.
Pecone Victor Key
Swanson Dwayne Howard
Adaptec, Inc.
Jean Frantz B.
Patton & Boggs LLP
Sheikh Ayaz
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