Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral configuration
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-07
2001-01-16
Lee, Thomas C. (Department: 2782)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral configuration
C710S011000, C710S014000, C327S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175882
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Large servers require I/O expansion and the ability do add devices on-line. Expansion is typically very limited in bus-based I/O systems due to loading restrictions that limit the number of controllers on a single segment.
Networks obviate some of these problems assuring that expansion limits are not defined by arbitrary packaging constraints. However, expandability is enhanced if the network is hot-pluggable to allow on-line upgrades and repairs.
If the network has multiple modes of operation than a module being added must be configured in the mode of the modules it is connected. On-line addition or initialization of the module to the network would require that a service technician have knowledge of the modes of operation of the network and the ability to configure the module when it is added to the network.
Often, however, technicians are not sufficiently trained to perform such module configuration or the mode of a particular modules operation is not known. Accordingly, for multi-mode networks hot-pluggability is difficult to implement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a system and technique for auto-configuring a module added to a network or coming out of reset. According to one aspect of the invention, different modes are characterized by different clock rates. A first module is connected to a second module operating in one of the network modes. The first module compares the clock frequency of a signal received from the second module to a reference frequency to determine the mode of operation of the second module. The first module configures its ports to be in the same mode as the second module.
According to another aspect of the invention, different modes are characterized by first and second symbols of different size (number of bits). The first module detects whether a bit-position only in the larger symbol size is toggling to determine the mode of operation of the second module. The first module then configures its ports in the same mode as the second module.
According to a further aspect of the invention, different modes are coupled by different numbers of clock signals. The first module detects the number of clock signals to determine the mode of operation of the second module. The first module then configures its ports in the same mode as the second module.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5561666 (1996-10-01), Christenen et al.
patent: 5568525 (1996-10-01), Nijs et al.
patent: 5870566 (1999-02-01), Joh
patent: 5951685 (1999-09-01), Stancil
patent: 6026078 (2000-02-01), Smith
patent: 6112303 (2000-08-01), Stancil
patent: 0791881A1 (1997-08-01), None
Brown David A.
Bunton William P.
Krause John C.
Peet, Jr. Charles E.
Cao Chun
Lee Thomas C.
Tandem Computers Incorporated
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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