Sound blaster interface card auto-detection method

Details Sound blaster interface card auto-detection method Sound blaster interface card auto-detection method

1999-01-05

2001-08-07

Lee, Thomas (Department: 2182)

Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/

Input/output data processing

Peripheral configuration

C710S008000, C710S062000, C710S108000, C710S104000, C713S100000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272561

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method enabling the computer system to auto-detect the indexes of a sound blaster interface card and to activate said card disregarding its brand, model and manufacturer.
PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION
As already known, there are many brands and models of sound blaster interface cards in the market, but there isn't a consistent detection method for the variety of sound blaster interface cards so far. Therefore, different sound blaster interface cards have to be respectively detected by different detection methods, which causes confusion to the computer system in selecting a suitable detection method. For instance, while a sound blaster interface card being inserted into a computer, said computer has to find out the brand of said sound blaster interface card by using different methods to detect the indexes thereof. Under such a condition, erroneous detection might occur and the computer might be abnormally downed. To overcome this problem, there has to be added a selection to the computer system for manual setting the required indexes. This is not only a troublesome procedure but the user has to be familiar with the values and correct meanings of the indexes to go through all the steps of the manual setting correctly. Therefore, it is rather crucial for most users to detect the sound blaster interface card manually and correctly.
Besides, to obtain the indexes of the connection port (PORT or Base Port), Interrupt Request (IRQ) and Direct Memory Access Channel (DMA) of the sound blaster interface card, the users have to find out the manufacturer, model and specifications thereof. In addition, in order to let the computer system be capable of handling various sound blaster interface cards, the users have to know all the detection methods of the various interface cards while not all the interface cards provide this information. Even though the users do know the detection method, they also have to find out the exact model of the card so as to be able to apply the detection method correctly, otherwise the they will face erroneous detection and even causing the computer to go down.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above problems and troubles, the inventor, having years of experiences in the industries, plus numerous researches, studies, developments and testing, worked out successfully and finally the present invention.
The primary aspect of the present invention is to provide an auto-detection method to detect the indexes of all kinds of sound blaster interface cards. By using the method of the present invention will let the computer system obtain the indexes of sound blaster interface card required for running an application program and stabilize the working system thereof. The method of the present invention is based on the standards in a sound blaster interface card, namely “SoundBlaster 2.0”, manufactured by CREATIVE Corporation (Hereinafter referred as “SB2.0”). And, the present invention enables the computer system utilize the characteristics of the sound blaster interface card set forth within this standards to auto-detect three major indexes (i.e. connection port (PORT or Base Port), Interrupt Request (IRQ) and Direct Memory Access Channel (DMA) etc.) of the sound blaster interface card.


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“Automatic Configuration of a Personal Computer System” IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Sep. 1989, pp. 112-115.

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