EP0404414A2 — Apparatus and method for assigning addresses to S…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 211 words

A computer system comprising: a plurality of peripheral devices (13,17); an SCSI bus (10) for interconnecting the devices; a plurality of address configurable devices (20,25) coupled to the SCSI bus for communicating over the SCSI bus (10); characterised in that the computer system further comprises: a master device (23) coupled to a configuration bus (15) for sequentially transmitting a configuration command to each of the configurable devices (20,25) while assigning a unique address on the SCSI bus (10) to each of the configurable devices (20,25), and for asserting a BUSY condition (33) on the SCSI bus during assignment of the addresses, wherein each configurable device comprises: configuration input and output terminals (42,43,46,48) coupled with the configuration bus (15) for propagating an address assignment command to an adjacent device; configuration protocol means (60) responsive to the configuration command from the configuration input terminals (42,43) for initiating a CONFIRM ACCEPT signal or a CONFIRM REJECT signal depending on whether a new device address is received from the SCSI bus (10) during the configuration command, and for initiating a subsequent transmission on the SCSI bus of the device address; and, switching means (62) for connecting the input terminals (42,43) to the output terminal (46,48) in response to a successful address assignment to the device.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 211 words

A computer system comprising: a plurality of peripheral devices (13,17); an SCSI bus (10) for interconnecting the devices; a plurality of address configurable devices (20,25) coupled to the SCSI bus for communicating over the SCSI bus (10); characterised in that the computer system further comprises: a master device (23) coupled to a configuration bus (15) for sequentially transmitting a configuration command to each of the configurable devices (20,25) while assigning a unique address on the SCSI bus (10) to each of the configurable devices (20,25), and for asserting a BUSY condition (33) on the SCSI bus during assignment of the addresses, wherein each configurable device comprises: configuration input and output terminals (42,43,46,48) coupled with the configuration bus (15) for propagating an address assignment command to an adjacent device; configuration protocol means (60) responsive to the configuration command from the configuration input terminals (42,43) for initiating a CONFIRM ACCEPT signal or a CONFIRM REJECT signal depending on whether a new device address is received from the SCSI bus (10) during the configuration command, and for initiating a subsequent transmission on the SCSI bus of the device address; and, switching means (62) for connecting the input terminals (42,43) to the output terminal (46,48) in response to a successful address assignment to the device.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 204 words

A computer system for assigning addresses to a plurality of peripheral devices interconnected on an SCSI bus comprising: a plurality of address configurable devices connected to the SCSI bus, each device being capable of communicating over the SCSI bus using standard SCSI protocol, the devices including: a configuration input and output terminal serially connected with an adjacent device for propagating address assignment commands to a connected device; a reset input for receiving a signal which removes a previously assigned address to the device; a configuration protocol device which receives an configuration command from the configuration input terminals, and initiates on the configuration input a CONFIRM ACCEPT, or CONFIRM REJECT signal depending whether a new address has been received from the SCSI bus during configuration command, as well as initiates a subsequent transmission on the SCSI bus of the device address; and, switching means connecting the input terminal to the output terminal following a successful address assignment to the device; and, a master device, sequentially transmitting to each of the configurable devices a configuration command while applying a unique address on the SCSI bus for each of the configurable devices, and for asserting a BUSY condition on the SCSI bus during assignment of the addresses.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 204 words

A computer system for assigning addresses to a plurality of peripheral devices interconnected on an SCSI bus comprising: a plurality of address configurable devices connected to the SCSI bus, each device being capable of communicating over the SCSI bus using standard SCSI protocol, the devices including: a configuration input and output terminal serially connected with an adjacent device for propagating address assignment commands to a connected device; a reset input for receiving a signal which removes a previously assigned address to the device; a configuration protocol device which receives an configuration command from the configuration input terminals, and initiates on the configuration input a CONFIRM ACCEPT, or CONFIRM REJECT signal depending whether a new address has been received from the SCSI bus during configuration command, as well as initiates a subsequent transmission on the SCSI bus of the device address; and, switching means connecting the input terminal to the output terminal following a successful address assignment to the device; and, a master device, sequentially transmitting to each of the configurable devices a configuration command while applying a unique address on the SCSI bus for each of the configurable devices, and for asserting a BUSY condition on the SCSI bus during assignment of the addresses.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 49 words

A computer system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a second master device connected to the SCSI bus, the first and second master devices having different priorities for determining which of the master devices is a primary device, and which is a secondary backup device.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 30 words

A computer system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the primary and secondary devices arbitrate for access to the SCSI bus to perform address assignments for the address configurable devices.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

A computer system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the master station further comprises memory mapping means for storing addresses which are available for assignment.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 47 words

A computer system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the master device initiates polling commands on the SCSI bus to determine whether there are any devices on the SCSI bus which have a non-assignable fixed address, and remove the non-assignable device identities from the memory mapping means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 37 words

A computer system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the master device includes first and second sets of configuration input output terminals, forming first and second chained connections with first and second groups of address configurable devices.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 54 words

A computer system as claimed in claim 7 wherein each configurable device has first and second terminals forming the input and output terminals, each of the terminals including means sensing the presence of command data and configuring a terminal receiving configuration command as an input terminal, and the remaining terminal as an output terminal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 30 words

A computer system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each configurable device further comprises reset means for removing a previously assigned device address in response to a reset signal;

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 195 words

In or for a computer system, a method for assigning addresses to a plurality of address configurable devices connected to an SCSI bus comprising: initiating from a master device a busy condition on the SCSI bus; transmitting from the master device configuration commands to an input terminal of a configurable device connected to the SCSI bus, as well as assigned addresses associated with the command over the SCSI bus; receiving at a first of the address configurable devices on a first configuration terminal of the configurable device a first of the configuration commands and receiving on the SCSI bus an address for the first configurable device, and storing the received address as the first configurable device address; forwarding a second configuration command received at the first configurable device to an adjacent configuration device; receiving at the adjacent configuration device a first of the forwarded command data, and storing an associated address on the SCSI bus as the address for the adjacent configurable device; and, forwarding third and subsequently received configuration commands to additional configurable devices, whereby addresses associated with each of the commands are transmitted on the SCSI bus and entered in each configurable device.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 195 words

In or for a computer system, a method for assigning addresses to a plurality of address configurable devices connected to an SCSI bus comprising: initiating from a master device a busy condition on the SCSI bus; transmitting from the master device configuration commands to an input terminal of a configurable device connected to the SCSI bus, as well as assigned addresses associated with the command over the SCSI bus; receiving at a first of the address configurable devices on a first configuration terminal of the configurable device a first of the configuration commands and receiving on the SCSI bus an address for the first configurable device, and storing the received address as the first configurable device address; forwarding a second configuration command received at the first configurable device to an adjacent configuration device; receiving at the adjacent configuration device a first of the forwarded command data, and storing an associated address on the SCSI bus as the address for the adjacent configurable device; and, forwarding third and subsequently received configuration commands to additional configurable devices, whereby addresses associated with each of the commands are transmitted on the SCSI bus and entered in each configurable device.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method as claimed in claim 9 and further comprising initiating at each configurable device a CONFIGURATION ACCEPT signal on the input terminal signalling the master device that the address assignment was accepted.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising transmitting from the configurable device on the SCSI bus the address accepted by the configurable device when the ACCEPT signal is initiated.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising initiating from the master device a polling command to all devices on the SCSI bus which are not address assignable, storing addresses of the polled devices as addresses which are unassignable.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as claimed in claim 9 and further comprising generating assignable addresses for the configurable devices based on the addresses which are unassignable.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as claimed in claim 9 and further comprising initiating a reset to all of the configurable devices prior to initiating address assignments.

Apparatus and method for assigning addresses to SCSI supported peripheral devices

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