EP0516993A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Removable media emulator
Assignee: Tandon Corp
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Filing: 1992-05-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-05-07
Abstract
Abstract A removable peripheral device system for use in a computer system is disclosed including a device emulator which allows connection or disconnection of peripheral devices without reconfiguring the computer system. The device emulator controls the logical and physical connection and disconnection of the device to a computer bus during system operation. The device emulator responds for the device when it is logically or physically disconnected from the bus. A unique apparatus for logically connecting and disconnecting the device from the bus and device ID selection apparatus is also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Burton Alan Bregman
- 👤 Rudolfo Lopez
- 👤 Kenneth Yu-Kwai Huang
- 👤 Mark Jackson
- 👤 David A. Kummer
- 👤 Larry Rice
- 👤 Robert T. Rumer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 05:22
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/06; G06F3/0601; G06F13/00; G06F13/38; G06F13/42; G06F13/4204; G06F13/4221; G06F13/4226; G06F3/0668; G06F3/0671; G06F3/0673
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
An emulator to allow a device to be dynamically connected and disconnected from a computer bus (70) comprising: a communication controller (20), connected to the bus for communicating over the bus (70); an emulator controller (10) connected to the communication controller (20) for receiving commands addressed to the device and responding for the device when the device is not logically connected to the bus; the emulator being operative to detect the presence or absence of the device on the bus (70) and responding for the device when the device is logically disconnected from the bus.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
101 words
A removable media emulator for dynamically connecting and disconnecting a fixed media device to a SCSI bus (70) comprising: an SCSI controller (20) connected to the SCSI bus (70) for communicating over the bus; an emulator controller (10) connected to the SCSI controller (20) for receiving commands addressed to the device and responding for the fixed media device when it is not logically connected to the SCSI bus; the emulator being operative to detect the presence or absence of and responding to communications directed to the fixed media device on the bus (70) while it is logically disconnected from the bus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The emulator of claim 2 further comprising: a fixed disk drive (60) adapted for installation and removal from the SCSI bus (70) during normal system operations; a receptacle (50) for receiving the fixed disk drive (60) and for supplying electrical connections from the SCSI bus (70) to the drive.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
122 words
The system of claim 3 further comprising: an SCSI ID masking circuit (40) connected between the fixed disk drive (60) and the SCSI bus (70) for allowing and blocking signal propagation on one or more SCSI data lines between the SCSI bus and fixed disk drive; the one or more SCSI data lines corresponding to the SCSI device ID for the disk drive (60) when installed in the receptacle (50); the SCSI ID masking circuit (40) being further connected to the emulator controller (10) for receiving a mask command (MASKIM); the SCSI ID masking circuit (40) being further operative in response to the mask command (MASKIM) to block signal propagation to the fixed disk drive (60) on the respective SCSI data line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
98 words
The system of claim 4 further comprising: a last message sent circuit (30) having an input connected to the SCSI bus (70) and operative to monitor one or more codes sent by the fixed disk drive (60) to the bus; the last message sent circuit (30) being operative in response to the codes to detect a drive idle condition in which the fixed disk drive (60) is not currently working on any commands; the system being further operative upon detection of the drive idle condition to selectively mask the fixed disk drive (60) from the SCSI bus (70).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
An SCSI device for removable use in a SCSI system comprising: an ID selection circuit (108) for selecting one or more of a plurality of SCSI ID's; a connector for electrical connection to a system receptacle (50); the ID selection circuit (108) being electrically connected to the connector for selection of the one or more ID's by a circuit external to the SCSI device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The SCSI device of claim 6 further comprising: an ID jumper selection block (108) for selection of the one or more ID's using electrical jumpers; the ID jumper selection block (108) being electrically connected to the connector.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
167 words
A computer system comprising: a central processing unit for performing general purpose computations; semiconductor memory circuits for storing instructions and data operatively connected to the central processing unit; an I/O bus operatively connected to the central processing unit through a communication host for communicating to one or more peripheral devices; a removable media emulator ("RME") for dynamically connecting and disconnecting a fixed media peripheral device to the I/O bus including, an RME communication circuit connected to the I/O bus for communicating over the bus; an RME control circuit connected to the RME communication circuit for receiving commands addressed to and responding for the fixed media peripheral device when it is not logically connected to the I/O bus; the RME being operative to detect the presence or absence of and responding to communications directed to the fixed media peripheral device on the I/O bus while it is logically disconnected from the I/O bus such that the RME and fixed media peripheral device emulate a removable media emulator device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0345584A2
Cited
EP0403207A2
Cited
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