Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor multi-device system with logic means for controlling the operational mode of a set of input/output data bus drivers

US5287464A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
13References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 24, 1990
Grant dateFeb 15, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 24, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F13/4072
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A semiconductor multi-device system incorporated on a single semiconductor chip is disclosed including a central processing unit, a bus, a plurality of peripherals, a plurality of on-chip data bus drivers connected to selected lines of the bus, and logic means for controlling the operation of the on-chip data bus drivers. The multi-device system of the invention is capable of interacting with off-chip components including an off-chip processing unit and off-chip peripherals. The off-chip components may also include a plurality of off-chip data bus drivers that drive data signals onto and off of an off-chip data bus. The on-chip and off-chip drivers must cooperate in order for data signals to transfer properly between the on-chip and off-chip components. The logic means of the invention is designed so as to minimize the logic necessary to cause the on-chip drivers and the off-chip drivers to cooperate properly. The logic means of the invention is also designed to function properly regardless of whether the on-chip processing unit or the off-chip processing unit is in control of the overall system comprising both on-chip and off-chip components. The logic means is also designed to co…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.