Input/output controller circuit using a single transceiver to serve multiple input/output ports and method therefor
US5416909A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 16, 1992 |
| Grant date | May 16, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 16, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/20
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An input/output (I/O) controller uses a single transceiver to service multiple I/O ports in a small computer system, such as an IBM PS/2 computer. Arbitration logic controls the access of the ports to the transceiver, and once the arbitration logic directs one of the ports to the transceiver, all other I/O devices are locked out until the transfer to or from the current I/O device is complete. Once the current transfer is complete, the arbitration logic then goes back to arbitrating, looking for the next I/O device that needs service. The associated circuitry to implement the arbitration and control logic is much smaller than the circuitry required for an additional transceiver, resulting in a lower system cost.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.