Dual mode bus bridge for interfacing a host bus and a personal computer interface bus
US5828865A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 27, 1995 |
| Grant date | Oct 27, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 27, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/4081
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The dual mode bus bridge accommodates either two 64-bit personal computer interface (PCI) buses or four 32-bit PCI buses. In either case, only a single load is applied to the host bus. The dual mode bridge includes a bridge controller unit connected to a pair of expansion bridge units by respective internal buses. Each expansion bridge unit includes two sets of 64-bit wide queues and buffers. For 32-bit PCI operation, the two sets of queues and buffers are operated in parallel. For 64-bit PCI operation, the two sets of queues and buffers are linked together so as to appear in series to provide a single queue structure having twice the depth of the separate queue structures for a 32-bit mode operation. As such, undue duplication of queue and buffer resources is avoided. Method and apparatus embodiments of the invention are described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.