Circuit and method for configuring a bus bridge using parameters from a supplemental parameter memory
US6119192A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 21, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 21, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/4027
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A circuit and method are provided for initializing configuration registers in a bus bridge controller so that peripheral devices can acquire functionality prior to initialization by a normal system Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) routine. The initialization information is stored in a supplemental configuration Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), separate from a conventional system BIOS ROM. In addition, the register configuration information is stored in a flexible format so that only certain devices are pre-configured, or that certain devices are initialized before others. The invention has particular usefulness in personal computing systems which include a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an ISA bus, and a system management bus (SMB) for providing access to the EEPROM.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.