Extender card with intercepting EEPROM for testing and programming un-programmed memory modules on a PC motherboard
US7117405B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 28, 2003 |
| Grant date | Oct 3, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 30, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/04
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An extender card is plugged into a memory module socket on a personal computer (PC) motherboard. The extender card has a test socket that receives a memory module under test. The extender card has an intercepting EEPROM chip that receives device-select lines from the motherboard. One of the device-select lines from the motherboard to a module EEPROM chip on the memory module is blocked by the extender card and altered so that the intercepting EEPROM chip is read by the motherboard rather than the module EEPROM chip. A memory configuration is read from the intercepting EEPROM chip. The memory module is tested by the motherboard using the configuration from the intercepting EEPROM chip on the extender card. The module EEPROM chip is then programmed with the configuration by altering the intercepted device-select address to select the module EEPROM chip and not the intercepting EEPROM chip.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.