Hewlett-packard Company

John W Slattery

Kerry J Monroe

Bradley W Hamilton

Mark J Jedrzejewski

Terry W Norton

An automatically configurable I/O board and associated software avoids any need for jumpers, switches, or other configuration changes upon installation of the board. Utilization of the main computer capability to select addresses and values likely to be available involves an installation or other routine which arrives at a unique parameter through common commands and repetitive execution. Uniqueness of the parameter or address is accomplished by checking for use elsewhere in the system prior to operation of the board. Steps are taken to avoid any inappropriate changes in conflicting I/O boards by activating and disabling components such as the control register on the board through use of a state machine, by using non-destructive commands for initial checks, by tristating unnecessary lines, and by re-initializing registers whenever a conflict is encountered. Additionally no address space is used to activate the board.

System for activating and configuring an input/output board in a computer

System for configuring and input/output board in a computer

An automatically configurable I/O board and associated software avoids any need for jumpers, switches, or other configuration changes upon installation of the board. Utilization of the main computer capability to select addresses and values likely to be available involves an installation or other routine which arrives at a unique parameter through common commands and repetitive execution. Uniqueness of the parameter or address is accomplished by checking for use elsewhere in the system prior to operation of the board. Steps are taken to avoid any inappropriate changes in conflicting I/O boards by activating components on the board through use of a state machine, by using non-destructive commands for initial checks, by tristating unnecessary lines, and by re-initializing registers whenever a conflict is encountered. Additionally no address space is used to activate the board.

System for configuring an input/output board in a computer

A configurable driver/termination circuit for use in a peripheral device connected to a computer input/output controller bus. The driver/termination circuit has the pull-up current source characteristics of a three-state driver and the pull-down current sink characteristics of a open collector driver. Logic circuit defines the operating mode. In a default mode, the driver/termination circuit can function in either open collector or three-state bus designs. The circuit mode is changed by command from a host computer to explicitly operate as an open collector driver/terminator, as a three-state driver, or as an inactive high impedance. Alternatively, peripheral devices automatically select the mode which minimizes data transmission errors.

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

John W Slattery