Digital Equipment Corporation

Eurologic Systems Limited

Michael J Hynes

Timothy G Lieber

Reuben Michael Martinez

Mike Stolz

Brian Long

Hans O'Sullivan

In a high-performance data storage system, an enclosure contains a multiplicity of disk drives, each of which has two high-speed serial data ports. Respective data lines are provided which connect each of the data ports with a respective high-speed data multiplexer. Importantly, each of the multiplexers is also connected with each of two distinct I/O modules. Failure of either I/O module still permits the remaining I/O module to have serial high-speed connectivity with each of the multiplexers, and thus with each of the data ports on each disk drive. Finally, the overall function of the system may be selected as JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Drives), as SAN (Storage Area Network), or NAS (Network Attached Storage), without requiring any mechanical or electronic change other than the I/O modules.

Storage apparatus

A line driver is coupled by a pair of signal lines to a receiver. Preprocessing circuitry, for processing signals arriving on the pair of signal lines at the receiver, includes regulating circuitry for regulating the voltage between the signal lines between predetetermined limits and thereby modifying the sensitivity of the system to compensate for changes in line conditions and reject interference when the line driver is powered down. The regulating means includes: bias circuitry, for putting a bias on the signal passing through to the receiver, so as to hold the receiver input away from the triggering voltage level so that it is not triggered by noise; and bias limiting circuitry, responsive to signals from the driver so as to limit or reduce the effective bias, so that the sensitivity of the system to true signals from the driver is not reduced below a desired level. A resistor is connected between the two signal lines. A current regulating circuit includes circuitry for feeding a current through the resistor; and, for each signal line, there is current adjustment circuitry, responsive to the conditions on the signal lines for adjusting the current passing through the corresponding end of the resistor.

Interference suppression system

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Galway, Ireland

Michael J Hynes