Hewlett-packard Company

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Raymond A Purcell

Stephen F Bayless

Gregory A Hill

Lee A Atchison

Charles D Platz

Glen Atkins

An apparatus and method for communicating between a controller and a message processing device over a universal serial bus (USB). The apparatus may comprise an interface having a bulk data-out endpoint for receiving a data-out packet from the controller that requests data from the device. The interface also has an interrupt-in endpoint for receiving interrupt-in packets from the controller requesting a status of the requested data from the device. When the requested data becomes available, logic at the interface transmits the status from the interrupt-in endpoint to the controller. In addition, when USB bandwidth so permits, logic at the interface also transmits the data with the status from the interrupt-in endpoint to the controller. Alternatively, where the data is not transmitted with the status, upon receiving the status the controller queries the interface at a bulk data-in endpoint for the requested data. The device responds through logic at the interface by transmitting the data from the bulk data-in endpoint to the controller in response to the query. The interface may also comprise a bidirectional control endpoint for communicating control signals (e.g., device clear) between the device and the controller.

Apparatus and method for universal serial bus communications

Methods and associated apparatus for using a dual-boot capable programmable device and for updating programmed information in such a dual-boot capable programmable device. The apparatus of the present invention includes a primary boot memory device, a secondary boot memory device, and means for selecting between the two memory devices for purposes of 'booting' the dual-boot mode device. In particular, a reset switch of the apparatus of the present invention resets devices in the dual-boot capable programmable device and is coupled to a selection device. The selection device multiplexes signals from the two boot memory devices onto the corresponding bus signals of the dual-boot capable programmable device. When a 'long' reset switch activation is sensed, the selection device selects a first of the two boot memory devices for coupling to the programmable device. A 'short' activation of the reset switch selects the other boot memory device. The present invention also includes methods for updating the contents of the two boot memory devices so as to avoid an inoperable state encountered due to failure of the update process in a single boot memory device. In particular, both boot memory devices are updated in sequence. The second memory update is prevented if the first memory update is determined to have failed.

Methods and apparatus for dual-boot memory selection, update, and

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Raymond A Purcell