O2micro International Limited

02 Micro International Limited

2micro International Limited

Richard Brayden

Yishao Max Huang

Hyang-Kyun Oh

Neil Morrow

An integrated controller for the detection and operation of both PC Cards, smart cards and passive smart card adapter cards. In one aspect, the invention detects the presence of standard expansion cards or passive smart card adapters by utilizing the reserved detection and voltage selection signal area defined by the PC Card specification. In another aspect, the invention provides an integrated controller that includes logic to operate either a standard expansion card or a passive smart card adapter by reassigning certain PC Card signal lines to operate a standard expansion card or a passive smart card adapter, thereby eliminating the need to provide pins in addition to those defined by the PC Card specification.

Integrated PC Card host controller for the detection and operation of a plurality of expansion cards

A cardbus controller is provided that reduces signal count and board area. In one exemplary embodiment, the controller is adapted to multiplex selected signals in a two PC Card system so that signal lines are not repeated. The selected signals may include common signals between two PC Cards. The controller may also include early detection circuitry, arbitration circuitry and power management circuitry to more effectively operate two PC Cards. In other exemplary embodiments, the invention provides a method of reducing the chip area of a PC Card controller integrated circuit by mapping an internal IDSEL signal to an external address line.

Reduced cardbus controller

Integrated PC card host controller for the detection and operation of a plurality of expansion cards

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Richard Brayden