Digital Equipment Corporation

Richard Hennessy

John H Mallard

A multiple docking system allows multiple dock units to be connected to the bus of a primary unit notebook computer. This is accomplished using multiple bridges between the primary bus of the primary unit and secondary buses in each of the dock units. Importantly, the system allows for hot docking or docking of the multiple dock units to the primary unit while the primary unit is operational. It accomplishes this, however, without the latency impact associated with buffers on the primary bus. Instead, a docking signal is generated to a bridge in first dock unit as the second dock unit is docked. This causes the bridge to complete bus transactions between the primary bus and the first dock unit's secondary bus. The bridge also generates a float request signal to the primary unit and then floats the secondary bus only after receiving a float grant signal back.

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Worcester, MA, United States of America

Richard Hennessy