Iomega Corporation

William P Baker

Jon B Newman

Douglas S Reynolds

Grant W Dearden

Kevin G Dabb

David Lee Jolley

Monte J Larsen

Rick L Johnson

Mark A Hoferitza

Kevin J Colohan

Richard F Leavitt

Todd R Shelton

Jonathon Guerra

Edward Maurice Domengeaux

Charles S Hamilton

Theodore J Smith

Erich Michael Flynn

Williaim P Wear

An information storage device () includes a cartridge () removably inserted into a cradle () that has a drive module () releasably coupled to an interface module (). The interface module can be operatively coupled by a cable () to a remote system. Communications through the cable conform to an industry-standard protocol. The storage device can receive power from either the cable or an external power source (). The interface module can detect a change in the source of its operating power during normal system operation, and ensure that this is reported through the cable.

Method and apparatus for managing power consumption on a bus

A connector making electrical contact with a mating connector includes a base which is slidable in the housing in initial movement to plug or unplug the connector into the mating connector. This initial movement cams the tension arms mounted on the printed circuit board of the connector to rotate hooks on the connector to unlock it from its mating connector. The connector includes a second set of contacts having a different electrical configuration which allows a hot-swappable connection.

Electrical connector with lock

Cable strain-relief member for a PC card

Method and apparatus are disclosed for repeatedly monitoring the communication bus type and concurrently monitoring to determine if termination of the communication bus is necessary. The method comprises the steps of initializing several communication lines to logical high; determining based on the value of the input lines whether the communication bus is a parallel bus or SCSI bus; if the bus is SCSI bus, sending a low signal followed by a high signal across the output of one of the communication lines; sensing whether the communication line follows the biasing; if the output communication line follows the biasing, terminating the communication bus; if the output communication line does not follow the biasing, not terminating the communication bus. The apparatus comprises eight communication lines of the communication bus and a microprocessor electrically connected to the communication bus for stimulating and monitoring the eight communication lines in accordance with the above method.

Device and method for continuously polling for communication bus type termination

Overmold for an electrical connector

A multiple interface input/output port allows communication between an interface bus of a peripheral device and any one of a plurality of different types of interface buses that may be provided in a host computer. An interface bus detection circuit detects which type of interface bus the peripheral device is connected to on the host computer, and communications are then routed through an appropriate interface adapter that enables communication between the interface buses of the peripheral device and host computer. The interface bus detection circuit compares signal levels on selected ones of the lines of the interface bus of the host computer to a reference potential to determine which of the selected lines are grounded. The circuit then identifies the type of interface bus to which it is connected based on the determination of which of the selected lines of the interface bus are grounded.

Multiple interface input/output port allows communication between the

Housing for electrical connectors

An apparatus for preventing peripherals from back powering a host computer is disclosed. The apparatus use a timer and associated logic circuitry to determine the time period between signals being sent to the host computer from the peripheral device. Under predetermined time-out conditions, the current output by the peripheral is disabled to prevent the peripheral from back powering a main computer.

Smart peripheral back-power prevention

Device and method for continuously polling for communication bus type

Multiple interface input/output port for a peripheral device

A cable for connecting a peripheral device to an input/output port configured in accordance with either a SCSI protocol or a parallel port protocol has a first connector which has a plurality of contact pins for connecting the cable to the peripheral device; a second connector which has a plurality of contact pins for connecting the cable to the input/output port; and a plurality of twisted pairs each having a first conductor and a second conductor. The first conductor of each of the twisted pairs is a data/control line, and the second conductor of the twisted pair is a return for the respective data/control line in accordance with the SCSI protocol. The first and second conductors of each of the twisted pairs are connected between selected pins of the first and second connectors such that none of the twisted pairs carries a data/control signal on both its first and second conductors when the cable is connected to an input/output port that is configured in accordance with the parallel port protocol.

Combined SCSI/parallel port cable

Growing community of inventors

Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

William P Baker