The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 24, 1992
Thomas F Heil, Easley, SC (US);
AT&T Global Information Solutions Company, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
A Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus provides component level interconnection of processors, peripherals and memories. A bus protocol mechanism includes a Special Cycle command for defining 'soft', i.e., configurable, transaction types for use between devices communicating on the PCI bus. Using the Special Cycle command, two or more devices attached to the bus can establish a device-specific logical signalling channel that expands upon, but does not violate, the PCI specification. This device-specific signalling channel provides logical sideband signaling between PCI bus devices, when such signaling does not require the precise timing or synchronization of physical signals. This allows the systems designer to define necessary sideband signalling without requiring any additional pins on the PCI bus.