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:
Sep. 25, 2001
Filed:
May. 31, 2000
Lester Schowe, Louisville, CO (US);
Steven E. Thomson, Lafayette, CO (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
Serial port circuitry (,) for use in a mass data storage device (,) and a method for configuring and operating it are disclosed. The serial port circuitry includes a serial port (,) for providing information from circuitry within the mass data storage device (,) for use external to said mass data storage device and user programmable circuitry connected to the serial port to receive externally applied signals (,) to modify at least one parameter of said mass data storage device (,). The user programmable circuitry preferably includes a sequencer (,) programmed to selectively provide at least two different serial port control outputs (,) to modify at least two parameters of said mass data storage device. The sequencer (,) executes pre-established program instructions contained in a RAM (,) to control the mass data storage device. The sequencer includes a state machine (,) configured by selected outputs states of the RAM, an address generator (,) for applying addresses to the RAM for producing the selected outputs from the RAM, and a timing circuit (,) for timing programmable time periods for continuing execution of selected RAM output commands.