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. 06, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 21, 2000
Keith M. Self, Aloha, OR (US);
Matthew B. Haycock, Beaverton, OR (US);
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An example embodiment of a computer system that includes a removable agent that can be removed or installed without powering down the system includes a fixed bus agent and the replaceable bus agent. The fixed bus agent and the replaceable bus agent are electrically coupled together by a presence detect signal, a synchronization signal, and a data bus. A deassertion of the presence detect signal indicates to the fixed bus agent that the removable bus agent has been disconnected and is no longer electrically coupled to the fixed bus agent. The fixed bus agent then tri-states its outputs and also prevents potentially invalid data from being delivered to the core circuitry of the fixed bus agent. An assertion of the presence detect signal indicates to the fixed bus agent that the replaceable bus agent is electrically connected to the fixed bus agent. In response to the assertion of the presence detect signal, the fixed bus agent and the replaceable bus agent enter reset periods. Following the reset periods and when each bus agent is ready to communicate to the other agent, the fixed bus agent and the replaceable bus agent signal to each other over the synchronization signal that each is ready to begin communication over the data bus.