APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING PARALLEL AND SERIAL PCI HOT PLUG SIGNALS

• US 20080052438A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Sastry, Joseph Bennett
• Original Assignee: David Sastry, Joseph Bennett
• Inventors: Bennett, Joseph, Sastry, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0024 Peripheral component interconnect [PCI]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for operating a hot plug system. A first device may determine whether the system is to operate in one of a parallel mode or a serial mode. A second device may control a mode of the chipset based on the determination of the first device. The second device may include logic, a first multiplexer, a second multiplexer, a first converter and a second converter all provided on the chipset.

Claims

1. A mechanism of a chipset for operating a hot plug system, said mechanism comprising:

a first device to determine whether said system is to operate in one of a parallel mode and a serial mode; and

a second device to control a mode of said chipset based on said determination of said first device.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said first device comprises a hot plug controller provided on said chipset.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said second device comprises logic to control operations based on said determination of said first device.

4. The mechanism of claim 3, further comprising a hot plug bus to receive signals in one of said parallel mode and said serial mode.

5. The mechanism of claim 4, wherein said second device further comprises a first multiplexor to receive signals from said hot plug bus and a second multiplexor to output signals to said hot plug bus, said first multiplexer and said second multiplexer to operate based on a control signal output from said logic indicating one of said parallel mode and said serial mode.

6. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein said second device further comprises a first converter coupled between said hot plug bus and said first multiplexer to convert serial signals to parallel signals, and a second converter coupled between a hot plug controller and said second multiplexer to convert parallel signals to serial signals.

7. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said chipset corresponds to a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) 64-bit hub.

8. A hot plug computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory controller to couple to said processor; and

a chipset to couple to said memory controller and to provide an interface with a peripheral bus, said chipset further including a control mechanism to operate in one of a serial mode and a parallel mode, said control mechanism comprising;

a first device to determine whether said system is to operate in one of a parallel 8 mode and a serial mode; and

a second device to control a mode of said chipset based on said determination of said first device.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein said first device comprises a hot plug controller provided on said chipset.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein said second device comprises logic to control operations based on said determination of said first device.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising a hot plug bus to receive signals in one of said parallel mode and said serial mode.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said second device further comprises a first multiplexor to receive signals from said hot plug bus and a second multiplexor to output signals to said hot plug bus, said first multiplexer and said second multiplexer to operate based on a control signal output from said logic indicating one of said parallel mode and said serial mode.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said second device further comprises a first converter coupled between said hot plug bus and said first multiplexer to convert serial signals to parallel signals, and a second converter coupled between a hot plug controller and said second multiplexer to convert parallel signals to serial signals.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein said chipset corresponds to a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) 64-bit hub.

15. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising an external hot plug controller deserializer to couple between said control mechanism and at least one device on said peripheral bus.

16. A method of operating a hot plug computer system having a chipset, said method comprising:

determining whether said system operates in one of a serial mode and a parallel mode; and

controlling a mode of said chipset based on said determination.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said determining and said controlling are performed by a control mechanism provided on said chipset.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said chipset corresponds to a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) 64-bit hub.

19. A chipset for operating a hot plug system, said chipset comprising logic to determine whether said system is to operate in one of a parallel mode and a serial mode and to control a mode of said chipset based on said determination.

20. The chipset of claim 19, wherein said logic comprises a hot plug controller, a parallel to serial converter, and a serial to parallel converter all provided on said chipset.

21. The chipset of claim 19, wherein said logic further comprises a first multiplexor and a second multiplexor provided on said chipset.