Hard Disk Drive Adapter For Emulating Hard Disk Drive Interface

• US 20080294421A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kwok-Yan Leung
• Original Assignee: Kwok-Yan Leung
• Inventors: Leung, Kwok-Yan
• Application Number:
  US11/752,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294421A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines

Abstract

Adapter for emulating hard disk drive interface is designed for providing IDE interface by means of emulation without having to install any additional drivers for the motherboard which lacks IDE interface. The controller of the adapter is able to provide reply information on the manufacturer name, serial number of the equipment, and the device type of the hard disk device to which it is electrically connected, by responding to the BIOS query though the bus interface, thus emulating the control components of the hard disk drive as if they were appeared to be configured on the motherboard. Therefore, the number of hard disk interface types as compared to that originally supported by the motherboard is expanded.

Claims

1. An adapter for emulating hard disk drive interface, to be inserted into a corresponding interface slot on a motherboard, and the motherboard comprising

at least a BIOS and a CPU, and the adapter, comprising:

a hard disk drive interface, electrically connected to a hard disk device;

a bus interface, inserted into a corresponding interface slot on the motherboard, and electrically connected to a bus on the motherboard; and

a controller, replying with information on the manufacturer name, the serial number of the equipment, and the device type of the hard disk device which is electrically connected to, by responding to the BIOS query though the bus interface, thus emulating control components of the hard disk drive wherein configured on the motherboard, and thereby expanding the support range for the number of hard disk interface types wherein had not been originally supported by the motherboard.

2. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller executes a reset program for the hard disk device for resetting the input and output port locations or the memory locations.

3. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller directly controls the operation of the hard disk device through the hard disk drive interface, when the hard disk drive interface is a PATA interface.

4. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller directly controls the operation of the hard disk device through the hard disk drive interface indirectly via an IDE-to-SATA bridge, when the hard disk drive interface is a SATA interface.