Apparatus for automatically disabling and isolating a computer's original processor upon installation of a processor upgrade card
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An upgraded computer system, comprising:
- 1) a system board including at least a part of a first chip set, the first chip set including;
a) an 80286 processor chip having a HOLD input, the 80286 processor chip having status and control signals of an 80286 timing and format;
b) an 82C211 chip; and
c) a numeric processor interrupt disable circuit, receiving an interrupt signal from the 82C211 chip;
2) an 80386SX plug-in module including;
a) an 80386SX processor socket in which is inserted an 80386SX processor chip, the 80386SX processor chip having status and control signals of an 80386SX timing and format;
b) an 80387SX co-processor socket;
c) translation circuitry which translates status and control signals from the 80386SX timing and format to the 80286 timing and format, the translation circuitry including programmable arrays of logic elements whose composite function is determined by programming a plurality of equations thereinto;
d) a numeric processor interrupt circuit which generates a plug-in numeric processor interrupt signal under certain conditions;
e) a first clock selection circuit which determines the characteristics of clock signal which is used by clock generation circuitry within the 82C211 chip; and
f) an installation announcement circuit, the installation announcement circuit including a connection from an SXINST# pin on a plug-in connector to ground, the connection from the SXINST# to ground providing an installation announcement signal to which the 80286 processor is responsive whenever the plug-in module is installed, the installation announcement signal causing disablement of the 82086 processor without its physical removal from the system board while allowing the 80386SX processor to assume functions in the computer system otherwise performed by the 80286 processor, the installation announcement signal also causing the numeric processor interrupt disable circuit to prevent the interrupt signal from the 82C211 from reaching any portion of the computer system; and
3) a connector, in electrical contact with both the system board and the installed plug-in module, for carrying the SXINST# signal from the installation announcement circuit on the 80386SX plug-in module to control the HOLD input of the 80286 processor and the numeric processor interrupt disable circuit on the system board.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for upgrading a computer is disclosed. Certain essential chips present in the original computer system are functionally, but not physically, removed from the computer system. The functions which would otherwise be performed by the original chips are instead performed by higher-performance chips on a plug-in module which is plugged into the computer system. The functional removal of the certain chips from the original computer system is achieved through simple insertion of the plug-in module. No replacement or substitution of original chips or boards is necessary.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. An upgraded computer system, comprising:
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1) a system board including at least a part of a first chip set, the first chip set including; a) an 80286 processor chip having a HOLD input, the 80286 processor chip having status and control signals of an 80286 timing and format; b) an 82C211 chip; and c) a numeric processor interrupt disable circuit, receiving an interrupt signal from the 82C211 chip; 2) an 80386SX plug-in module including; a) an 80386SX processor socket in which is inserted an 80386SX processor chip, the 80386SX processor chip having status and control signals of an 80386SX timing and format; b) an 80387SX co-processor socket; c) translation circuitry which translates status and control signals from the 80386SX timing and format to the 80286 timing and format, the translation circuitry including programmable arrays of logic elements whose composite function is determined by programming a plurality of equations thereinto; d) a numeric processor interrupt circuit which generates a plug-in numeric processor interrupt signal under certain conditions; e) a first clock selection circuit which determines the characteristics of clock signal which is used by clock generation circuitry within the 82C211 chip; and f) an installation announcement circuit, the installation announcement circuit including a connection from an SXINST# pin on a plug-in connector to ground, the connection from the SXINST# to ground providing an installation announcement signal to which the 80286 processor is responsive whenever the plug-in module is installed, the installation announcement signal causing disablement of the 82086 processor without its physical removal from the system board while allowing the 80386SX processor to assume functions in the computer system otherwise performed by the 80286 processor, the installation announcement signal also causing the numeric processor interrupt disable circuit to prevent the interrupt signal from the 82C211 from reaching any portion of the computer system; and 3) a connector, in electrical contact with both the system board and the installed plug-in module, for carrying the SXINST# signal from the installation announcement circuit on the 80386SX plug-in module to control the HOLD input of the 80286 processor and the numeric processor interrupt disable circuit on the system board. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A base computer system with modular upgrade capability, in which installation of a module which is not originally part of the base computer system causes functional disablement of a first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, while allowing a second processor on the module to assume functions which would otherwise be performed by the first processor, the base computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the base computer system comprising:
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a) the first processor, having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; b) an OR circuit having an output signal which is input to the first input of the first processor, the OR circuit having respective inputs responsive to; 1) a first signal generated from within the base computer system, the first signal for causing functional disablement of the first processor when the first signal is active and a module is not installed in the base computer system; and 2) an installation announcement signal output by the module when the module is installed, the installation announcement signal being restricted to a path in the base computer system which is electrically separate from the expansion bus signals paths, thereby causing functional disablement only of the first processor and of minimal portions of the base computer system to allow the second processor to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor; and c) the path which carries the installation announcement signal to the OR circuit. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A base computer system with modular upgrade capability, in which installation of a module which is not originally part of the base computer system causes functional disablement of at least a portion of the base computer system without its physical removal from the computer system, while allowing the module to assume functions which would otherwise be performed by the disabled portions of the base computer system, the module generating an installation announcement signal when installed in the base computer system, the base computer system comprising:
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a) a circuit which generates a local numeric processor interrupt signal; b) a numeric processor interrupt isolation circuit, including; 1) an input responsive to the local numeric processor interrupt signal; 2) an output which may either be i) responsive to the local numeric processor interrupt signal;
orii) rendered inactive; and 3) an enable input, responsive to the installation announcement signal from the module, the enable input controlling whether the output of the numeric processor interrupt isolation circuit (i) is responsive to the local numeric processor interrupt signal or (ii) is rendered inactive.
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11. A base computer system with modular upgrade capability, in which installation of a module which is not originally part of the base computer system cause disablement of a first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, so as to allow a second processor on the module to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor, the base computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the base computer system comprising:
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a) the first processor, having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; b) an OR circuit having an output signal which is input to the first input of the first processor, the OR circuit having respective inputs responsive to; 1) a first signal generated from within the base computer system, the first signal for causing disablement of the first processor when the first signal is active and a module is not installed in the base computer system; and 2) an installation announcement signal which is generated when the module is installed into the base computer system, the installation announcement signal being restricted to a path in the base computer system which is electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths, thereby causing functional disablement only of the first processor and of minimal portions of the base computer system to allow the second processor to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor; and c) the path which carries the installation announcement signal to the OR circuit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A base computer system with modular upgrade capability, in which installation of a module which is not originally part of the base computer system causes disablement of a first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, so as to allow a second processor on the module to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor, the base computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the base computer system comprising:
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a) the first processor, having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; b) means for providing a disabling signal to the first input of the first processor, in response to (1) a first signal generated from within the base computer system, the first signal causing disablement of the first processor when the first signal is active and a module is not installed in the base computer system, or (2) an installation announcement signal output by the module when the module is installed into the base computer system, the installation announcement signal thereby causing functional disablement of the first processor so as to allow the second processor to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor, wherein the means for providing the disabling signal constitutes means for providing the disabling signal only to the first processor and to portions of the base computer system other than the expansion bus, which portions if not disabled would interfere with the second processor'"'"'s assuming functions otherwise performed by the first processor; and c) a path for carrying the installation announcement signal to the means for providing, the path being electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An upgraded computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the upgraded computer system comprising:
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1) a first processor having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; 2) a module including; a) a second processor, having at least certain performance characteristics different than performance characteristics of the first processor; and b) an installation announcement circuit for generating an installation announcement signal whenever the module is installed in the computer system, the first input of the first processor being responsive to the installation announcement signal to cause disablement of the first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, the installation announcement signal not causing disablement of any portion of the computer system other than the first processor and portions of the computer system which if not disabled would interfere with the second processor'"'"'s assuming functions otherwise performed by the first processor; and 3) a path, being electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths, for carrying the installation announcement signal from the module only to the processor and to the portions which if not disabled would interfere with the second processor'"'"'s assuming functions otherwise performed by the first processor; wherein the installation announcement circuit generates the installation announcement signal to cause disablement of (1) a disable acknowledge signal indicating disablement of the first processor to the remainder of the computer system, as well as (2) a co-processor interrupt which, if not disabled, would interfere with the operation of the second processor. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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29. A base computer system with modular upgrade capability, in which installation of a module which is not originally part of the base computer system caused disablement of a first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, while allowing a second processor on the module to assume functions which would otherwise be performed by the first processor, the base computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the base computer system comprising:
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a) the first processor, having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; b) means for providing a disabling signal to the first input of the first processor, in response to (1) a first signal generated from within the base computer system, the first signal for causing disablement of the first processor when the first signal is active and a module is not installed in the base computer system, for (2) an installation announcement signal output by the module whenever it is installed in the base computer system; c) means for disabling signals generated in the base computer system (`b) which, if not disabled, would indicate disablement of the first processor to the remainder of the base computer system or (2) which, if not disabled, would interfere with control exerted by the module; and d) a path for carrying the installation announcement signal to the means for providing and to the means for disabling, the path being electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An upgraded computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the upgraded computer system comprising:
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1) a first processor having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; 2) a module installed in the computer system, the module including a second processor and an installation announcement circuit for generating an installation announcement signal whenever the module is installed in the computer system; 3) a first path, being electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths, for carrying to the first input a disabling signal determined by the installation announcement signal so that installation of the module causes disablement of the first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, the first path carrying the disabling signal leading only to portions of the computer system which, if not disabled, would interfere with the second processor'"'"'s assuming functions otherwise performed by the first processor; and 4) a second path, being electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths, for carrying the installation announcement signal from the module to activate the disabling signal; wherein the installation announcement circuit generates the installation announcement signal to cause disablement of (1) a disable acknowledge signal indicating disablement of the first processor to the remainder of the computer system, as well as (2) a co-processor interrupt which, if not disabled, would interfere with the operation of the second processor. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A base computer system with modular upgrade capability, in which installation of a module which is not originally part of the base computer system causes disablement of a first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, so as to allow a second processor on the module to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor, the base computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the base computer system comprising:
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a) the first processor, having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; b) means for providing a disabling signal to the first input of the first processor, in response to; (1) a first signal generated from within the base computer system, the first signal causing disablement of the first processor when the first signal is active and a module is not installed in the base computer system, or (2) an installation announcement signal generated by the module whenever the module is installed in the base computer system so as to cause disablement of the first processor and allow the second processor to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor; c) means for disabling signals generated in the base computer system (1) which, if not disabled, would indicate disablement of the first processor to the remainder of the base computer system or (2) which, if not disabled, would interfere with control exerted by the module; and d) a path for carrying the installation announcement signal to the means for providing and to the means for disabling, the path being electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A base computer system with modular upgrade capability, in which installation of a module which is not originally part of the base computer system causes disablement of a first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, so as to allow a second processor on the module to assume functions otherwise performed by the first processor, the base computer system having an expansion bus with a set of expansion bus signal paths, the base computer system comprising:
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a) the first processor, having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; b) a first path for carrying to the first input a disabling signal determined by an installation announcement signal which is generated whenever the module is installed in the base computer system, the first path leading only to the first processor and portions of the computer system which, if not disabled, would interfere with the second processor'"'"'s assuming functions otherwise performed by the first processor; and c) a second path, electrically separate from the expansion bus signal paths, for carrying the installation announcement signal from the module to activate the disabling signal; wherein the first path, leads only to the first processor, to disable acknowledge signal gating means associated with the first processor, and to co-processor interrupt gating means, which, if not disabled, would interfere with the operation of the second processor. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
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56. An upgraded computer system, comprising:
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1) a first processor having a first input which, when activated, disables the first processor; and 2) a module consisting essentially of; a) a second processor and any related co-processor, having at least certain performance characteristics different than performance characteristics of the first processor; b) an installation announcement circuit for generating an installation announcement signal when the module is installed in the computer system, the first input of the first processor being responsive to the installation announcement signal to cause disablement of the first processor without its physical removal from the computer system, the installation announcement signal not causing disablement of any portion of the computer system other than the first processor and portions of the computer system which, if not disabled, would interfere with the second processor'"'"'s assuming functions otherwise performed by the first processor; c) translation circuitry making a bus of the first processor compatible with a bus of the second processor; and d) means for allowing the second processor, installation announcement circuit, and translation circuitry to operate properly; wherein the installation announcement circuit generates the installation announcement signal to cause disablement of (1) a disable acknowledge signal indicating disablement of the first processor to the remainder of the computer system as well as (2) a co-processor interrupt which, if not disabled, would interfere with the operation of the second processor. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 63)
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Specification