Configuration and RAM/ROM control of PCI extension card residing on MCA adapter card
First Claim
1. A method of configuring and ensuring that system memory space is allocated to at least one daughter card residing on a first type of bus on an adapter card, said adapter card being connected to a host portion of a computer via a second type of bus and comprising a bridge for interfacing said first type of bus with said second type of bus, the method comprising:
- storing a value which identifies a device residing on said at least one daughter card in a first register of said adapter card;
storing a value which addresses a byte of configuration data of said identified device in a second register of said adapter card;
writing configuration data to be written to said addressed configuration data byte of said identified device to a third register of said adapter card;
responsive to said at least one daughter card including RAM, selectively enabling a RAM aperture for addressing said RAM;
responsive to said at least one daughter card including ROM, selectively enabling a ROM aperture for addressing said ROM;
storing a size of said RAM aperture in a fourth register of said adapter card;
storing a starting address of said RAM aperture in a fifth register of said adapter card;
storing a location of said ROM aperture in a sixth register of said adapter card;
wherein each of said adapter card registers are electrically coupled to said bridge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for enabling configuration of a PCI daughter card residing on an MCA adapter card using MCA setup cycles and signals and for ensuring the allocation of memory space to the daughter card. In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises an MCA adapter card connected to an MCA system bus of a conventional PC. A PCI-compliant daughter card, the purpose of which is to provide additional functionality to circuitry of the adapter card, resides on a PCI bus of the adapter card. A PCI/MCA bridge is provided for interfacing the MCA system bus with the PCI bus of the adapter card for enabling configuration of the daughter card during the setup sequence of the MCA bus and to respond with an appropriate ROM signature during DOS boot-up to ensure that memory space will be allocated to the daughter card, if needed. A first set of XPOS registers of the adapter card are used selectively to enable the bridge and to allow the PCI configuration space, or registers, of the daughter card and other PCI-compliant devices on the daughter card to be selectively accessed and initialized. Certain registers of a second set of XPOS registers are used to set the data flow mode of the bridge and to respond with the correct ROM signature at DOS boot-up of the PC. The remaining ones of the second set of XPOS registers are used selectively to enable and to store the size and location of any necessary RAM and/or ROM apertures of the daughter card, thereby enabling the bridge to initiate a PCI operation to the daughter card if it decodes an address within either of the apertures.
98 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of configuring and ensuring that system memory space is allocated to at least one daughter card residing on a first type of bus on an adapter card, said adapter card being connected to a host portion of a computer via a second type of bus and comprising a bridge for interfacing said first type of bus with said second type of bus, the method comprising:
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storing a value which identifies a device residing on said at least one daughter card in a first register of said adapter card; storing a value which addresses a byte of configuration data of said identified device in a second register of said adapter card; writing configuration data to be written to said addressed configuration data byte of said identified device to a third register of said adapter card; responsive to said at least one daughter card including RAM, selectively enabling a RAM aperture for addressing said RAM; responsive to said at least one daughter card including ROM, selectively enabling a ROM aperture for addressing said ROM; storing a size of said RAM aperture in a fourth register of said adapter card; storing a starting address of said RAM aperture in a fifth register of said adapter card; storing a location of said ROM aperture in a sixth register of said adapter card; wherein each of said adapter card registers are electrically coupled to said bridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of ensuring that system memory space is allocated to at least one daughter card residing on a first type of bus on an adapter card, said adapter card being connected to a host portion of a computer via a second type of bus and comprising a bridge for interfacing said first type of bus with said second type of bus, the method comprising:
- responsive to said at least one daughter card including RAM, selectively enabling a RAM aperture for addressing said RAM;
responsive to said at least one daughter card including ROM, selectively enabling a ROM aperture for addressing said ROM; storing a size of said RAM aperture in a first register of said adapter card; storing a starting address of said RAM aperture in a second register of said adapter card; storing a location of said ROM aperture in a third register of said adapter card; wherein said first, second and third registers are electrically coupled to said bridge. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- responsive to said at least one daughter card including RAM, selectively enabling a RAM aperture for addressing said RAM;
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27. A method of configuring a daughter card residing on a Peripheral Component Architecture (PCI) bus on an adapter card connected to a host portion of a computer via a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus and comprising a bridge for interfacing said PCI bus with said MCA bus, the method comprising:
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storing in a first register of said adapter card a value which identifies one of a plurality of PCI-compliant devices residing on said at least one daughter card; storing in a second register of said adapter card a value which addresses a byte of configuration data of said identified one of said PCI-compliant devices; and writing configuration data to said addressed configuration data byte of said identified one of said PCI-compliant devices to a third register of said adapter card by writing said configuration data to a third register of said adapter card. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. Apparatus for configuring and ensuring that system memory space is allocated to at least one daughter card residing on a Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus on an adapter card, said adapter card being connected to a host portion of a computer via a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus and comprising a bridge for interfacing said PCI bus with said MCA bus, the apparatus comprising:
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first register means electrically coupled to said bridge for storing a value which identifies a device residing on said at least one daughter card; second register means electrically coupled to said bridge for storing a value which addresses to a byte of configuration data of said identified device; means for writing configuration data to be written to said addressed configuration data byte of said identified device to a third register means electrically coupled to said bridge; fourth register means electrically coupled to said bridge for storing a size of a RAM aperture of said at least one daughter card; fifth register means electrically coupled to said bridge for storing a starting address of said RAM aperture; and sixth register means electrically coupled to said bridge for storing a location of a ROM aperture of said at least one daughter card. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification