Semiconductor disk device with attachable integrated circuit cards

• US 5,522,049 A
• Filed: 05/02/1994
• Issued: 05/28/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshinaka, Toyofumi, Kimura, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Application Number:
  US08/236,014
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 395/550, 395/425, 395/600, 395/442, 395/429, 395/497.01, 395/282, 395/283, 395/281, 395/700, 395/500
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system

Abstract

A semiconductor disk device that is capable of processing hardware interface utilizing the basic input/output systems of various and different standard operating systems. This capability is realized by using detachable IC cards as the principal memory elements of the semiconductor disk device.

Claims

1. A semiconductor disk system operable in a basic input/output system, the basic input/output system processing communication signals of electronic hardware in a standard operating system comprising:

bus conversion means, operatively connected to said basic input/output system, for converting bus control signals for operating a floppy disk drive device, from said basic input/output system, to bus control signals for an integrated circuit card means, said bus conversion means being formed as a plurality of integrated circuit cards, each integrated circuit card forming said bus conversion means being associated with a different kind of card reading device and functioning as said bus conversion means when said semiconductor disk system is connected to said associated card reading device;

said integrated circuit card means, operatively connected to said bus conversion means, for providing a principle memory element for said semiconductor disk device; and

a card connector, integral of said semiconductor disk device, for attaching said integrated circuit card means to said semiconductor disk device;

said integrated circuit card means consisting essentially of,

a connector, operatively connected to said card connector of said semiconductor disk device,

memory means, responsive to said bus control signals from said bus conversion means, integrated on said integrated circuit card means, for providing a memory medium, and

power means, operatively connected to said memory means and integrated on said integrated circuit card, for supplying power to said memory means to preserve said memory means;

said integrated circuit card means being detachable from said semiconductor disk device via said connector to provide interchangeability of said principle memory elements on said semiconductor disk device.

2. The semiconductor disk device, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

bus means, connected to said bus conversion means, for providing a bus path between said bus conversion means and said basic input/output system of said operating system.

3. The semiconductor disk device, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of attachments means, integral of said semiconductor disk device, for providing a multiplicity of sites to attach multiple said integrated circuit card means to said semiconductor disk device;

said integrated circuit card means providing a multiple of memory configurations for said semiconductor disk device, thereby enabling expansion of a memory capacity of the semiconductor disk device.

4. The semiconductor disk system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bus conversion means comprises:

address establishing circuit means, operatively connected to said basic input/output system, for formulating address signals for said semiconductor device;

input/output control circuit means, operatively connected to said address establishing circuit means and said basic input/output system, for producing input/output control signals for said semiconductor disk device; and

bus control circuit means, operatively connected to said input/output control circuit means and said basic input/output system, for producing bus control signals for said semiconductor disk device.