Behind backplane expansion board apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for providing an expansion to a backplane means comprising:
- backplane means, including a backplane side and a foreplane side;
a first backplane electronic coupler and a second backplane electronic coupler, disposed on said backplane side of said backplane;
a first circuit board electronic coupler and a second circuit board electronic coupler, coupled to said first backplane electronic coupler and said second backplane electronic coupler respectively;
circuit board means, coupled to said first circuit board electronic coupler and said second circuit board electronic coupler, for providing a plurality of electrical connections between said first circuit board electronic coupler and said second circuit board electronic coupler.
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Abstract
Modular expansion of a backplane is achieved by means of a modular backplane circuit board that plugs into the backplane side of a backplane parallel to that backplane. The backplane board provides a parallel backplane path between boards on the computer system. When unit boards are added to the foreplane side which require additional electrical paths for connection purposes, a modular backplane board may be added to the backplane side of the backplane to provide such path. In the preferred embodiment a gate array is added to the backplane board to provide management functions in handling the electrical connections on the backplane board.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing an expansion to a backplane means comprising:
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backplane means, including a backplane side and a foreplane side; a first backplane electronic coupler and a second backplane electronic coupler, disposed on said backplane side of said backplane; a first circuit board electronic coupler and a second circuit board electronic coupler, coupled to said first backplane electronic coupler and said second backplane electronic coupler respectively; circuit board means, coupled to said first circuit board electronic coupler and said second circuit board electronic coupler, for providing a plurality of electrical connections between said first circuit board electronic coupler and said second circuit board electronic coupler. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a computer system, including a memory port and a plurality of memory requestors, a method of managing the communication of a response from said memory port to one of said memory requesters, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a signal from said memory port; examining said signal to determine the identity of the memory requester for which said signal is destined; determining if said memory requestor is in a state to receive said signal; delivering said signal to said memory requestor through a modular backplane circuit board if said memory requestor is in a state to receive said signal, where said modular backplane circuit board is coupled to a backplane side of a backplane. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification