Printed circuit board processor card for upgrading a processor-based system

• US 5,644,760 A
• Filed: 05/01/1995
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Polzin, R. Stephen, Price, Noah M., Takahashi, Duane M. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US08/432,906
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 395/550, 395/800, 395/650, 395/700, 395/750, 395/500, 395/162, 395/163, 395/164, 364/228, 364/270, 364/270.3, 364/280.2, 364/281.3
• US Class Current: 713/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling

Abstract

A printed circuit board (PCB) processor card is described. The processor card includes a processor, its associated processor card system bus, a clock generator, and its associated processor card system clock bus. The processor card is designed to include the elements that are most likely to be upgraded, i.e. the processor and the clock. As such it is particularly useful when employed for system upgrades.

Claims

1. A printed circuit board (PCB) processor card including:

a processor device, said processor device having an associated clock rate;

a system clock generator device, said system clock generator device coupling a processor clock signal to said processor device;

a processor card system bus for transmitting signals to and from said processor, said processor card system bus being connectable to a processor-based system which includes all system devices other than another processor device and another system clock generator device;

a processor card system clock bus, said system clock generator device coupling a system clock signal on said processor card system clock bus, said processor card system clock bus being connectable to said processor-based system.

2. The processor card as described in claim 1 further including a second processor device, said second processor device utilizing said processor card system bus for transmitting signals to and from said second processor device.

3. The processor card as described in claim 1 further including a video subsystem for providing support to input and output video data.

4. The processor card as described in claim 1 wherein said clock generator device includes a means for generating a reference system clock signal and a means for generating copies of said reference clock signal.

5. The processor card as described in claim 4 further including a clock rate indicator for indicating an associated clock rate of said reference clock signal.

6. The processor card as described in claim 4 wherein said system clock generator device includes a means for multiplying up and dividing down the clock rate of said reference clock signal.

7. The processor card as described in claim 1 further including a voltage supply bus for being connectably coupled to an external voltage supply, said voltage supply bus coupling a corresponding supply voltage to each of said processor device and said system clock generator device.

8. The processor card as described in claim 7 further including a voltage regulator responsive to a bias voltage for providing a range of voltage supplies to said processor device and said system clock generator device.