PCI and expansion bus riser card

• US 5,734,840 A
• Filed: 08/18/1995
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chew, Paul Frank, Dang, Thi H. N., Locker, Howard Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R.
• Application Number:
  US08/516,765
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 395/281, 395/282, 361/686, 361/733, 361/683
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a computer system having a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) and expansion bus riser card having at least one expansion bus slot and at least one PCI slot, the latter of which meets a PCI bus stub length requirement. The PCI slot is connected to the PCI bus by a plurality of PCI stub lines. Each of the plurality of PCI lines does not exceed a predetermined length. The expansion bus is divided into a first section having a first plurality of lines and a second section having a second plurality of lines. The plurality of PCI lines are disposed between the first and second plurality of lines of the expansion bus such that all of the plurality of PCI lines from the riser card to the PCI bus do not exceed the predetermined length.

Claims

1. A PCI and expansion bus apparatus comprising:

an expansion bus disposed within a planar board and having a plurality of slots for receiving circuit boards therein,

a PCI bus disposed within said planar board and having at least one slot for receiving PCI circuit boards therein,

a riser card connected to one of said plurality of slots of said expansion bus and said at least one PCI slot, said riser card including;

at least one expansion bus slot for connecting an expansion adapter card to said expansion bus,

at least one PCI slot for connecting a PCI adapter card to said PCI bus, said PCI slot being connected to said PCI bus on said planar by a first plurality of PCI lines, and

wherein said expansion bus is disposed between said PCI bus such that each of the first plurality of PCI lines from said riser card to said PCI bus do not exceed a PCI bus stub length requirement.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said first plurality of PCI lines are parallel to each other and are perpendicular to said PCI bus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said expansion bus is comprised of a first section having a first plurality of lines and a second section having a second plurality of lines, wherein said first plurality of PCI lines are sandwiched between said first and second sections of said expansion bus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first plurality of lines comprises thirty two lines and said second plurality of lines comprises thirty two lines.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said expansion bus is a Micro Channel bus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said expansion bus is an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said PCI stub length requirement is one and one-half inches.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the riser card includes three expansion bus slots and two PCI slots, each of said two PCI slots being connected to said PCI bus by a plurality of PCI lines, wherein each of said plurality of PCI lines does not exceed said PCI stub length requirement.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including at least one PCI device coupled to said PCI bus by a second plurality of PCI lines, wherein each of said second plurality of PCI lines does not exceed said PCI stub length requirement.

10. A personal computer system comprising:

a planar board comprising;

a high speed microprocessor coupled to a high speed data bus;

a bus controller coupled to said high speed data bus and an expansion bus for providing communications between the high speed data bus and the expansion bus,

said expansion bus having a plurality of slots for receiving circuit boards therein,

a PCI bus coupled to said microprocessor said PCI bus having at least one slot for receiving PCI circuit boards therein,

a riser card connected to one of said plurality of slots of said expansion bus and said at least one PCI slot, said riser card having at least one expansion bus slot for connecting an expansion adapter card to said expansion bus and at least one PCI slot for connecting a PCI adapter card to said PCI bus, said PCI slot on said riser card being connected to said PCI bus on said planar by a first plurality of PCI lines, wherein said expansion bus is disposed between said PCI bus such that each of the first plurality of PCI lines from said riser card to said PCI bus do not exceed a PCI bus stub length requirement.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of said first plurality of PCI lines are parallel to each other and are perpendicular to said PCI bus.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein said expansion bus is comprised of a first section having a first plurality of lines and a second section having a second plurality of lines, wherein said first plurality of PCI lines are sandwiched between said first and second sections of said expansion bus.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said first plurality of lines comprises thirty two lines and said second plurality of lines comprises thirty two lines.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein said expansion bus is a Micro Channel bus.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein said expansion bus is an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein said PCI stub length requirement is one and one-half inches.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the riser card includes three expansion bus slots and two PCI slots, each of said two PCI slots being connected to said PCI bus by a plurality of PCI lines, wherein each of said plurality of PCI lines does not exceed said PCI stub length requirement.

18. The system according to claim 10, further including at least one PCI device coupled to said PCI device by a second plurality of PCI lines, wherein each of said second plurality of PCI lines does not exceed said PCI stub length requirement.