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Flash drive/reader with serial-port controller and flash-memory controller mastering a second RAM-buffer bus parallel to a CPU bus

  • US 6,874,044 B1
  • Filed: 09/10/2003
  • Issued: 03/29/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A flash-memory peripheral comprising:

  • a local central processing unit (CPU) for executing instructions for operating the flash-memory peripheral;

    a CPU bus primarily controlled by the local CPU;

    a flash-serial buffer bus not primarily controlled by the local CPU;

    a RAM buffer for storing flash data for storage by the flash-memory peripheral;

    a flash-memory controller for controlling a flash memory that stores the flash data, having a slave port for coupling to the CPU bus and receiving commands from the local CPU, and having a master port for coupling to the flash-serial buffer bus for transferring flash data to the RAM buffer;

    a serial link for connecting the flash-memory peripheral to a personal computer; and

    a serial engine for sending and receiving the flash data serially over the serial link, the serial engine having a slave port for coupling to the CPU bus and receiving commands from the local CPU, and having a master port for coupling to the flash-serial buffer bus for transferring flash data to the RAM buffer;

    wherein the flash data is read from the flash memory by the flash-memory controller and sent over the flash-serial buffer bus to the RAM buffer;

    wherein the flash data is read from the RAM buffer through the flash-serial buffer bus to the serial engine to be sent serially over the serial link, wherein incoming flash data is written to the RAM buffer through the flash-serial buffer bus from the serial engine, wherein the incoming flash data is read from the RAM buffer through the flash-serial buffer bus to the flash-memory controller and written to the flash memory, whereby the flash-serial buffer bus transfers the flash data and the CPU bus sends commands to the flash-memory controller and to the serial engine.

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