Programmable communication interface
First Claim
1. A method for operating an industry standard serial communication interface comprising:
- programmably setting with a processor an override state for one of a plurality of signals of the industry standard serial communication interface for communication between network devices by;
presenting an interface to a client;
receiving a command from the client via the interface, wherein the command specifies a respective name associated with the overridden one of the signals and identifies, from a set of interface cards, an interface card of the router that includes the industry standard serial communication interface; and
storing configuration data that defines the override state to a programmable register of the industry standard serial communication interface included within the identified interface card, wherein the industry standard serial communication interface comprises two or more electrical connectors, each of the electrical connectors associated with a different one of the plurality of signals, wherein each of the electrical connectors have an associated physical characteristic by which each of the electrical connectors conveys the associated one of the signals, and wherein the override state defines a logical characteristic for the overridden one of the signals to be used in place of the physical characteristic of the associated electrical connector when the electrical connectors conveys the signals; and
communicating data with a controller of the industry standard serial communication interface via the electrical connectors in accordance with the programmed override state for the overridden one of the signals and actual states for the non-overridden signals such that the controller conveys;
(i) the overridden one of the signals according to the programmatically set logical characteristic defined for the overridden signal, and (ii) the non-overridden signals according to the physical characteristic of the associated electrical connectors.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device comprises a programmable communication interface and a processor. The programmable communication interface communicates data via a set of signals. The processor configures the programmable communication interface to communicate the data in accordance with a programmed override state for at least one of the signals and actual states for the remaining signals. The programmable communication interface may be configured, for example, to programmably treat an overridden signal as asserted or de-asserted regardless of actual voltages present on one or more electrical connectors associated with the overridden signal. As a result, incorrectly wired electrical connectors of the programmable communication interface may be programmably overridden. Consequently, a technician need not manually rewire the programmable communication interface.
18 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for operating an industry standard serial communication interface comprising:
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programmably setting with a processor an override state for one of a plurality of signals of the industry standard serial communication interface for communication between network devices by; presenting an interface to a client; receiving a command from the client via the interface, wherein the command specifies a respective name associated with the overridden one of the signals and identifies, from a set of interface cards, an interface card of the router that includes the industry standard serial communication interface; and storing configuration data that defines the override state to a programmable register of the industry standard serial communication interface included within the identified interface card, wherein the industry standard serial communication interface comprises two or more electrical connectors, each of the electrical connectors associated with a different one of the plurality of signals, wherein each of the electrical connectors have an associated physical characteristic by which each of the electrical connectors conveys the associated one of the signals, and wherein the override state defines a logical characteristic for the overridden one of the signals to be used in place of the physical characteristic of the associated electrical connector when the electrical connectors conveys the signals; and communicating data with a controller of the industry standard serial communication interface via the electrical connectors in accordance with the programmed override state for the overridden one of the signals and actual states for the non-overridden signals such that the controller conveys;
(i) the overridden one of the signals according to the programmatically set logical characteristic defined for the overridden signal, and (ii) the non-overridden signals according to the physical characteristic of the associated electrical connectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A router comprising:
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a set of interface cards, wherein one of the interface cards comprises a programmable serial communication interface that includes a controller to communicate data via a set of signals with another device, wherein the programmable serial communication interface complies with an industry standard, wherein the programmable serial communication interface further comprises two or more electrical connectors that are each associated with a different one of the set of signals of the industry standard, wherein each of the electrical connectors have an associated physical characteristic by which each electrical connector conveys the associated one of the signals, and wherein the industry standard serial communication interface also includes a programmable register that defines a programmable override state; and a processor to configure the programmable serial communication interface by executing instructions to; present an interface to a client; receive a command from the client via the interface, wherein the command specifies a respective name associated with one of the signals and identifies, from the set of interface cards, the interface card of the router that includes the industry standard serial communication interface; and store configuration data that defines the override state to the programmable register such that the controller communicates the data in accordance with the programmed override state for at least one of the signals and actual states for the remaining signals, wherein the processor programmably sets the override state to define a logical characteristic to be used in place of the physical characteristic of the electrical connector associated with the overridden one of the signals when the electrical connectors convey the signals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause a processor to:
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programmably set an override state for at least one of a plurality of signals of an industry standard serial communication interface for communicating between network devices by; presenting an interface to a client; receiving a command from the client via the interface, wherein the command specifies a respective name associated with the overridden one of the signals and identifies, from a set of interface cards, an interface card of a router that includes the industry standard serial communication interface; and storing configuration data that defines the override state to a programmable register of the industry standard serial communication interface included within the identified interface card, wherein the industry standard serial communication interface comprises two or more electrical connectors that (i) each associate with one of the plurality of signals and (ii) each have an associated physical characteristic by which each conveys the associated one of the signals, and wherein the override state is set by programmably setting the override state to define a logical characteristic that the electrical connector associated with the overridden one of the signals uses in place of the associated physical characteristic when the overridden one of the electrical connectors conveys the overridden one of the signals; and communicate data with a controller of the industry standard serial communication interface via the electrical connectors between the network devices in accordance with the programmed override state for the overridden one of the signals and actual states for the non-overridden signals such that the controller conveys, over the overridden one of the electrical connectors, the overridden one of the signals according to the logical characteristic and the non-overridden electrical connectors convey the non-overridden signals according to each associated physical characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification