Interface integrated circuit device for a USB connection

• US 7,752,342 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Future Link Systems, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Mehtani, Rajeev, Tee, Chee Yen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Niketa I
• Application Number:
  US10/528,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20050249143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,489 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62, 710/8, 710/305, 710/306, 710/311
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4018 with data-width conversion

Abstract

An electronic apparatus with a USB connection has a functional circuit with a processor, a parallel address data bus couple to the processor and a USB device controller circuit with a USB interface in parallel with said address/data bus. The apparatus contains an interface integrated circuit electronically between the USB connection on one hand and the parallel address/data interface and the USB interface on the other hand. The interface integrated circuit has external terminals for connecting to a USB bus, a transceiver capable of transceiving for both a USB host and a USB device, the transceiver having a USB interface, a host interface and a device interface. The USB interface is coupled to the USB connection. The device interface is connected to the external USB device controller circuit. A host controller is coupled to the host interface, the host controller being coupled to the functional circuits via the parallel data/address bus.

Claims

1. An interface integrated circuit device for interfacing a universal serial bus (USB) connection to a further circuit, the interface integrated circuit comprising:

first terminals for connecting to a USB bus;

a transceiver for transceiving for both a USB host and a USB device, the transceiver having a USB interface, a host interface and a device interface, the USB interface being coupled to the first terminals;

second terminals coupled to the device interface for connection to an external USB device controller;

a host controller coupled to the host interface, the host controller having a parallel data/address bus;

third terminals coupled to the parallel data/address bus.

2. An integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the device interface comprises both an analog USB device interface and a transceived digital USB device interface for connection to an external USB device controller without and with an external transceiver, respectively.

3. An interface integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the interface integrated circuit does not include a USB device controller.

4. An interface integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the interface integrated circuit is arranged to use USB communication from said host controller via the USB connection in a first speed mode when operating as a USB host and to use USB communication via the USB connection in a second speed mode, different from said first speed mode, as determined by the device controller when operating as a USB device.

5. An electronic apparatus with a universal serial bus (USB) connection, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a functional circuit with a processor, a parallel address data bus coupled to the processor and a USB device controller circuit with a USB interface in parallel with said address/data bus; and

an interface integrated circuit electronically between the USB connection on the one hand and the parallel address/data bus and the USB interface on the other hand, the interface integrated circuit including;

first terminals for connecting to the USB connection;

a transceiver for transceiving for both a USB host and a USB device, the transceiver having a USB interface, a host interface and a device interface, the USB interface being coupled to the first terminals;

the device interface being connected to the USB device controller circuit in said functional circuit; and

a host controller coupled to the host interface, the host controller being coupled to the processor via the parallel data/address bus.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus is arranged to use USB communication from said host controller via the USB connection in a first speed mode when operating as USB host and to use USB communication via the USB connection in a second speed mode, different from said first speed mode, as determined by the device controller when operating as USB device.

7. An electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the device interface includes both an analog USB device interface and a transceived digital USB device interface for connection to the USB device controller circuit without and with an external transceiver, respectively.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the interface integrated circuit does not include a USB device controller.

9. An electronic system comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) bus connection;

a host apparatus and a device apparatus, at least one of the host and the device apparatus including a functional circuit with a processor, a parallel address data bus coupled to the processor and a USB device controller circuit with a USB interface in parallel with said address/data bus; and

an interface integrated circuit electronically between the USB bus connection on the one hand and the parallel address/data bus and the USB interface on the other hand, the interface integrated circuit including;

first terminals for connecting to a the USB bus connection;

a transceiver for transceiving for both a USB host and a USB device, the transceiver having a USB interface, a host interface and a device interface, the USB interface being coupled to the first terminals;

the device interface being connected to the USB device controller circuit;

a host controller coupled to the host interface, the host controller being coupled to the processor via the parallel data/address bus.

10. An electronic system according to claim 9, wherein the device interface includes both an analog USB device interface and a transceived digital USB device interface for connection to the USB device controller circuit without and with an external transceiver, respectively.

11. An electronic system according to claim 9, wherein the interface integrated circuit does not include a USB device controller.

12. An electronic system according to claim 9, wherein the system is arranged to use USB communication from said host controller via the USB connection in a first speed mode when operating as a USB host and to use USB communication via the USB connection in a second speed mode, different from said first speed mode, as determined by the device controller when operating as a USB device.

13. A method of operating an interface integrated in a universal serial bus (USB) system, the method comprising:

receiving a selection whether the apparatus containing the interface integrated circuit should operate as a USB host or as a USB device;

transceiving USB signals with a transceiver in the interface integrated circuit;

sequencing USB communication via the transceiver with a host controller in the interface integrated circuit and communicating USB transceived data to or from functional circuits outside the integrated circuit via a parallel address data interface when USB host operation is selected, and passing USB signals from the transceiver to a device controller in the functional circuits outside the integrated circuit when USB device controller operation is required.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein passing USB signals from the transceiver to the device controller in the functional circuits outside the integrated circuit includes passing analog USB signals from the transceiver to the device controller when the device controller includes a transceiver and passing transceived digital USB signals from the transceiver to the device controller when the device controller does not include a transceiver.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the interface integrated circuit does not include a USB device controller.