PCI extended function interface and PCI device using the same

• US 20020133651A1
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: Tsai, Jen-Che, Wu, Chang-Lien, Wang, Hsin-Min, Hsieh, Huan-Tang
• Granted Patent: US 6,978,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4221 being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus

Abstract

The present invention discloses a PCI extended function interface and PCI device using such an interface. The PCI extended function interface is suitable for use in a PCI device comprising a master device and at least one slave device. The PCI extended function interface comprises at least one connecting port and a first circuit. The slave device is coupled to a corresponding connecting port and the PCI extended function interface transmits a control signal through the connecting port to control the operation of a corresponding slave device. The first circuit is used to determine the configuration space.

Claims

1. A PCI extended function interface suitable for use in a PCI device comprising a master device and at least one slave device, said PCI extended function interface comprising:

a first circuit for determining a configuration space of said PCI device.

2. The PCI extended function interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one connecting port, wherein said slave device is coupled to said corresponding connecting port and said PCI extended function interface transmits a control signal through said connecting port to control the operation of said corresponding slave device.

3. The PCI extended function interface as recited in claim 2, wherein said control signal includes IDSEL (the Initialization Device SELect signal).

4. The PCI extended function interface as recited in claim 2, wherein said control signal further includes REQ (the REQuest signal) and GNT (the GraNT signal).

5. The PCI extended function interface as recited in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said configuration space determined by said first circuit includes various function bits.

6. A PCI device using a PCI extended function interface, comprising,

a master device, including an extended function interface and a PCI interface logic circuit;

and

at least one slave device;

wherein said extended function interface has a connecting port corresponding to each of said slave devices and said extended function interface controls said corresponding slave device through said connecting port.

7. The PCI device as recited in claim 6, wherein said extended function interface further comprises a first circuit for determining a configuration space of said PCI device.

8. The PCI device as recited in claim 7, wherein said first circuit determines said configuration space of said PCI device according to a value stored in a storage device.

9. The PCI device as recited in claim 7, wherein said first circuit determines said configuration space of said PCI device according to a value input by a second circuit.

10. A PCI device using a PCI extended function interface, comprising,

an extended function interface, including a connecting port corresponding to each of at least one slave device and controlling said corresponding slave device through said connecting port;

and

a configuration device, for determining a define bit defining said PCI device to be one of a single-functional device and a multi-functional device and determining a function number corresponding to a function of said PCI device;

wherein at least one of said define bit and said function number is changeable.

11. The PCI device as recited in claim 10, wherein said configuration device is a storage device.

12. The PCI device as recited in claim 10, wherein said configuration device is a hardware configuration circuit.

13. The PCI device as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a bit register, for storing said define bit; and

a function configuration register, for storing said function number.