Loopback termination in a SCSI bus

• US 5,099,137 A
• Filed: 11/13/1990
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lattin, Thomas W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US07/612,309
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 333/22 R, 361/393, 361/394, 361/395, 361/407, 361/414, 361/428, 307/147
• US Class Current: 307/147
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4086 Bus impedance matching, e.g. termination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0298 Arrangement for terminating transmission lines

Abstract

A small computer system interface (SCSI) bus between a host system and one or more peripheral devices is terminated at one end of the SCSI bus, proximal to the host system, and at the other end of the SCSI bus by a loopback terminator. The loopback terminator is formed by a signal board with one connector that is adapted for receiving signals from the SCSI bus, a multiconductor cable having a pair of ends, a pair of cable connectors, each of which is adapted to mate with respective ends of the multiconductor cable, and a terminator coupled to one of the cable connectors. One or more of the peripheral devices are connected to the multiconductor cable via respective nodes, and the multiconductor cable is routed back to the signal board coupled to form a "loop" between the pair of cable connectors.

Claims

1. A small computer system interface (SCSI) for connection between a host computer and one or more peripheral devices comprising:

a controller for controlling one or more peripheral devices, said controller being electrically connectable to the host computer and comprising a first set of terminating resistors;

a signal board physically remote from the host computer and comprising a second set of terminating resistors, a first cable connector, a second cable connector and a third cable connector with said first cable connector in electrical communication with said second cable connector and with said third cable connector in electrical communication with said second set of terminating resistors;

a first cable electrically connecting the controller to the signal board via the first cable connector;

a second cable having a first end, a second end and at least one electrical connector situated between the first end and the second end for electrical connection to a peripheral device, said first end connected to the second cable connector of the signal board and said second end connected to the third cable connector of the signal board.

2. A small computer system interface (SCSI) for connection between a host computer and two or more peripheral devices comprising:

a controller for controlling two or more peripheral devices, said controller being electrically connectable to the host computer and comprising a first set of terminating resistors;

a first signal board physically remote from the host computer and comprising a first cable connector, a second cable connector with said first cable connector in electrical communication with said second cable connector;

a first cable electrically connecting the controller to the first signal board via the first cable connector;

a second signal board comprising a third cable connector and a fourth cable connector with said third cable connector in electrical communication with said fourth cable connector;

a second cable having a first end, a second end and at least one electrical connector situated between the first end and the second end for electrical connection to a first peripheral device said first end connected to the second cable connector of the first signal board and said second end connected to the fourth cable connector of the second signal board;

a third signal board physically remote from both the host computer and the second signal board and comprising a fifth cable connector, a sixth cable connector, a seventh cable connector, and a second set of terminating resistors with said seventh able connector in electrical communication with said second set of terminating resistors and with said fifth cable connector in electrical communication with said sixth cable connector;

a third cable electrically connecting the third cable connector on the second signal board to the fifth cable connector on the third signal board; and

,

a fourth cable having a first end, a second end and at least one electrical connector situated between the first end and the second end for electrical connection to a second peripheral device said first end connected to the sixth cable connector of the third signal board and said second end connected to the seventh cable connector of the third signal board.