(12) United States Patent
`Tasler
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,895,449 B2
`May 17, 2005
`
`US006895449B2
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`8..’l996 Jones et al. ................. .. 7l0,r‘l6
`1.51997 Klein .......... ..
`379,393.11
`5.-’|997 Tuckner
`. . . . .
`. . . . . .. 710,/64
`1.52000 Tuckner
`.......... ..
`710./64
`7..*20(ll
`lshikawa etal.
`710..-'8
`3.52002 Gase ........................ .. 3701466
`4.52004 Nakayama et al.
`......... .. 710,/36
`4.52004 Sanada et al.
`7111152
`
`
`
`5,548,711? A *
`5,596,628 A "
`5_,628_,030 A *
`6,012,113 A *
`6,266,711 Bl *
`6,363,081 B1 *
`6,775,293 Bl *
`6,728,844 B2 *
`
`(54) FLEXIBLE INTERFACE FOR
`COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A HOST AND
`AN ANALOG I/O DEVICE CONNECTED TO
`THE INTERFACE REGARDLESS THE TYPE
`OF THE I/O DEVICE
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Michael Tasler, Wuerzburg (DE)
`
`(73) Assignee: Labortechnik Tasler Gml)H,
`Wuerzburg (DE)
`
`( * ) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 369 days.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Primary Fxaminer—Jefl'rey Gaflin
`Assistant Exa/m'ner—Harold Kim
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 10/219,105
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Aug. 15, 2002
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`US 200240199037 Al Dec. 26. 2002
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(62) Division of application No. 091331.002. filed on Jun. 14,
`1999.
`
`(30)
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Mar. 4. 1997
`Mai'.3.1998
`
`(DE)
`(gr) ............................... ..
`
`197 08 755
`l’("l‘-"l:P98.-’01187
`
`Int. Cl.7 .............................................. .. G06F 13/14
`(51)
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`............................. .. 710/16; 710.-"8; 710/'64;
`7(l9,:‘220
`
`(58) Field of Search .............................. .. 710/8. 16, 64,
`710/11, 12, 15, 62, 63; 703,:'23, 24, 25;
`7091220, 222
`
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Glenn Patent Group;
`Michael A. Glenn
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`An interface device (10) provides fast data communication
`between a host device with input.-"output interfaces and a data
`transniitfireceive device, wherein the interface device (10)
`comprises a processor means (13), a memory means (14), a
`first connecting device (12) for interfacing the host device
`with the interface device, and a second connecting device
`(15) for interfacing the interface device (10) with the data
`transmit.-‘receive device. The interface device (10) is config-
`ured by the processor means (13) and the memory means
`(14) in such a way that, when receiving an inquiry from the
`host device via the first connecting device (12) as to the type
`of a device attached to the host device, regardless of the type
`of the data transmitxreceive device,
`the interface device
`sends a signal to the host device via the first connecting
`device (12) which signals to the host device that
`it
`is
`communicating with an inputfoutput device.
`
`18 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
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`U.S. Patent
`
`May 17,2005
`
`Sheet 1 of 2
`
`US 6,895,449 B2
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`

`
`
`US 6,895,449 B2
`
`
`
`
`1
`FLEXIBLE INTERFACE FOR
`
`
`
`COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A HOST AND
`
`
`
`
`AN ANALOG I/O DEVICE CONNECTED TO
`
`
`
`
`
`
`THE INTERFACE REGARDLESS THE TYPE
`
`
`
`
`
`OF THE I/O DEVICE
`
`
`
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`
`
`
`
`
`This application is a divisional application of copending
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`application Ser. No. 09/331,002 filed Jun. 14, 1999.
`
`
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`
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`
`
`DESCRIPTION
`
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`10
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`The present invention relates to the transfer of data and in
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`particular to interface devices for communication between a
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`computer or host device and a data transmit/receive device
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`from which data is to be acquired or with which two-way
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`communication is to take place.
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`Existing data acquisition systems for computers are very
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`limited in their areas of application. Generally such systems
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`can be classified into two groups.
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`In the first group host devices or computer systems are
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`attached by means of an interface to a device whose data is
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`to be acquired. The interfaces of this group are normally
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`standard interfaces which, with specific driver software, can
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`be used with a variety of host systems. An advantage of such
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`interfaces is that they are largely independent of the host
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`device. However, a disadvantage is that
`they generally
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`require very sophisticated drivers which are prone to mal-
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`function and which limit data transfer rates between the
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`device connected to the interface and the host device and
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`vice versa. Further, it is often very difficult to implement
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`such interfaces for portable systems and they offer few
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`possibilities for adaptation with the result that such systems
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`offer little flexibility.
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`The devices from which data is to be acquired cover the
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`entire electrical engineering spectrum. In a typical case, it is
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`assumed that a customer who operates, for example, a
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`diagnostic radiology system in a medical engineering envi-
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`ronment reports a fault. A field service technician of the
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`system manufacturer visits the customer and reads system
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`log files generated by the diagnostic radiology system by
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`means a portable computer or laptop for example. If the fault
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`cannot be localized or if the fault is intermittent, it will be
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`necessary for the service technician to read not only an error
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`log file but also data from current operation. It is apparent
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`that in this case fast data transfer and rapid data analysis are
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`necessary.
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`Another case requiring the use of an interface could be,
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`for example, when an electronic measuring device, e.g. a
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`multimeter, is attached to a computer system to transfer the
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`data measured by the multimeter to the computer. Particu-
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`larly when long-term measurements or large volumes of data
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`are involved is it necessary for the interface to support a high
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`data transfer rate.
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`From these randomly chosen examples it can be seen that
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`is
`an interface may be put
`to totally different uses.
`It
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`therefore desirable that an interface be sufficiently flexible to
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`permit attachment of very different electrical or electronic
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`systems to a host device by means of the interface. To
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`prevent operator error,
`it is also desirable that a service
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`technician is not required to operate different interfaces in
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`different ways for different applications but that, if possible,
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`a universal method of operating the interface be provided for
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`a large number of applications.
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`To increase the data transfer rates across an interface, the
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`route chosen in the second group of data acquisition systems
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`15
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`20
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`45
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`65
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`2
`for the interface devices was to specifically match the
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`interface very closely to individual host systems or computer
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`systems. The advantage of this solution is that high data
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`transfer rates are possible. However, a disadvantage is that
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`the drivers for the interfaces of the second group are very
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`closely matched to a single host system with the result that
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`they generally cannot be used with other host systems or
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`their use is very ineffective. Further, such types of interface
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`have the disadvantage that they must be installed inside the
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`computer casing to achieve maximum data transfer rates as
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`they access the internal host bus system. They are therefore
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`generally not suitable for portable host systems in the form
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`of laptops whose minimum possible size leaves little internal
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`space to plug in an interface card.
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`A solution to this problem is offered by the interface
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`devices of IOtech (business address: 25971 Cannon Road,
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`Cleveland, Ohio 44146, USA) which are suitable for laptops
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`such as the WaveBook/512 (registered trademark). The
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`interface devices are connected by means of a plug-in card,
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`approximately the size of a credit card, to the PCMCIA
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`interface which is now a standard feature in laptops. The
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`plug-in card converts the PCMCIA interface into an inter-
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`face known in the art as IEEE 1284. The said plug-in card
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`provides a special printer interface which is enhanced as
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`regards the data transfer rate and delivers a data transfer rate
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`of approximately 2 MBps as compared with a rate of approx.
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`1 MBps for known printer interfaces. The known interface
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`device generally consists of a driver component, a digital
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`signal processor, a buffer and a hardware module which
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`terminates in a connector to which the device whose data is
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`to be acquired is attached. The driver component is attached
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`directly to the enhanced printer interface thus permitting the
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`known interface device to establish a connection between a
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`computer and the device whose data is to be acquired.
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`In order to work with the said interface, an interface-
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`specific driver must be installed on the host device so that
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`the host device can communicate with the digital signal
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`processor of the interface card. As described above, the
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`driver must be installed on the host device. If the driver is
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`a driver developed specifically for the host device, a high
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`data transfer rate is achieved but the driver cannot be easily
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`installed on a different host system. However, if the driver is
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`a general driver which is as flexible as possible and which
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`can be used on many host devices, compromises must be
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`accepted with regard to the data transfer rate.
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`Particularly in an application for multi-tasking systems in
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`which several different tasks such as data acquisition, data
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`display and editing are to be performed quasi-
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`simultaneously, each task is normally assigned a certain
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`priority by the host system. A driver supporting a special
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`task requests the central processing system of the host
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`device for processor resources in order to perform its task.
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`Depending on the particular priority assignment method and
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`on the driver implementation, a particular share of processor
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`resources is assigned to a special task in particular time slots.
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`Conflicts arise if one or more drivers are implemented in
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`such a way that they have the highest priority by default, i.e.
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`they are incompatible, as happens in practice in many
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`applications. It may occur that both drivers are set to highest
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`priority which, in the worst case, can result in a system
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`crash.
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`EP 0685799 A1 discloses an interface by means of which
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`several peripheral devices can be attached to a bus. An
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`interface is connected between the bus of a host device and
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`various peripheral devices. The interface comprises a finite
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`state machine and several branches each of which is
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`assigned to a peripheral device. Each branch comprises a
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`HUAWEI EX. 1101 -4/10
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`HUAWEI EX. 1101 - 4/10
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`3
`data manager, cycle control, user logic and a buffer. This
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`known interface device provides optimal matching between
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`a host device and a specific peripheral device.
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`The specialist publication IBM Technical Disclosure
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`Bulletin, Vol. 38, No. 05, page 245; “Communication
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`Method between Devices through FDD Interface” discloses
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`an interface which connects a host device to a peripheral
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`device via a floppy disk drive interface. The interface
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`consists in particular of an address generator, an MFM
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`encoder/decoder, a serial/parallel adapter and a format signal
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`generator. The interface makes it possible to attach not only
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`a floppy disk drive but also a further peripheral device to the
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`FDD host controller of a host device. The host device
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`assumes that a floppy disk drive is always attached to its
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`floppy disk drive controller and communication is initiated
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`if the address is correct. However, this document contains no
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`information as to how communication should be possible if
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`the interface is connected to a multi-purpose interface
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`instead of to a floppy disk drive controller.
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`It is the object of the present invention to provide an
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`interface device for communication between a host device
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`and a data transmit/receive device whose use is host device-
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`independent and which delivers a high data transfer rate.
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`This object is achieved by an interface device according
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`to claim 1 or 12 and by a method according to claim 15.
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`The present invention is based on the finding that both a
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`high data transfer rate and host device-independent use can
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`be achieved if a driver for an input/output device customary
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`in a host device, normally present in most commercially
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`available host devices, is utilized. Drivers for input/output
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`devices customary in a host device which are found in
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`practically all host devices are, for example, drivers for hard
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`disks, for graphics devices or for printer devices. As how-
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`ever the hard disk interfaces in common host devices which
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`can be, for example, IBM PCs, IBM-compatible PCs, Com-
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`modore PCs, Apple computers or even workstations, are the
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`interfaces with the highest data transfer rate, the hard disk
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`driver is utilized in the preferred embodiment of the inter-
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`face device of the present
`invention. Drivers for other
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`storage devices such as floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives
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`or tape drives could also be utilized in order to implement
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`the interface device according to the present invention.
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`As described in the following, the interface device accord-
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`ing to the present invention is to be attached to a host device
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`by means of a multi-purpose interface of the host device
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`which can be implemented, for example, as an SCSI inter-
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`face or as an enhanced printer interface. Multi-purpose
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`interfaces comprise both an interface card and specific driver
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`software for the interface card. The driver software can be
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`designed so that it can replace the BIOS driver routines.
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`Communication between the host device and the devices
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`attached to the multi-purpose interface then essentially takes
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`place by means of the specific driver software for the
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`multi-purpose interface and no longer primarily by means of
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`BIOS routines of the host device. Recently however drivers
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`for multi-purpose interfaces can also already be integrated in
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`the BIOS system of the host device as, alongside classical
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`input/output interfaces, multi-purpose interfaces are becom-
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`ing increasingly common in host devices. It is of course also
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`possible to use BIOS routines in parallel with the specific
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`driver software for the multi-purpose interface, if this is
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`desired.
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`The interface device according to the present invention
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`comprises a processor means, a memory means, a first
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`connecting device for interfacing the host device with the
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`interface device, and a second connecting device for inter-
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`US 6,895,449 B2
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`4
`facing the interface device with the data transmit/receive
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`device. The interface device is configured by the processor
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`means and the memory means in such a way that
`the
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`interface device, when receiving an inquiry from the host
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`device via the first connecting device as to the type of a
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`device attached to the host device, sends a signal, regardless
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`of the type of the data transmit/receive device, to the host
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`device via the first connecting device which signals to the
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`host device that it is communicating with an input/output
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`device. The interface device according to the present inven-
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`tion therefore simulates, both in terms of hardware and
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`software,
`the way in which a conventional
`input/output
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`device functions, preferably that of a hard disk drive. As
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`support for hard disks is implemented as standard in all
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`commercially available host systems, the simulation of a
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`hard disk, for example, can provide host device-independent
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`use. The interface device according to the present invention
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`therefore no longer communicates with the host device or
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`computer by means of a specially designed driver but by
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`means of a program which is present in the BIOS system
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`(Basic Input/Output System) and is normally precisely
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`matched to the specific computer system on which it is
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`installed, or by means of a specific program for the multi-
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`purpose interface. Consequently,
`the interface device
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`according to the present invention combines the advantages
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`of both groups. On the one hand, communication between
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`the computer and the interface takes place by means of a
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`host device-specific BIOS program or by means of a driver
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`program which is matched to the multi-purpose interface
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`and which could be regarded as a “device-specific driver”.
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`On the other hand, the BIOS program or a corresponding
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`multi-purpose interface program which operates one of the
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`common input/output interfaces in host systems is therefore
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`in all host systems so that
`the interface device
`present
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`according to the present
`invention is host device-
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`independent.
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`In the following, preferred embodiments of the present
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`invention will be explained in more detail with reference to
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`the drawings enclosed, in which:
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`FIG. 1 shows a general block diagram of the interface
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`device according to the present invention; and
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`FIG. 2 shows a detailed block diagram of an interface
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`device according to a preferred embodiment of the present
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`invention.
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`FIG. 1 shows a general block diagram of an interface
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`device 10 according to the present invention. A first con-
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`necting device 12 of the interface device 10 can be attached
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`to a host device (not shown) via a host line 11. The first
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`connecting device is attached both to a digital signal pro-
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`cessor 13 and to a memory means 14. The digital signal
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`processor 13 and the memory means 14 are also attached to
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`a second connecting device 15 by means of bi-directional
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`communication lines (shown for all lines by means of two
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`directional arrows). The second connecting device can be
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`attached by means of an output line 16 to a data transmit/
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`receive device which is to receive data from the host device
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`or from which data is to be read, i.e. acquired, and trans-
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`ferred to the host device. The data transmit/receive device
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`itself can also communicate actively with the host device via
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`the first and second connecting device, as described in more
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`detail in the following.
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`Communication between the host system or host device
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`and the interface device is based on known standard access
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`commands as supported by all known operating systems
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`(e.g. DOS, Windows, Unix). Preferably, the interface device
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`according to the present invention simulates a hard disk with
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`HUAWEI EX. 1101 - 5/10
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`10
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`15
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`20
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`25
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`30
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`35
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`40
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`45
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`50
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`55
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`60
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`65
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`HUAWEI EX. 1101 - 5/10
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`US 6,895,449 B2
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`5
`a root directory whose entries are “virtual” files which can
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`be created for the most varied functions. When the host
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`device system with which the interface device according to
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`the present invention is connected is booted and a data
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`transmit/receive device is also attached to the interface
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`device 10, usual BIOS routines or multi-purpose interface
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`programs issue an instruction, known by those skilled in the
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`art as the INQUIRY instruction, to the input/output inter-
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`faces in the host device. The digital signal processor 13
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`receives this inquiry instruction via the first connecting
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`device and generates a signal which is sent to the host device
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`(not shown) again via the first connecting device 12 and the
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`host line 11. This signal indicates to the host device that, for
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`example, a hard disk drive is attached at the interface to
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`which the INQUIRY instruction was sent. Optionally, the
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`host device can send an instruction, known by those skilled
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`in the art as “Test Unit Ready”, to the interface device to
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`request more precise details regarding the queried device.
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`Regardless of which data transmit/receive device at the
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`output line 16 is attached to the second connecting device,
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`the digital signal processor 13 informs the host device that
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`it is communicating with a hard disk drive. If the host device
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`receives the response that a drive is present, it then sends a
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`request to the interface device 10 to read the boot sequence
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`which, on actual hard disks, normally resides on the first
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`sectors of the disk. The digital signal processor 13, whose
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`operating system in stored in the memory means 14,
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`responds to this instruction by sending to the host device a
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`virtual boot sequence which, in the case of actual drives,
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`includes the drive type, the starting position and the length
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`of the file allocation table (FAT), the number of sectors, etc.,
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`known to those skilled in the art. Once the host device has
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`received this data, it assumes that the interface device 10
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`according to a preferred embodiment of the present inven-
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`tion is a hard disk drive. In reply to an instruction from the
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`host device to display the directory of the “virtual” hard disk
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`drive simulated by the interface device 10 with respect to the
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`host device, the digital signal processor can respond to the
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`host device in exactly the same way as a conventional hard
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`disk would, namely by reading on request the file allocation
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`table or FAT on a sector specified in the boot sequence,
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`normally the first writable sector, and transferring it to the
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`host device, and subsequently by transferring the directory
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`structure of the virtual hard disk. Further, it is possible that
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`the FAT is not read until immediately prior to reading or
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`storing the data of the “virtual” hard disk and not already at
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`initialization.
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`In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
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`digital signal processor 13, which need not necessarily be
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`implemented as a digital signal processor but may be any
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`other kind of microprocessor, comprises a first and a second
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`command interpreter. The first command interpreter carries
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`out the steps described above whilst the second command
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`interpreter carries out the read/write assignment to specific
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`functions. If the user now wishes to read data from the data
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`transmit/receive device via the line 16, the host device sends
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`a command, for example “read file xy”,
`to the interface
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`device. As described above, the interface device appears to
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`the host device as a hard disk. The second command
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`interpreter of the digital signal processor now interprets the
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`read command of the host processor as a data transfer
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`command, by decoding whether “xy” denotes, for example,
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`a “real-time input” file, a “configuration” file or an execut-
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`able file, whereby the same begins to transfer data from the
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`data transmit/receive device via the second connecting
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`device to the first connecting device and via the line 11 to the
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`host device.
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`10
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`15
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`20
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`25
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`45
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`50
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`55
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`60
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`65
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`6
`Preferably, the volume of data to be acquired by a data
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`transmit/receive device is specified in a configuration file
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`described in the following by the user specifying in the said
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`configuration file that a measurement is to last, for example,
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`five minutes. To the host device the “real-time input” file
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`then appears as a file whose length corresponds to the
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`anticipated volume of data in those five minutes. Those
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`skilled in the art know that communication between a
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`processor and a hard disk consists of the processor trans-
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`ferring to the hard disk the numbers of the blocks or clusters
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`or sectors whose contents it wishes to read. By reference to
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`the FAT the processor knows which information is contained
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`in which block. In this case, communication between the
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`host device and the interface device according to the present
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`invention therefore consists of the very fast transfer of block
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`numbers and preferably of block number ranges because a
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`virtual “real-time input” file will not be fragmented. If the
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`host device now wants to read the “real-time input” file, it
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`transfers a range of block numbers to the interface device,
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`whereupon data commences to be received via the second
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`connecting device and data commences to be sent to the host
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`device via the first connecting device.
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`In addition to the digital signal processor instruction
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`memory, which comprises the operating system of the digital
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`signal processor and can be implemented as an EPROM or
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`EEPROM, the memory means 14 can have an additional
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`buffer for purposes of synchronizing data transfer from the
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`data transmit/receive device to the interface device 10 and
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`data transfer from the interface device 10 to the host device.
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`Preferably, the buffer is implemented as a fast random
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`access memory or RAM buffer.
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`Further, from the host device the user can also create a
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`configuration file, whose entries automatically set and con-
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`trol various functions of the interface device 10, on the
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`interface device 10 which appears to the host device as a
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`hard disk. These settings can be, for example, gain, multi-
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`plex or sampling rate settings. By creating and editing a
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`configuration file, normally a text file which is simple to
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`understand with little prior knowledge, users of the interface
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`device 10 are able to perform essentially identical operator
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`actions for almost any data transmit/receive devices which
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`can be attached to the second connecting device via the line
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`16, thus eliminating a source of error arising from users
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`havi