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`National Phase of PCT/EP98/01187 in U.S .A.
`Title : Flexible Interface
`Applicant: TASLER, Michael
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`Translation of PCT Application PCT/EP98/01187
`as originally filed
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 1
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`Flexible Interface
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`Description
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`The present invention relates to the transfer of data and in particular to interface
`devices for" communication between a computer or host device and a data
`transmit/receive device 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 limited in their areas o_f
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`application. Generally such systems can be classified into two groups.
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`In the first group host devices or computer systems are attached by means of an
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`interface to a device whose data is to be acquired. The interfaces of this group are
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`normally standard interfaces which, with specific driver software, can be used with a
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`variety of host systems. An advantage of such interfaces is that they are largely
`independent of the host device. However, a disadvantage is that they generally require
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`very sophisticated drivers which are prone to malfunction and which limit data
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`transfer rates between the device connected to the interface and the host device and
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`vice versa. Further, it is often very difficult to implement such interfaces for portable
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`systems and they offer few possibilities for adaptation with the result that such
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`systems offer little flexibility.
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`The devices from which data is to be acquired cover the entire electrical engineering
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`spectrum. In a typical case, it is assumed that a customer who operates, for example, a
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`diagnostic radiology system in a medical engineering environment reports a fault. A
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`field service technician of the system manufacturer visits the customer and reads
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`system log files generated by the diagnostic radiology system by means a portable
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`computer or laptop for example. If the fault cannot be localized or if the fault is
`intermittent, it will be 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 that in this case fast data
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`transfer and rapid data analysis are necessary.
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 2
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`Another case requiring the use of an interface could be, for example, when an
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`electronic measuring device, e.g. a multimeter, is attached to a computer system to
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`transfer the data measured by the multimeter to the computer. Particularly when long-
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`term measurements or large volumes of data are involved is it necessary for the
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`interface to support a high data transfer rate.
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`From these randomly chosen examples it can be seen that an interface may be put to
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`totally different uses. It is therefore desirable that an interface be sufficiently flexible
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`to permit attachment of very different electrical or electronic systems to a host device
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`by means of the interface. To prevent operator error, it is also desirable that a service
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`technician is not required to operate different interfaces in different ways for different
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`applications but that, if possible, a universal method of operating the interface be
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`provided for a large number of applications.
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`To increase the data transfer rates across an interface, the route chosen in the second
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`group of data acquisition systems for the interface devices was to specifically match
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`the interface very closely to individual -host systems or computer systems. The
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`advantage of this solution is that high data transfer rates are possible. However, a
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`“disadvantage is that the drivers for the interfaces of the second group are very closely
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`matched to a single host system with the result that they generally cannot be used with
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`other host systems or their use is very ineffective. Further, such types of interface
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`have the disadvantage that they must be installed inside the computer casing to
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`achieve maximum data transfer rates as they access the internal host bus system. They
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`are therefore generally not suitable for portable host systems in the form of laptops
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`whose minimum possible size leaves little internal space to plug in an interface card.
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`A solution to this problem is offered by the interface devices of IOtech (business
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`address: 25971 Cannon Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44146, USA) which are suitable for
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`laptops such as the WaveBook/512 (registered trademark). The interface devices are
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`connected by means of a plug-in card, approximately the size of a credit card, to the
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`PCMCIA interface which is now a standard feature in laptops. The plug-in card
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`converts the PCMCIA interface into an interface known in the art as IEEE 1284. The
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`said plug-in card provides a special printer interface which is enhanced as regards the
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`4 data transfer rate and delivers a data transfer rate of approximately 2 MBps as
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 3
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 3
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`compared with a rate of approx. 1 MBps for known printer interfaces. The known
`interface device generally consists of a driver component, a digital signal processor, a
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`buffer and a hardware module which terminates in a connector to which the device
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`whose data is to be acquired is attached. The driver component is attached directly to
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`the enhanced printer interface thus permitting the known interface device to establish
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`a connection. between a computer and the device whose data is to be acquired.
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`In order to work with the said interface, an interface—specific driver must be installed
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`on the host device so that the host device can communicate with the digital signal
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`processor of the interface card. As described above, the driver must be installed on the
`host device. If the driver is 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 installed on a different
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`host system. However, if the driver is a general driver which is as flexible as possible
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`and which can be used on many host devices, compromises must be accepted with
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`regard to the data transfer rate.
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`Particularly in an application for multi-tasking systems in which several different
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`tasks such as data acquisition, data display and editing are to be performed quasi-
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`simultaneously, each task is normally assigned a certain priority by the host system. A
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`driver supporting a special task requests the central processing system of the host
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`device for processor resources in order to perform its task. Depending on the
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`particular priority assignment method and on the driver implementation, a particular
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`share of processor 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 such a way that they have
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`the highest priority by default, i.e. they are incompatible, as happens in practice in
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`many applications. It may occur that both drivers are set to highest priority which, in
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`the worst case, can result in a system crash.
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`EP 0685799 A1 discloses an interface. by means of which several peripheral devices
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`can be attached to a bus. An interface is connected between the bus of a host device
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`and various_peripheral devices. The interface comprises a finite state machine and
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`several branches each of which is assigned to a peripheral device. Each branch
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`A comprises a data manager, cycle control, user logic and a buffer. This known ‘interface
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 4
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 4
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`device provides optimal matching between a host device and a specific peripheral
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`device.
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`The specialist publication IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 38, No. 05, page
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`245; "Communication Method between Devices through FDD Interface" discloses an
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`interface which connects a host device to a peripheral device via a floppy disk drive
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`interface. The interface consists in particular of an. address generator, an MFM
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`encoder/decoder, a serial/parallel adapter and a format signal generator. The interface
`makes it possible to attach not only a floppy disk drive but also a further peripheral
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`device to the FDD host controller of a host device. The host device assumes that a
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`floppy disk drive is always attached to its
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`floppy disk drive controller and ’
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`communication is initiated if the address is correct. However, this document contains
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`no information as to how communication should be possible if the interface is
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`connected to a multi-purpose interface instead of to a floppy disk drive controller.
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`It
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`the object of the present
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`invention to provide an interface device for
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`communication between a host device and a data transmit/receive‘ device whose use is
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`host device-independent and which delivers a high data transfer rate.
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`This object is achieved by an interface device according to claim 1 or 12 and by a
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`method according to claim 15.
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`The present invention is based on the finding that both a high data transfer rate and
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`host device-independent use can be achieved if a driver for an input/output device
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`customary in a host device, normally present in most commercially available host
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`devices, is utilized. Drivers for input/output devices customary in a host device which
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`are found in practically all host devices are, for example, drivers for hard disks, for
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`graphics devices or for printer devices. As however the hard disk interfaces in
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`common host devices which can be, for example, IBM PCs, IBM—compatible PCs,
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`Commodore PCs, Apple computers or even workstations, are the interfaces with the
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`highest data transfer rate, the hard disk driver is utilized in the preferred embodiment
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`of the interface device of the present invention. Drivers for other storage devices such
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`- as floppy disk drives, CD—ROM drives or tape drives could also be utilized in order to
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`implement the interface device according to the present invention.
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 5
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 5
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`As described in the following, the interface device according to the present invention
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`is to be attached to a host device by means of a multi—purpose interface of the host
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`device which can be implemented, for example, as an SCSI interface or as an
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`enhanced printer interface. Multi-purpose interfaces comprise both an interface card
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`and_ specific" driver software for the interface card. The driver software can be
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`designed so that it can replace the BIOS driver routines. Communication between the
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`host device and the devices attached to the multi—purpose interface then essentially
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`takes place by means of the specific driver software for the multi—purpose interface
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`and no longer primarily by means of BIOS routines of the host device. Recently
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`however drivers for multi—purpose interfaces can also already be integrated in the
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`BIOS system of the host device as, alongside classical input/output interfaces, multi-
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`purpose interfaces are becoming increasingly common in host devices. It is of course
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`also possible to use BIOS routines in parallel with the specific driver software for the
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`multi—purpose interface, if this is desired.
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`The interface device according to the present invention comprises a processor means,
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`a memory means, a first connecting device for interfacing the host device with the
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`interface device, and a second connecting device for interfacing the interface device
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`with the data transmit/receive device. The interface device is configured by the
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`processor means and the memory means in such a way that the interface device, when
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`receiving an inquiry from the 110st device via the first connecting device as to the type
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`of a device attached to the host device, sends a signal, regardless of the type of the
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`data transmit/receive device,
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`to the host device via the first connecting device which
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`signals to the host device that it is communicating with an input/output device. The
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`interface device according to the present invention therefore simulates, both in terms
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`of hardware and software,
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`the way in which a conventional input/output device
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`functions, preferably that of a hard disk drive. As support
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`for hard disks is
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`implemented as standard in all commercially available host systems, the simulation of
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`a hard disk, for example, "can provide host device—independent use. The interface
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`device according to the present invention therefore no longer communicates with the
`host device orcomputer byfmeans of a specially designed driver but by means of a
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`‘ program which is present in the BIOS system (Basic Input/Output System) and is
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`normally precisely matched to the specific computer system on which it is installed,
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 6
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 6
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`6
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`or by means of a specific program for the multi-purpose interface. Consequently, the
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`interface device according to the present invention combines the advantages of both
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`groups. On the one hand, communication between the computer and the interface
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`takes place by means of a host device-specific BIOS program or by means of a driver
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`program which is matched to the multi-purpose interface and which could be regarded
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`as a "device-specific driver". On the other hand, the BIOS program or a
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`corresponding multi-purpose interface program which operates one of the common
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`input/output interfaces in host systems is therefore present in all host systems so that
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`the interface device according to the present invention is host device-independent.
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`In the following, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in
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`more detail with reference to the drawings enclosed, in which:
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`Fig. 1 shows a general block diagram of the interface device according to the
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`present invention; and
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`. Fig. 2 shows a detailed block diagram of an interface device according to a preferred
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`embodiment of the present invention.
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`Fig. 1 shows a general block diagram of an interface device 10 according to the
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`present invention. A first connecting device 12 of the interface device 10 can be
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`attached to a host device (not shown) via a host line 11. The first connecting device is
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`attached both to a digital signal processor 13 and to a memory means 14. The digital
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`signal processor 13 and the memory means 14 are also attached to a second
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`connecting device 15 by means of bi-directional communication lines (shown for all
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`lines by means of two directional arrows). The second connecting device can be
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`attached by means of an output line 16 to a.data transmit/receive device which is to
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`receive data· from the host device or from whic~ data is to be read, Le: acquired, and
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`transferred to the host device. The data transmit/receive device itself can also
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`communicate actively with the host device via the first and second connecting device,
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`as described in more detail in the following.
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`Communication between the host system or host device and the interface device is
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`based on known $tandard access commands as supported by all known operating
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 7
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`~:'.
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`7
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`systems (e.g. DOS, Windows; Unix). Preferably, the interface device according to the
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`present invention simulates a hard disk with a root directory whose entries are
`"virtual" files which can be created for the most varied functions. When the host
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`device system with which the interface device according to the present invention is .
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`connected is b9oted and a data transmit/receive device is also attached to the interface
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`device 10, usual BIOS routines or multi-purpose interface programs issue an
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`instruction, known by those skilled in the art as the INQUIRY instruction, to the
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`input/output interfaces in the host device. The digital signal processor 13 receives this
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`inquiry instruction via the first connecting device and generates a signal which is sent
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`to the host device (not shown) again via the first connecting device 12 and the host
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`line 11. This signal indicates to the host device that, for example, a hard disk drive is
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`attached at the interface to which the INQUIRY instruction was sent. Optionally, the
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`host device can send an instruction, known by those skilled in the art as "Test Unit
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`Ready", to the interface device to request more precise details regarding the queried
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`device.
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`Regardless of which data transmit/receive device at the output line 16 is attached to
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`the second connecting device, the digital signal processor 13 informs the host device
`that it is communicating with a hard disk drive. If the host device receives the
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`response that a drive is present, it then sends a request to the interface device 10 to
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`read the boot sequence which, on actual hard disks, normally resides on the first
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`sectors of the disk. The digital signal processor 13, whose operating system in stored
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`in the memory means 14, 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, includes the drive type, the
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`starting position and the length of the file allocation table (FAT), the number of
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`sectors, etc., known to those skilled in the art. Once the host device has received this
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`data, it assumes that the interface device 10 according to a preferred embodiment of
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`the present invention is a hard disk drive. In reply to an instruction from the host
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`device to display the directory of the "virtua.l" hard disk drive s'imulated by the
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`interface device 10 with respect to the host device, the digital signal processor can
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`respond to the host device .in exactly the same way as a conventional hard disk would,
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`namely by reading on request the file allocation table or FAT on a sector specified in
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`the boot sequence, normally the first writable sector, and transferring it to the host
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`device, and subsequently by transferring the directory structure of the virtual hard
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`!
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 8
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`

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`--- . - - - - · -- --- ---- -·-···
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`8
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`disk. Further, it is possible that the FAT is not read until immediately prior to reading
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`or storing the data of the "virtual" hard disk and not already at initializa~on.
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`In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the digital signal processor 13,
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`which need not necessarily be implemented as a digital signal processor but may be
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`any other kind of microgrocessor, comprises a first and a second command
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`interpreter. The first command interpreter carries out the steps described above whilst
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`the second command 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 transmit/receive device
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`via the line 16, the host device sends a command, for example "read file xy", to the
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`interface device. As described above, the interface device appears to the host device
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`as a hard disk. The second command interpreter of the digital signal processor now
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`interprets the read command of the host processor as a data transfer command, by
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`decoding whether "xy" denotes, for example, a "real-time
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`input"
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`file, a
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`"configuration" file or an executable file, whereby the same begins to transfer data
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`from the data transmit/receive device via the second connecting device to the first
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`connecting device and via the line 11 to the host device.
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`Preferably, the volume of data to be acquired by a data transmit/receive device is
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`specified in a configuration file described in the following by the user specifying in
`tl).e said configuration file that a measurement is to last, for example, five minutes. To
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`the host device the "real-time input" file . then appears as a file whose length
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`corresponds to the anticipated volume of data in those five minutes. Those skilled in
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`the art know that communication between a processor and a hard disk consists of the
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`processor transferring to the hard disk the numbers of the blocks or clusters or sectors
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`whose contents it wishes to read. By reference to the FAT the processor knows which
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`information is contained in which block. In this case, communication between the
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`host device and the interface device according to the present invention therefore
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`consists of the very fast transfer of block numbers and preferab_ly of block number
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`ranges because a virtual "real-time input" file will not be frag mented. If the host
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`device now wants to read the "real-time input" file, it transfers a range of block
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`numbers to t~e interface device, whereupon data commences to be received via the
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`second connecting device and data commences to be sent to the host device via the
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`first connecting device.
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 9
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`In addition to the digital signal processor instruction memory, which comprises the
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`operating system of the digital signal processor and can be implemented as an
`EPROM or EEPROM,
`the memory'means 14 can have an additional buffer for
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`purposes of synchronizing data transfer from the data transmit/receive device to the
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`interface device 10 and data transfer from the interface device 10 to the host device.
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`Preferably,
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`the buffer is implemented as a fast random access memory or RAM
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`buffer.
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`Further, from the host device the user can also create a configuration file, whose
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`entries automatically set and control various functions of the interface device 10, on
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`the interface device 10 which appears to_the host device as a hard disk. These settings
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`can be, for example, gain, multiplex or sampling rate settings. By creating and editing
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`a configuration 'file,.normally a text file which is simple to understand with little prior
`knowledge, users of the interface device 10 are able to perform essentially identical
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`operator actions for almost any data transmit/receive devices which can be attached to
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`the second connecting device via the line 16, thus eliminating a source of error arising
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`from users having to know many different command codes for different applications.
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`In the case of the interface device 10 according to the present invention it is necessary
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`for users to note the conventions of the configuration file once only in order to be able
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`to use the interface device 10 as an interface between a host device and almost any
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`data transmit/receive device.
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`As a result of the option of storing any files in agreed formats in the memory means
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`14 of the interface device 10,
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`taking into account the maximum capacity of the
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`memory means, any enhancements or even completely new functions of the interface
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`device 10 can be quickly implemented. Even files executable by the host device, such
`as batch files or executable files (BAT or EXE files), and also help files can be
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`implemented in the interface device,
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`thus achieving independence of the interface
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`device 10 from any additional software (with the exception of the BIOS routines) of
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`the host device. On the one hand, this avoids licensing and/or registration problems
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`and, on the other hand, installation of certain routines which can be frequently used,
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`for example an FFT routine to examine acquired time~d'omain data in the frequency
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 10
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 10
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`

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`10
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`domain, is rendered unnecessary as the EXE files are already installed on the interface
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`device 10 and appear in the virtual root directory, by means of which the host device
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`can access all programs stored on the interface device 10.
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`In a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the interface device 10
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`simulates a hard disk to the host device, the interface device is automatically detected
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`and readied for operation when the host system is powered up or booted. This
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`corresponds to the p1ug—and-play standard which is currently finding increasingly
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`widespread use. The user is no longer responsible for installing the interface device 10
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`on the host device by means of specific drivers which must also be loaded; instead the
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`interface device 10 is automatically readied for operation when the host system is
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`booted.
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`For persons skilled in the art it is however obvious that the interface device 10 is not
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`necessarily signed on when the computer system is powered up but that a special
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`BIOS routine or a driver for a multi-purpose interface can also be started on the host
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`device during current operation of the computer system in order to sign on or mount
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`the interface device 10 as an additional hard disk. This embodiment is suitable for
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`larger workstation systems which are essentially never powered down as they
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`perform, e.g. mail functions or monitor processes which run continuously,
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`for
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`example, in multi-tasking environments.
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`In the interface device according to the present invention an enormous advantage is to
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`be gained, as apparent in the embodiment described in the following, in separating the
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`actual hardware required to attach the interface device 10 to the data transmit/receive
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`device from the communication unit, which is implemented by the digital signal
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`processor 13, the memorymeans 14 and the first connecting device 12, as this allows
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`a plurality of dissimilar device types to be operated in parallel in identical manner.
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`Accordingly, many interface devices 10 can be connected to a host device which then
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`sees many different "virtual" hard disks. In addition, any modification of the specific
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`hardware symbolized by the second connecting device 15 can be implemented
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`essentially without changing the operation of the interface device according to the
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`' present invention. Further, an experienced user can intervene at any time on any level
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`of the existing second connecting device by making use of the above mentioned-
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 11
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`ZTE (USA) 1014, Page 11
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`option of creating a configuration file or adding or storing new program sections for
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`the second connecting device.
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`An important advantage of the interface device 10 of the present invention is that it
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`also permits extremely high data transfer rates by using, for data interchange, the host
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`device-own BIOS routines which are optimized for each host device by the host
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`device manufacturer or BIOS system manufacturer, or by using driver programs
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`which are normally optimized and included by the manufacturers of multi—purpose
`interfaces. Furthermore, due to the simulation of a virtual mass storage device, the
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`data is managed and made available in such a way that it can be transferred directly to
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`other storage media, e. g. to an actual hard disk of the host device without, as it were,
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`intervention of the host device processor. The only limitation to long-term data
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`transfer at high speed is therefore imposed exclusively by the speed and the size of the
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`mass storage device of the host device. This is the case as the digital signal processor
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`13 already formats the data read by the data transrnit/receive device via the second
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`connecting device 15 into block sizes suitable for a hard disk of the host device,
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`whereby the data transfer speed is limited only by the mechanical latency of the hard
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`disk system of the host device. At this point, it should be noted that normally data
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`flow from a host device must be formatted