 Method and apparatus for positioning a transducer using embedded servo track encoding |
| In the present invention, all the servo information necessary for both the track accessing and ... |
|
| Head positioning servo for disk drives |
| There is disclosed a positioning apparatus for positioning a magnetic head in a disk drive ... |
|
| Open loop acceleration/deceleration control for disk drive stepper motors |
| In accordance with the present invention, there is a relatively inexpensive, but efficient open ... |
|
| Multiplexing I/O module |
| The invention is embodied in an I/O module that performs external addressing of banks of I/O ... |
|
| Modular computer assembly |
| The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above mentioned deficiencies ... |
|
| Ergonomic docking station for a portable computer |
| The foregoing problems are solved and a technical advance is achieved by a portable PC docking ... |
|
| High-performance modular memory system with crossbar connections |
| OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS System Platform FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a Symmetrical Multi-P... |
|
| System and method for checking bits in a buffer with multiple entries |
| FIG. 1 shows a computer system 100 having a processor 110, also referred to herein as a controller ... |
|
| Control circuitry for data transfer in an advanced data link controller |
| The increased use of Bit-Oriented-Protocols has resulted in a need for a low-cost, high speed LSI ... |
|
| Enhanced network services using a subnetwork of communicating processors |
| The invention provides a method and system for providing enhanced services for a network, using a ... |
|
|
Method and apparatus for directly and automatically accessing a bank of data storage devices with a computer
| Details |
Inventors: Adams, Brett A.; Stevens, Martin R.;
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)
Primary Examiner: Swann; Tod R.
Assistant Examiner: Tran; Denise
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Felsman, Bradley, Gunter & Dillon
A data transfer system is provided for use with a computer. The computer includes a drive controller for controlling at most a predetermined maximum number of nonvolatile data storage devices. A drive bank is provided which includes a plurality of independently operable nonvolatile data storage devices. Each data storage device may be used to read data from, or copy data to, separate storage media such as computer floppy disks, magnetic tape, and optical storage devices. The plurality of nonvolatile data storage devices exceeds the predetermined maximum number of nonvolatile data storage devices within the range of control of the drive controller of the computer. A control interface is provided and electrically coupled between the drive bank and the computer. The control interface receives signals from the computer, including signals from the drive controller, for selectively enabling and disabling selected ones of said plurality of nonvolatile data storage devices of the drive bank. The control interface means allows the drive controller of the computer to directly access every nonvolatile data storage device of the drive bank to read data out from, or copy data into each separate storage media. |
|
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG.
1 is a block diagram view of the preferred embodiment of the data transfer apparatus 11 of the present invention electrically coupled to a computer 13.
The preferred data transfer apparatus 11 includes a plurality of drive banks 15 (composed of separate drive banks 16, 18, 20, and 22) and control interface 17.
Computer 13 is a standard personal computer which includes a central processing unit 19, ROM 21, RAM 23, drive B 24, drive controller 25, and an input/output board 27.
Drive controller 25 communicates with control interface 17 through data bus 31.
The input/output board 27 of computer 13 communicates with control interface 17 through data bus 33.
Control interface 17 communicates with drive bank 15 through data bus 29.
Most drive controllers, such as drive controller 25 of computer 13, are capable of controlling at most a predetermined maximum number of nonvolatile data storage devices.
In most cases, a drive controller can control two drives: Drive A, and Drive B.
The drive controller is thus unable to control nonvolatile data storage devices in excess of the predetermined maximum number within its range of control.
The present invention enables drive controller 25 to effectively control a number of nonvolatile data storage devices far in excess of its inherent limitations by operating through control interface 17.
Control interface 17 receives signals from drive controller 25, as well as signals from input/output board 27.
These signals allow control interface 17 to selectively enable and disable selected ones of a plurality of nonvolatile data storage devices disposed in drive banks 15.
A computer program resident in computer 13 can serve to selectively enable and disable selected ones of the plurality of nonvolatile data storage devices in a predetermined sequence.
Data transfer apparatus 11 of the present invention allows drive controller 25 to directly access every nonvolatile data storage device of drive banks 15 to read data out from, or copy data into, each separate removable storage media carried by the nonvolatile data storage devices
|
| Related patents |
|
|
Method for predicting what video data should be in a cache which is in a disk-based digital video recorder
Cache management/disk utilization for a digital video recorder according to the present invention employs a cache in conjunction with an array of inexpensive disk drives ...
|
|
|
Video storage
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided video storage apparatus including storage means, transfer means and processing means, wherein ...
|
|
|
Method and apparatus for converting an image signal
It is an object of the present invention to resolve the problems encountered in the prior art, eliminate the difference between aspect ratios and the shift of ...
|
|
|
Contrast/brightness control circuit for television receiver
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a television receiver which overcomes the problem of the conventional television receiver. Another object ...
|
|
|
Method and appparatus for generating a compact post-diagnostic case record for browsing and diagnostic viewing
OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 includes a series of major rectangular blocks which represent PC or workstation-class computers. Each workstation preferably includes ...
|
|
|
Fast data exchange system between different type computer and medium storing program of extent information and transformation
An object of the present invention is to resolve the above mentioned problem. Another object of the present invention is to quickly exchange or share a file between ...
|
|
|
System for the real-time scheduling and loading of look-up tables for a patterning device
I claim: 1. A method for processing digitally encoded pattern information for use in a patterning method wherein a plurality of arrays are spaced across the path of a ...
|
|
|
System for transferring 32-bit double word IDE data sequentially without an intervening instruction by automatically incrementing I/O port address and translating incremented address
In accordance with the invention, a system is provided for transferring data expressed as 32-bit words between a host personal computer operative in a 32-bit mode and an ...
|
|
|
Apparatus and method for retrieving information using standard objects
OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As a general overview, document manager uses a standard-set of objects. The document manager runs at a client computer and retrieves documents ...
|
|
|
System for controlling a serial data channel with a microprocessor
Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A system for controlling the bidirectional transfer of data ...
|
|
|
I/O Systems 
