Abstract: A USB portable device includes an activating USB peripheral, a storing USB peripheral, and a controlling USB peripheral. If the USB portable device is connected to a host apparatus, the activating USB peripheral is recognized as a readable device and a switching program in the recognized readable device is read in the host apparatus and is executed. Consequently, a switching instruction is received from the host apparatus, the readable device is unmounted, and the storing USB peripheral is recognized as the readable device.

Abstract: In a PC card to be connected to a personal computer, two kinds of operational modes which are different in data bus width from each other can be changed over selectively. Either the CardBus mode with a data bus width of 32 bits or the 16-bit mode is selectable by a selector switch provided in a side face. The PC card 1 is operated in the 16-bit mode for use with a 16-bit-compatible personal computer, and operated in the 32-bit mode for use with a 32-bit-compatible personal computer. Thus, one PC card is useable with various personal computers.

Abstract: An interface cable allows the number of components and manufacturing costs to be reduced. The interface cable has a housing defining an inner volume which has an opening. A first connector is removably connectable to one of a computer and a portable terminal. The first connector protrudes through the opening in the housing. An interface circuit is coupled to the first connector in which the interface circuit is located within the housing. A cable is coupled to the interface circuit. A second connector is removably connectable to the other of the computer and the portable terminal.

Abstract: The PC card of the present invention preferably includes a logic circuit operating in either a 16-bit mode or a 32-bit mode, a ground line on the circuit, a connector for transferring a signal between the circuit and the external device, and a series of elastic metal members arranged on the top surface of the connector and connected to the ground line. When the connector of the PC card is inserted into the PC card slot, the elastic metal member is retained by a support frame arranged on the periphery of the PC card slot, and is deformed upward toward the top surface of the connector. When the PC card is fully inserted into the slot, the elastic metal member urges the support frame and both are firmly connected.

Abstract: The invention provides a data transfer method useful for data transfer with PC cards or other external equipment connected to a personal computer. First in a memory-to-memory data transfer mode, a part of data to be transferred is used as address data and the rest of the data to be transferred is stored at memory addresses specified by the address data. Next, in a block transfer mode, the data is transferred to a PC card or other external equipment. In this process, because transfer-source address data, i.e. part of the data to be transferred, is put on the address bus in the block transfer mode, the data is transferred with both address bus and data bus.