Abstract: A plug-in computer card includes an audio generator circuit having an audio analog output and an enclosure around the audio generator circuit. An audio speaker element is contained within the enclosure, and is in electrical communication with the audio analog output of the audio generator circuit. The audio speaker element is preferably a piezoelectric element fixed to a cover of the enclosure or a loudspeaker mounted within the enclosure. There is an input/output connector fixed to the enclosure and in electrical communication with the audio generator circuit. The card is also provided with a disabling circuit that electronically disables the audio speaker element responsive to an electronic signal.

Abstract: A computer system includes a computer and a plug-in card having a remote data link. The plug-in card draws power from the power sour the computer. A status monitor shows the operability of the remote data link, specifically whether it is operable for data communications to or from the computer, and its connection to the plug-in card. Power to the plug-in card is controlled responsive to the status monitor, so that power to the card is enabled only when the external data link and its connector are operable.

Abstract: A data-storage and processing card has a data-storage memory and a read/write memory. Data processing instructions are stored in the data-storage memory, along with the data. The data processing instructions require memory storage capacity for their execution, and the read/write memory is selected to be sufficiently large to meet this processing storage capacity requirement. To process the data, the card is plugged into a host computer, whose central processing unit recalls and executes the processing instructions. The read/write memory of the card is utilized as the required memory storage capacity for the processing. Alternatively, the card may include a central processing unit that processes the instructions. The card is particularly useful for storage of data compressed form and decompressing the data with data decompression processing instructions.

Abstract: An apparatus used to interface a peripheral device to a computer has an adapter card that plugs into the computer and a smart cable that plugs into the adapter card at one end and the peripheral device at the other. The adapter card includes a reconfigurable interface circuit that is in communication with the computer when the adapter card is connected to the computer. The smart cable includes a first memory containing configuration information for the reconfigurable interface circuit, and a second memory containing adapter card information structure information for the reconfigurable interface circuit. The two memories are accessible by the reconfigurable interface circuit when the smart cable is connected to the adapter card. The smart cable further includes a peripheral device interface circuit communicating with the reconfigurable interface circuit and with the peripheral device when the smart cable is connected to the adapter card and the peripheral device is connected to the smart cable.

Abstract: A system has the capability to determine the termination status of a data-communication bus therein. The system includes a source of a bus signal from a bus, a selectively activated current sink that communicates with the source of the bus signal, with a detection activation input, and a source of a detection signal in communication with the detection activation input of the current sink. There is a source of a first reference voltage, and a source of a second reference voltage, the second reference voltage being less than the first reference voltage. A high-termination comparator has an upper voltage input that communicates with the source of the bus signal, a lower voltage input that communicates with the source of the first reference voltage, and a logical high-termination output.