Abstract: A peripheral bus switch that is adapted to connect together a pair of electrically independent peripheral buses to which arrays of peripheral devices (e.g. hard disk drives) are respectively connected in a peripheral bus interconnect system to ensure continuous access to all of the peripheral devices in the event that one of a pair of peripheral bus controllers which drive the peripheral buses should malfunction and require shutdown. The peripheral bus switch is a normally open switch that is connected between the pair of independent peripheral buses.

Abstract: A universal receiving frame to be mounted in a drive bay of a chassis or storage enclosure that is interfaced with a host computer. The universal receiving frame is capable of interchangeably receiving different removable computer drive carriers having respective remote computer drives that are configured for parallel and serial operation. A printed circuit board is mounted on the back wall of the universal receiving frame in which an incoming removable drive carrier is slidably received. A suitable (e.g. a Serial ATA) interface and a serial-to-parallel bridge are located on the printed circuit board of the frame, whereby different removable carriers, regardless of drive configuration, can communicate with the chassis by way of the same receiving frame. In an alternate embodiment, which eliminates the universal receiving frame, the removable carriers are connected to one side of a backplane within the chassis and pull-out peripheral circuit boards are connected to the opposite side.

Abstract: A peripheral bus jumper block that establishes an external peripheral bridge for linking independent peripheral bus signal paths (i.e., sets of electrical traces formed on a peripheral bus panel) of a peripheral bus interconnect system so that the signal paths have the functional equivalent of a single, continuous peripheral bus path. Accordingly, arrays of computer peripherals (e.g. disk drives) that are coupled to the peripheral bus signal paths within a peripheral device enclosure are chained together so as to be capable of being operated by the same computer controller, whereby the peripheral bus interconnect system can be selectively reconfigured to improve system flexibility. The peripheral bus jumper block has a pair of peripheral bus connectors that are detachably connected to respective peripheral bus connectors from a pair of the peripheral bus signal paths that are to be linked together.

Abstract: Apparatus by which a maximum number (e.g. 16) of external high speed computer data storage devices (e.g. computer hard drives) that are housed within portable carriers can be efficiently connected to and concurrently operated from the same low voltage differential (LVD) SCSI bus of a host computer by eliminating the adverse effects (e.g. parasitic capacitance, impedance mismatch and signal distortion) that occur as a consequence of the stub length that is required to couple a data storage device to its SCSI bus. A U-shaped receiving frame is affixed to and enclosed by a chassis, and the portable carrier in which the data storage device is housed is slidably received in and removable from the receiving frame. An isolator board carrying a repeater chip is coupled to the backplane of the receiving frame so that the repeater chip is electrically connected between the SCSI bus and the data storage device within the portable carrier.

Abstract: A replaceable SCA drive adapter board detachably connected to the rear of a disc drive carrier that encloses a remote computer disc drive and is adapted to be removably received within a computer storage chassis. The SCA drive adapter board has a SCA drive interface connector mounted on one face thereof to be coupled to a complementary interface connector of the disc drive and an SCA backplane interface connector mounted on the opposite face to be coupled to a host computer via connectors at the backplane of the computer storage chassis to enable the disc drive to communicate with the host computer whenever the disc drive carrier is returned to the computer storage chassis. The SCA drive adapter board is quickly and easily removed from the disc drive carrier and replaced to reduce down time and repair as a consequence of the SCA backplane interface connector wearing out following many repetitive insertion/removal cycles of the disc drive carrier to and from the chassis.

Abstract: A compact PCI connector guide to be attached to a motherboard of a small computer system to surround a male PCI connector that is affixed to the motherboard. The PCI connector guide is adapted to accurately and automatically guide an incoming female PCI connector that is carried on a detachable peripheral printed circuit board into mating engagement with the male PCI connector, whereby the motherboard and the peripheral board are electrically interconnected with one another. The PCI connector guide has a body and flared lips projecting outwardly therefrom to automatically redirect the female PCI connector towards and into receipt by the male PCI connector without subjecting the contact pins of the male PCI connector to damage as a consequence of the male and female PCI connectors being misaligned with one another.