Patents by Inventor Alan Thomas Pfeifer

Alan Thomas Pfeifer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7047449
    Abstract: A cable isolator is provided for automatically performing cable breaks for testing of host bus adapters. A workstation includes a host bus adapter, such as a Fibre Channel storage controller, to be tested. The host bus adapter is connected to one or more storage modules through the cable isolator. The cable isolator includes two transceivers, one of which is connected to the host bus adapter and the other being connected to the storage modules. The two transceivers are also connected to each other internally. The cable isolator also includes a programmable logic device or controller that is used to enable and disable the two transceivers at set intervals. The one or more output disable signals are then provided to the transceivers to perform the cable break. The cable isolator may be an expansion card installed within the workstation. Thus, the workstation may communicate with the cable isolator through an expansion bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Thomas Pfeifer, Darin Scott Frazier
  • Patent number: 7007204
    Abstract: A cable isolator is provided for automatically performing cable breaks for testing of host bus adapters. A workstation includes a host bus adapter, such as a Fibre Channel storage controller, to be tested. The host bus adapter is connected to one or more storage modules through the cable isolator. The cable isolator includes two transceivers, one of which is connected to the host bus adapter and the other being connected to the storage modules. The two transceivers are also connected to each other internally. The cable isolator also includes a programmable logic device or controller that is used to enable and disable the two transceivers at set intervals. When the cable connection is to be broken, the programmable logic device generates one or more output disable signals. The one or more output disable signals are then provided to the transceivers to perform the cable break. An on-time and an off-time may be set using switches or dials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Thomas Pfeifer, Darin Scott Frazier
  • Publication number: 20040073848
    Abstract: A cable isolator is provided for automatically performing cable breaks for testing of host bus adapters. A workstation includes a host bus adapter, such as a Fibre Channel storage controller, to be tested. The host bus adapter is connected to one or more storage modules through the cable isolator. The cable isolator includes two transceivers, one of which is connected to the host bus adapter and the other being connected to the storage modules. The two transceivers are also connected to each other internally. The cable isolator also includes a programmable logic device or controller that is used to enable and disable the two transceivers at set intervals. When the cable connection is to be broken, the programmable logic device generates one or more output disable signals. The one or more output disable signals are then provided to the transceivers to perform the cable break. An on-time and an off-time may be set using switches or dials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Alan Thomas Pfeifer, Darin Scott Frazier
  • Publication number: 20040071092
    Abstract: A cable isolator is provided for automatically performing cable breaks for testing of host bus adapters. A workstation includes a host bus adapter, such as a Fibre Channel storage controller, to be tested. The host bus adapter is connected to one or more storage modules through the cable isolator. The cable isolator includes two transceivers, one of which is connected to the host bus adapter and the other being connected to the storage modules. The two transceivers are also connected to each other internally. The cable isolator also includes a programmable logic device or controller that is used to enable and disable the two transceivers at set intervals. The one or more output disable signals are then provided to the transceivers to perform the cable break. The cable isolator may be an expansion card installed within the workstation. Thus, the workstation may communicate with the cable isolator through an expansion bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Alan Thomas Pfeifer, Darin Scott Frazier