Abstract: A power control signal controls a low-power mode, a USB connection, and an asynchronous reset function for a bridge circuit. Another power control signal controls both a high power mode and a low power mode for an attached device. The two power control signals reduce the number of pins required on the bridge circuit for controlling its own power related operations and power related operations of the attached device.

Abstract: ATA devices, such as mass storage units, have increasingly larger storage sizes that use larger configuration register sizes. A command block format allows the USB/ATA bridge circuit to be used with ATA devices with larger registers and at the same time operates with earlier ATA command block formats.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for remotely controlling an ATA device via a packet-based interface are disclosed. In one implementation, a remote host constructs command blocks corresponding to the ATA register-delivered commands that it would like executed. These command blocks are packetized and transported to a packet-to-ATA format bridge. At the bridge, each command block is parsed, and appropriate ATA read or write register commands are performed. The bridge performs requested data transfers via the packet-based interface. This embodiment can allow a non-ATAPI ATA device to connect externally to a host computer, e.g., via a USB plug-and-play packet interface. This can provide inexpensive and portable mass storage capability that does not require internal mounting or external routing of the short ATA cables that are intended for internal use only.