Abstract: A FLASH controller is disclosed. The controller comprises a USB interface unit. The USB interface unit implements a USB standard that has a bus speed equal or greater than 12 Mb/s. The controller includes an internal bus coupled to the USB interface unit; and a FLASH interface unit coupled to the internal bus. The FLASH interface unit includes FLASH controller logic that allows the throughput for access to the FLASH memory to match the speed of the USB standard. Advantages of the FLASH controller in accordance with the present invention include (1) utilizing the higher speed USB interface such as the USB 2.

Abstract: A flash memory device for connecting to an ExpressCard™ host includes at least one flash memory module, an ExpressCard™ connector for connecting to the ExpressCard™ host, a first serial interface coupled to the ExpressCard™ connector, and a controller coupled to the first serial interface and the at least one flash memory module.

Abstract: A serial flash-memory chip has a serial-bus interface to an external controller. A flash-memory block in the serial flash-memory chip can be read by the external controller sending a read-request packet over the serial bus to the serial flash-memory chip, which reads the flash memory and sends the data back in a data-payload field in a completion packet. Data in a write-request packet is written to the flash memory, and a message packet sent back over the serial bus. The serial bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express bus with bi-directional pairs of differential lines. Packets have modified-PCI-Express headers that define the packet type and data-payload length. Vendor-defined packets can send flash commands such as reset, erase, or responses after operations such as program or erase. A serial engine and microcontroller or state machine are on the serial flash-memory chip.

Abstract: A Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) single-chip flash device contains a USB flash microcontroller and flash mass storage blocks containing flash memory arrays that are block-addressable rather than randomly-addressable. USB packets from a host USB bus are read by a serial engine on the USB flash microcontroller. Various routines that execute on a CPU in the USB flash microcontroller are activated in response to commands in the USB packets. A flash-memory controller in the USB flash microcontroller transfers data from the serial engine to the flash mass storage blocks for storage. Rather than boot from an internal ROM coupled to the CPU, a boot loader is transferred by DMA from the first page of the flash mass storage block to an internal RAM. The flash memory is automatically read from the first page at power-on. The CPU then executes the boot loader from the internal RAM to load the control program.

Abstract: A dual-mode Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) switch can operate in a normal hub mode to buffer transactions from a host to multiple USB flash storage blocks that are USB endpoints. When operating in a single-endpoint mode, the dual-mode USB switch intercepts packets from the host and responds to the host as a single USB endpoint. The USB switch aggregates all downstream USB flash storage blocks and reports a single pool of memory to the host as a single virtual USB memory. Adjacent transactions can be overlapped by packet re-ordering. A token packet that starts a following transaction is re-ordered to be sent to the USB flash storage blocks before the data and handshake packets that end a first transaction, allowing the second transaction to begin accessing the flash memory earlier. Data can be mirrored or striped across several USB flash storage blocks and parity can be added for error recovery.

Abstract: An ExpressCard contains flash memory. The ExpressCard has an ExpressCard connector that plugs into a host, such as a personal computer, digital camera, or personal digital assistant (PDA). A controller chip on the ExpressCard uses a pair of differential Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) data lines in the connector to communicate with the USB host, or can use PCI Express, Firewire, or other protocols. One or more flash-memory chips on the ExpressCard are controlled by a flash-memory controller in the controller chip. Two or more channels of a flash bus have a shared control bus but separate ready lines. The separate ready lines allow flash-memory chips in the two channels to finish operations at different times.

Abstract: A flash-drive or flash-card reader connects to a personal computer (PC) through a serial link such as a Universal-Serial-Bus (USB), IEEE 1394, SATA, or IDE. A local CPU acts as the bus master of a CPU bus that connects to slave ports on a flash-memory controller, a serial engine, and a RAM buffer. A second bus in parallel to the CPU bus connects a second slave port on the RAM buffer to a master port on the flash-memory controller and to a master port on the serial engine. The flash-memory controller or the serial engine can use their master ports to transfer data to and from the RAM buffer using the second bus, allowing the CPU to retain control of the CPU bus. The second bus is a flash-serial buffer bus that improves data transfer rates. The flash-memory controller can prefetch into the RAM buffer.

Abstract: An extended Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector plug and socket each have a pin substrate with one surface that supports the four metal contact pins for the standard USB interface. An extension of the pin substrate carries another 8 extension metal contact pins that mate when both the connector plug and socket are extended. The extension can be an increased length of the plug's and socket's pin substrate or a reverse side of the substrate. Standard USB connectors do not make contact with the extension metal contacts that are recessed, retracted by a mechanical switch, or on the extension of the socket's pin substrate that a standard USB connector cannot reach. Standard USB sockets do not make contact with the extension metal contacts because the extended connector's extension contacts are recessed, or on the extension of the connector pin substrate that does not fit inside a standard USB socket.

Abstract: A flash-drive or flash-card reader connects to a personal computer (PC) through a serial link such as a Universal-Serial-Bus (USB), IEEE 1394, SATA, or IDE. A local CPU acts as the bus master of a CPU bus that connects to slave ports on a flash-memory controller, a serial engine, and a RAM buffer. A second bus in parallel to the CPU bus connects a second slave port on the RAM buffer to a master port on the flash-memory controller and to a master port on the serial engine. The flash-memory controller or the serial engine can use their master ports to transfer data to and from the RAM buffer using the second bus, allowing the CPU to retain control of the CPU bus. The second bus is a flash-serial buffer bus that improves data transfer rates. The flash-memory controller can prefetch into the RAM buffer.

Abstract: A device for resolving deadlock between a local processor and system resources for access to a local store in a multiprocessor data processing system having high speed cache comprises an address storage device, deadlock resolution logic and a deadlock detector. The address storage device is coupled to the local bus for storing addresses in response a local store access signal on the system bus and for supply of the address to the cache controller. The detector is connected to the local bus and system bus to detect a deadlock condition. The deadlock resolution logic generates a sequence of control signals in response to the deadlock signal that resolves the deadlock condition. In particular, deadlocks are resolved by tristating the local buffer in response to the deadlock signal to disable external access signals from controlling the local bus to allow a local store access signal to gain control of the local bus.