INTERFACE CARD APPARATUS
An interface card apparatus is provided. The interface card includes a transmission interface, an interface converter, a system on chip, a first connector, a bus switch, a network connector, and a power switch. The transmission interface includes a data channel, a power pin, a network channel, a switch pin, a power enabling pin, and a sharing pin. The system on chip, controlled by the sharing pin, performs a file sharing program. The bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, couples the connector to the channel or the interface converter. The network connector is coupled the system on chip and the network channel, and the power switch, controlled by the power enabling pin, couples the power pin to the system on chip.
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This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 102117639, filed May 17, 2013 the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an electronic device, and more particularly to an interface card apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the science and technology progress, the types of electronic devices increase and the consumers may own several types of the electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, notebook computers, or personal computers, and so on. These electronic devices may store repeated data, or same types of data are stored in different electronic devices. This makes data management difficult or the problem of ineffective use of the storage space.
For resolving this problem, network attached storage (NAS) devices are provided. An NAS device is an electronic device independent of the computers as well as a storage device for file access by the computers through network connection. Specifically, the NAS device may connect to one or more high capacity storage drive and enable the user to access the data of the storage drive through network connection.
However, such external NAS device has to be disposed on a desk or the ground, and thus occupies external space. In addition, the NAS device is required to be powered by external power source, which also occupies one of the limited indoor sockets. It is inconvenient to use in that way. Thus, it becomes an important topic of how to make the user conveniently sharing files for the electronic devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe disclosure is directed to an interface card apparatus.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, an interface card apparatus is provided. The interface card apparatus includes a transmission interface, an interface converter, a system on chip, a first connector, a bus switch, a network connector, and a power switch. The transmission interface includes a data channel, a power pin, a network channel, a switch pin, a power enabling pin, and a sharing pin. The system on chip, controlled by the sharing pin, is used for performing a file sharing program. The bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, is employed to couple the connector to the channel or the interface converter. The network connector is coupled the system on chip and the network channel, and the power switch, controlled by the power enabling pin, is used for coupling the power pin to the system on chip.
The above and other aspects of the invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiment(s). The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The transmission interface 101 is compliant with the mini-PCIE interface and includes a first data channel 1011a, a second data channel 1011b, a first power pin 1012a, a second power pin 1012b, a network channel 1013, a switch pin 104, a power enabling pin 1015, a sharing pin 1016, a status pin 1017, and a detection pin 1018. The network connector 106 is coupled to the system on chip 103 and the network channel 1013, and the network connector 106 is a RJ45 connector, for example.
The first data channel 1011a includes pins 23, 25, 31, 33 as shown in
It is noted that one pin may be defined for different types of functions. For example, pins 3, 5, 17, and 19 may be employed as SATA data channel in addition to the network channel 1013. Besides, pins 3, 5, 17, and 19 may be employed as the data channel of USB 3.0. Whether pins 3, 5, 8, 10, 14, 16, 17, and 19 are employed as the network channel 103, the SATA data channel, or the USB 3.0 data channel can be determined by the detection results from the detection pin 1018 (pins 37 and 40).
The system on chip 103, controlled by the sharing pin 1016, performs a file sharing program, and the system on chip 1013, for example, is a network attached storage (NAS) control chip. The first bus switch 105a, controlled by the switch pin 1014, couples the first connector 104a to the first data channel 1011a or the interface converter 102, and the second bus switch 105b, controlled by the switch pin 1014, couples the second connector 104b to the second data channel 1011b or the system on chip 103. When the system on chip 103 is executing the file sharing program, the first bus switch 105a couples the first connector 104a to the interface converter 102, and the second bus switch 105b couples the second connector 104b to the system on chip 103. When the system on chip 103 is executing the file sharing program, the system on chip 103 accesses the first storage device through the first connector 104a, the first bus switch 105a, and interface converter 102, and the system on chip 103 accesses the second storage device through the second connector 104b and the second bus switch 105b.
When the system on chip 103 is executing the file sharing program, the first power switch 107a, controlled by the power enabling pin 1015, couples the first power pin 1012a to the system on chip 103, so as to provide a working voltage of 5V to the system on chip 103. The second power switch 107b, controlled by the power enabling pin 1015, couples the second power pin 1012b to the low dropout regulator 108, so as to provide a working voltage of 3.3V to the low dropout regulator 108. The low dropout regulator 108 then converts the working voltage of 3.3V to a working voltage of 1.8V, for example.
Referring to
Referring to Table 1,
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
For example, the first data channel 1011a includes pins 41, 43, 47, and 49, as shown in Table 2. The second data channel 1011b includes pins 63 and 65, as exemplified in Table 2. The network channel 1013, for example, includes pins 20, 22, 24, 26, 30, 32, 34, and 36, as in Table 2. The first power pin 1012a, for example, includes pins 56. 58, 60, 62, and 64, as in Table 2, wherein the first power pin 1012a transmits a working voltage of 5V. The second power pin 1012b, for example, includes pins 2, 4, 70, 72, and 74, as in Table 2, wherein the second power pin 1012b transmits a working voltage of 3.3V. The switch pin 1014 is pin 44 and the power enabling pin 1015 is pin 42, as exemplified in Table 2. The sharing pin 1016 is pin 48 and the status pin 1017 is pin 46, as exemplified in Table 2. The detection pin 1018, for example, includes pins 3 and 73 of Table 2.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment(s), it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.
Claims
1. An interface card apparatus, comprising:
- a transmission interface, comprising: a first data channel; a first power pin; a network channel; a switch pin; a power enabling pin; and a sharing pin;
- an interface converter;
- a system on chip, controlled by the sharing pin, for performing a file sharing program;
- a first connector;
- a first bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, for coupling the first connector to the first channel or the e interface converter;
- a network connector, coupled the system on chip and the network channel; and
- a first power switch, controlled by the power enabling pin, for coupling the first power pin to the system on chip.
2. The interface card apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface converter is coupled to the system on chip.
3. The interface card apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission interface further comprises a second data channel; the interface card apparatus further comprises a second connector and a second bus switch; the second bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, couples the second connector to the second data channel or the system on chip.
4. The interface card apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first connector is a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connector or an external SATA connector, and the second connector is a universal serial bus connector.
5. The interface card apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transmission interface further comprises a second power pin; the interface card apparatus further comprises a second power switch and a low-dropout regulator; and the second power switch, controlled by the power enabling pin, couples the second power pin to the low-dropout regulator.
6. The interface card apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transmission interface further comprises a status pin for indicating status of the data access by the system on chip.
7. The interface card apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transmission interface further comprises a detection pin for detecting type of the interface card apparatus.
8. The interface card apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:
- a wireless network transceiver, coupled to the system on chip.
9. The interface card apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a printed board circuit, wherein the printed board circuit comprises a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, the first side is opposite the third side; the second side is opposite is opposite the fourth side; the transmission interface is disposed near the first side; and the first connector and the second connector are disposed near the third side.
10. The interface card apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the transmission interface is compliant with a mini-PCIE interface.
11. The interface card apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the transmission interface is compliant with an NGFF interface.
12. The interface card apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission interface further comprises a second data channel and a third data channel; the interface card apparatus further comprises a hub, a second connector, a third connector, a second bus switch, and a third bus switch; the hub is coupled to the system on chip; the second bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, couples the second connector to the second data channel or the hub; and the third bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, couples the third connector to the third data channel or the hub.
13. The interface card apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface converter is coupled to the hub.
14. The interface card apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first connector is a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connector or an external SATA connector, and the second connector and the third connector are universal serial bus connectors.
15. The interface card apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a printed board circuit, wherein the printed board circuit comprises a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side; the first side is opposite the third side; the second side is opposite is opposite the fourth side; the transmission interface is disposed near the first side; and the second connector and the third connector are disposed near the third side.
16. The interface card apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first connector and the network connector are disposed near the second side.
17. The interface card apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printed board circuit, wherein the printed board circuit comprises a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side; the first side is opposite the third side; the second side is opposite is opposite the fourth side; the transmission interface is disposed near the first side; the second connector and the third connector are disposed near the second side; the network connector is disposed near the third side, and the first connector is disposed near the fourth side.
18. The interface card apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission interface further comprises a second data channel; the interface card apparatus further comprises a second connector, a third connector, a second bus switch, and a third bus switch; the second bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, couples the second connector to the second data channel or the system on chip; and the third bus switch, controlled by the switch pin, couples the third connector to the first data channel or the interface converter.
19. The interface card apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first connector and the third connector is a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connector or an external SATA connector, and the second connector is a universal serial bus connector.
20. The interface card apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission interface further comprises a fourth data channel; the interface card apparatus further comprises a second connector; the fourth data channel and the second connector are connected to the system on chip.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 5, 2013
Publication Date: Nov 20, 2014
Applicant: Wistron Corporation (New Taipei City)
Inventors: Yung-Chi Sung (New Taipei City), Wei-Ming Chien (New Taipei City)
Application Number: 14/071,721
International Classification: G06F 1/00 (20060101);