Patent ID: 6058443
Filing Date: 2000-05-02
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
An apparatus comprising:a first integrated circuit including a plurality of functional circuits for interfacing to respective external devices;a second integrated circuit including input and output terminals to couple to the respective external devices; and,a bus coupling the first and second integrated circuits, the bus for operating substantially continuously to transfer data only between the first and second integrated circuits, the data being transferred on the bus simultaneously and including at least one output signal from at least one of the functional circuits for outputting on at least one of the output terminals of the second integrated circuit, the output signal to be communicated to at least one of the respective external devices and the data including at least one input signal for one of the functional circuits from at least one of the input terminals of the second integrated circuit received from one of the respective external devices, the data on the bus from the first integrated circuit and from the second integrated circuit being transferred simultaneously in both directions between the first and second integrated circuits, to thereby couple the functional circuits on the first integrated circuit to the respective external devices through the input and output terminals on the second integrated circuit via the bus.