Patent ID: 7103696
Filing Date: 2006-09-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for hiding devices from a computer host, said devices and host sharing a common electrical bus, said method comprising: providing one or more expansion slots configured to receive a respective add-in card including a processor therein; generating a signal indicative of the presence of said add-in card in one of the expansion slots; in response to said signal indicative of the presence of said add-in card, masking a host device select signal provided to a select signal input of a device on said host and generally used by said host to recognize said device; imparting a predefined time delay to a bus grant signal configured to grant to said processor on said add-in card an exclusive access to said common electrical bus so that said host is prevented from communicating with said device, wherein said time delay corresponds to a clocking cycle of a clocking signal for said electrical bus; and propagating said bus grant signal to said select signal input of said device upon completion of said clocking cycle and the signal indicative of the presence of said add-in card actually indicating the presence of said add-in card in one of the expansion slots, thereby propagating said bus grant signal synchronously with the clocking signal for said electrical bus for effecting the exclusive access of said processor over said common electrical bus for communicating with said device.