Hardware component detections

In example implementations, an apparatus for detecting hardware components is provided. The apparatus includes a multipurpose integrated circuit comprising an input pin, a hardware component coupled to the input pin and a two-way communication bus coupled to the multipurpose integrated circuit. The multipurpose integrated circuit is to receive an interrogation signal from a processor for the hardware component coupled to the pin via the two-way communication bus. A response signal that indicates that the hardware component is detected on the pin is generated in response to the interrogation signal. The response signal is then transmitted to the processor over the two-way communication bus.

BACKGROUND

All-in-one computing systems are gaining popularity due to the compact overall design and functionality. For example, connections between the monitor, processor, and hardware components are made within the housing of the all-in-one computing system. As a result, the physical wiring and connections that can clutter a separated computer and monitor may be hidden.

As the all-in-one computing system evolves, updated designs are separating the monitor and some associated hardware components from a base that includes the main processor. This separated design prevents certain components from becoming obsolete over time or allowing the all-in-one computing system to still be used if the monitor fails.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples described herein provide methods to detect remote hardware components and a computing device to perform the same. As discussed above, as the all-in-one computing system evolves, updated designs are separating the monitor and some associated hardware components from a base that includes the main processor. This separated design prevents certain components from becoming obsolete over time or allowing the all-in-one computing system to still be used if the monitor fails.

However, to keep the sleek design and aesthetic appeal of the all-in-one computing system, the connection between the base component and the monitor has been kept as small as possible. The neck between the base component and the monitor has limited space to make connections between components in the monitor and a main processor located in the base component. In previous all-in-one computing system designs, the hardware components for the monitor and the main processor were located together in a common housing. Thus, each hardware component could be directly coupled to the main processor. However, with the limited space in the neck in the updated designs of the all-in-one computing system, the wiring for individual connections of each hardware component to the main processor may not be available.

Examples described herein provide an apparatus that allows hardware components in a display component that are located remotely from a base component that includes the main processor to be detected by the processor. The detection may be performed without having each hardware component in the display component individually coupled to, or connected to, the main processor. Rather, the present disclosure uses available general input pins of a microchip in the display component to connect each hardware component in the display component. A two-way communication bus between the microchip in the display component and the processor in the base component may be used to communicate query signals and response signals indicating whether the hardware components in the display component are detected and configured properly.

FIG. 1illustrates a block diagram of a computing system100. The computing system100may be an all-in-one computing system that includes a display component102, a base component104and a connection component106. The display component102and the base component104may be coupled together via the connection component106. Physical connections and wiring used to connect components in the display component102to components in the base component104are run through the connection component106.

In one example, an all-in-one computing system may be defined as a computing system where the display, or monitor, is coupled to a base and physical wiring used to connect the display to the base are not visible. In other words, physical connections between the display and the base are located within the housing of the display component102, the base component104and the connection component106.

In one implementation, the display component102may include a microchip110and a hardware component112, or a plurality of hardware components1121to112n(herein also referred to collectively as hardware components112). In one example, the microchip110may also be referred to as a multipurpose integrated circuit110. The microchip110may be a scalar chip used in monitors.

In one example, the hardware components112may be hardware components112that are used to perform functions associated with the display component102. For example, the hardware components112may include components such as a red, green, blue (RGB) camera, a front facing camera, an infrared (IR) camera, a touch module for touch screen displays, an audio interface, a microphone, an external speaker, a sensor (e.g., a presence sensor), and the like.

The hardware components112may be located remotely from the base component104. For example, “located remotely” for the present disclosure may be defined as being located in a separate housing, but being part of the same computing system. For example, the housing of the display component102may be separate from the housing of the base component104. However, the display component102may be connected to the base component104via the connection component106to form the all-in-one computing system such as the computing system100.

Moreover, “remotely located hardware components” in the present disclosure may be defined as hardware components that are located in the housing of one component that is separate from the housing of another component, but part of the same computing system. In other words, the “remotely located hardware components” may be physically connected (e.g., via a cable or internal circuitry) to another component that is located in a separate housing of the same computing system. The “remotely located hardware components” may communicate with the other component that is located in a separate housing via the physical connection and without communicating over a communication network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an Internet protocol (IP) network, an Ethernet network, a cellular network, and the like). Said another way, the term “remotely located hardware components” does not necessarily include independent computing systems that are located apart from other independent computing systems that communicate with one another over a communication network.

In one example, the base component104may include a processor108. The processor108may be in communication with the display component102via a two-way communication bus114. The two-way communication bus114may be a two-wire bus that runs through the connection component106. The two-way communication bus114provides a communication path to allow data, or communication signals, to be exchanged between the processor108and the microchip110.

Locating the hardware components112remotely from the base component104may allow the display component102or the base component104to be replaced separately. For example, if the display component102fails, the display component102may be replaced rather than replacing the entire computing system100. In another example, if the processor108becomes outdated, the base component104can be replaced without replacing the entire computing system100.

It should be noted thatFIG. 1has been simplified for ease of explanation and that additional components and circuitry may be included in the computing system100that are not shown. For example, the base component104may include computer readable memory, graphics cards, motherboards, power supplies, external connection interfaces (e.g., universal serial bus (USB) interfaces), the display component may also include computer readable memory in communication with the microchip110, motherboards, power supplies, and the like.

In one implementation, due to the limited space available in the connection component106, the processor108may not be individually coupled to the hardware components112that are remotely located in the display component102. In other words, if there are ten different hardware components112, the connection component106may not provide enough space for ten different physical wires or circuit connections between the processor108and the ten different hardware components112.

The design of the present disclosure allows the processor108to detect the hardware components112without having individual connections to each one of the hardware components112via a query signal that is transmitted via the two-way communication bus114to the microchip110. In some implementations, the processor108may receive additional information associated with each hardware component112from the microchip110related to configuration information of each hardware component112.

FIG. 2illustrates a block diagram of the display component102that illustrates in further detail how the hardware components112are coupled to the microchip110. As noted above, the display component102may include the microchip110and the hardware components112. In addition, the microchip110may be in communication with the processor108in the base component104via the two-way communication bus114.

In one example, the microchip110may include a plurality of input pins2021to202n(hereinafter referred to individually as an input pin202or collectively as input pins202). It should be noted that althoughFIG. 2illustrates the same number of input pins202as hardware components112that the number of input pins202and the hardware components112may be different. For example, there may be three hardware components112and four input pins202. Thus, one input pin would remain open.

In one example, the input pins202may be general purpose input pins that are unused or available on the microchip110. For example, a scalar chip of a monitor in the display component102may have input pins that are available. The available input pins202may be used to connect to the hardware components112and allow the microchip110to obtain information associated with the hardware components. For example, each hardware component1121to112nmay be coupled to a different one of the input pins2021to202n.

In one example, the display component102may also include a computer readable memory (not shown) that is in communication with the microchip110. The information associated with the hardware components may be stored in the computer readable memory.

FIG. 3illustrates a block diagram of the base component104. As noted above, the base component104may include the processor108that communicates with the microchip110via the two-way communication bus114. In addition, the base component104may include a computer readable memory302(e.g., a non-transitory computer readable medium) that stores assignment information304.

In one example, the assignment information304may store the assignments between a hardware component112and an input pin202of the microchip110. The assignment information304may be stored in the computer readable memory302after the hardware components112are coupled to respective input pins202during assembly of the computing system100. The assignment information304may provide information to the processor108regarding which hardware component112should be connected to which input pin202of the microchip110. In other implementations, the assignment information304may also be stored in a computer readable memory located in the display component102and in communication with the microchip110.

As noted above, the processor108may transmit a query signal to the microchip110to interrogate a pin202. The query signal may be based on the assignment information304. For example, the assignment information304may indicate that the hardware component1121should be connected to the input pin2021. The processor108may send the query signal to the microchip110.

In one example, the microchip110may generate a response signal in response to the query signal. For example, the microchip110may interrogate the input pin2021to detect if a hardware component112is connected to the input pin2021. The microchip110may also communicate with the hardware component112to verify that it is the hardware component1121coupled to the input pin2021. The response signal may be a binary signal that indicates a yes (e.g., a confirmation that the hardware component1121is detected and coupled to the input pin2021as indicated in the assignment information304) or a no (e.g., an indication that the hardware component1121is not detected on the input pin2021) to the processor108.

In another example, the response signal may include detailed information associated with the hardware component112. The detailed information may include a name of the hardware component112, a software version of the hardware component112, configuration parameters of the hardware component112, and the like. For example, the microchip110may be in communication with a memory that stores the detailed information associated with the hardware component112. In response to the query signal, the microchip110may confirm that the hardware component1121is detected on the input pin2021. The microchip110may look-up the detailed information associated with the hardware component1121in memory and include the detailed information in the response signal to the processor108.

The query signal and the response signal may be repeated for each hardware component1121to112n. For example, after assembly of the computing system100a technician may want to verify that all of the hardware components112nwere correctly installed. The process described above may be initiated by the technician on a user interface (e.g., a keyboard coupled to the base component104or a touch screen display of the display component102) of the computing system100to detect each hardware component1121to112nby querying each respective pin202of the microchip110based on the assignment information304.

Thus, the present disclosure provides a design that allows the processor108in a base component104to detect the hardware components112that are remotely located in the display component102of the computing system100. Notably, the processor108may detect the remotely located hardware components112without having individual connections to each one of the hardware components112.

FIG. 4illustrates a flow diagram of an example method400for detecting hardware components in a computing system. In one example, the method400may be performed by the processor108.

At block402, the method400begins. At block404, the method400determines a hardware component assigned to an input pin of a microchip in a display component based on assignment information. For example, when an all-in-one computing system is assembled, the hardware components of the display component may be coupled to different pints of the microchip. A first hardware component may be coupled to a first input pin, a second hardware component may be coupled to a second input pin, and so forth, until each hardware component is coupled to the microchip via respective input pins.

The assignments between a hardware component and a respective input pin may be stored in the assignment information. The assignment information may inform the processor regarding which hardware component should be detected on which input pins of the microchip.

At block406, the method400transmits a query signal over a two-way communication bus to the microchip to interrogate the input pin. The query signal may cause the microchip to interrogate the input pin in response to the query signal to determine if the hardware component identified in the query signal is detected on the input pin.

At block408, the method400receives a response signal from the microchip over the two-way communication bus, wherein the response signal indicates that the hardware component is detected on the input pin. In one example, the response signal may be a binary signal (e.g., a 0 or a 1, a yes or a no, etc.). The binary signal may simply indicate whether the hardware component is detected or not.

In another example, the response signal may contain detailed information associated with the hardware component. For example, the response signal may indicate that the hardware component is detected and include detailed information such as, a name of the hardware component, a software version of the hardware component, configuration parameters of the hardware component, and the like.

In one example, the method400may be repeated for each hardware component listed in the assignment information. At block410, the method400ends.