Abstract:
An information handling system is provided which includes a wired network controller fixedly mounted in the system and an optional wireless network card which is pluggably receivable by a connector in the system. The system includes a first indicator for annunciating network activity and a second indicator for annunciating that the link is good as well as its link rate. Status processing logic is situated between the wireless card connector, the network controller and the first and second indicators to permit the wireless card and the network controller to share the first and second indicators.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    The disclosures herein relate generally to information handling systems and more particularly to monitoring the activity of such a system in a wireless or hard-wired network.  
           [0002]    Information handling systems such as portable computers are frequently equipped with an integrated network controller referred to as “LAN on motherboard” or LOM network controller. The LOM network controller enables the user to easily connect to a wired network without the need to install additional hardware. It is noted that this is a wired connection. However, more recently, wireless information handling systems have become popular. To provide wireless communication capability, these systems can be equipped with a so-called RF modem which typically plugs into a mating connector in the system.  
           [0003]    Many users desire the ability monitor the status of their network connection, whether it be wired or wireless. One conventional approach to monitoring the wired connection is to equip the system with a network connector jack which includes 2 LED indicators, namely one LED to monitor the activity of the connection, the other LED to monitor the speed of the connection. For example, it is common to use an RJ-45 connector wherein one LED glows yellow to indicate activity on the wired network connection. The second LED is often capable of glowing 2 different colors to indicate different network speeds. For example, when the second LED is green, it may indicate a 10 Mbps wired connection, and when the second LED is amber, it may indicate a 100 Mbps wired connection.  
           [0004]    Many wireless system users also desire the ability to monitor their wireless connection. One way is to add dedicated activity and link speed indicators to the system. However, this increases the cost of the overall system due first to the expenses associated with providing systems with 2 different mechanical covers and second to an overall increase in the parts count for the system.  
           [0005]    What is needed is a mechanism and methodology for providing status monitoring of the wireless connection of the system as well as the wired connection without increasing the number of indicators.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0006]    Accordingly, in one embodiment an information handling system is provided including a processor, a memory coupled to the processor and a connector for receiving an optional wireless card. A fixed network controller is situated in the system. The system further includes first and second indicators which are shared between the wireless card and the fixed network controller. Status processing logic is situated between the wireless card, the fixed network controller and the first and second indicators to achieve this indicator sharing arrangement.  
           [0007]    A principal advantage of the embodiment disclosed herein is the lower cost achieved by sharing of the first and second indicators and the avoidance of designing two different cases for the system, i.e. one case with indicators for a fixed network controller version only and another case for a fixed network controller and wireless card combination.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram of the information handling system employing the disclosed network monitoring apparatus  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram showing the disclosed network status monitoring portion of the information handling system.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 depicts a high level block diagram of an information handling system  100  in which the disclosed technology is practiced. An information handling system is defined as an instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities primarily designed to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence or data for business, scientific, control or other purposes.  
         [0011]    The particular information handling system  100  depicted in FIG. 1 is a portable computer system. However the disclosed technology can be practiced on other systems as well, such as desktop, server, and both smaller and larger systems. Computer system  100  includes a processor  105  currently available at different clocking rates, for example, 1.0 GHz, 1.13 GHz and 1.2 GHz.  
         [0012]    An Intel Hub Architecture (IHA) chip  110  provides system  100  with memory and I/O functions. More particularly, IHA chip  110  includes a Graphics and AGP Memory Controller Hub (GMCH)  115 . GMCH  115  acts as a host controller that communicates with processor  100  and further acts as a controller for main memory  120 . GMCH  115  also provides an interface to Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) controller  125  which is coupled thereto. A display  130  is coupled to AGP controller  125 . IHA chip  110  further includes an I/O Controller Hub (ICH)  135  which performs numerous I/O functions. ICH  135  is coupled to a System Management Bus (SM Bus)  140  which is coupled to one or more SM Bus devices  145 .  
         [0013]    A super I/O controller  170  is coupled to ICH  135  to provide connectivity to input devices such as a keyboard and mouse  175  as shown in FIG. 1. A firmware hub (FWH)  180  is coupled to ICH  135  to provide an interface to system BIOS  185  which is coupled to FWH  180 . A General Purpose I/O (GPIO) bus  195  is coupled to ICH  135 . USB ports  200  are coupled to ICH  135  as shown. USB devices such as printers, scanners, joysticks, etc. can be added to the system configuration on this bus. An integrated drive electronics (IDE) bus  205  is coupled to ICH  135  to connect IDE drives  210  to the computer system.  
         [0014]    ICH  135  is coupled to a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus  155 . A removable wireless card (RF modem)  160  is coupled to PCI bus  155  by a mini PCI connector (not shown). Since wireless card  160  is generally a plug-in card, it is physically accessed through an opening in the system&#39;s case or by opening a door or panel (not shown). In other embodiments, the wireless card is not generally user accessible within the system&#39;s case. A network controller  165  (LAN ON MOBO) is situated on the motherboard and coupled to PCI bus  155  as shown. Network controller  165  is generally situated within the system&#39;s case and is considered to be an internal fixed device. Network controller  165  is generally soldered to the motherboard on which the components of the system are situated. Both wireless card  160  (when present) and network controller  165  (LAN ON MOBO) are coupled to LOM-Wireless Status Processing Logic  215 . Processing logic  215  is coupled to LAN Connector With Status Indicators  220 . The operation of processing logic  215  and connector/status indicators  220  will be discussed in more detail subsequently with reference to FIG. 2.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram showing the disclosed network monitoring portion of the information handling system. Both the mini-PC wireless modem card  160  and LOM network controller  165  are coupled to PCI bus  155 . Mini-PCI wireless card  160  is plugged into mini-PC connector  225  as shown. Depending on the user&#39;s preference, some systems may come with wireless card  160  pre-installed within the system&#39;s case while it may absent in other systems. One card which can be employed as wireless card  160  is a card meeting IEEE spec. 802.11, although other RF modem cards can be employed as well.  
         [0016]    As will now be discussed, status processing logic  215  processes information from both wireless card  160  and LOM network controller  165  to enable wireless card  160  and controller  165  to share the same status indicators in LAN connector  220 . In one embodiment, LAN connector  220  includes status indicator  230 , such as a light emitting diode (LED) which glows yellow to indicate “activity”. A light pipe  230 A conducts the yellow light from the LED to an opening where it is visible to the user. LAN connector  220  also includes a “link rate” indicator  235 . Link rate indicator  235  is a dual color indicator, essentially a green LED and an amber LED sharing a common lens and light pipe  235 A. When link rate indicator  235  is green, either wireless card  160  or LOM controller  165  is operating at a first link rate, for example 10 Mbps. However, when link rate indicator  235  is amber, either wireless card  160  or LOM controller  165  is operating at 100 Mbps. Currently, wireless cards generally operate at 10 Mbps. However, in the future wireless cards are likely to operate at higher link rates, such as 100 Mbps and beyond. One type of connector that is suitable for use as LAN connector  220  is an RJ-45 type connector.  
         [0017]    To enable sharing of status indicators  230  and  235  by both wireless card  160  and LOM network controller  165 , status processing logic  215  manipulates the signals from wireless card  160  and LOM controller  165  in the manner now described. Wireless connector  225  includes a WIRELESS_ACTIVITY output  225 A at which a WIRELESS ACTIVITY signal is present. The WIRELESS_ACTIVITY signal is “active low” meaning that when it has a 0 value, wireless activity is indicated. Conversely, if the WIRELESS_ACTIVITY signal has a  1  value, there is no wireless activity. LOM controller  165  includes a LOM_ACTIVITY output  165 A at which a LOM_ACTIVITY signal is present. The LOM_ACTIVITY signal is also “active low” meaning that when it has a 0 value, LOM activity is indicated. Conversely, if the LOM ACTIVITY signal has a 1 value there is no LOM activity.  
         [0018]    The WIRELESS_ACTIVITY signal and the LOM_ACTIVITY signal are AND&#39;d together at AND gate  240  as shown, the resulting output of which drives activity indicator  230 . Consequently, when either the WIRELESS_ACTIVITY signal or the LOM_ACTIVITY signal goes low, indicator  230  turns on. This makes the user aware of activity. While implemented as an AND circuit, since active lows are employed as the two inputs, the AND gate behaves substantially as a logical NAND according to the following truth table designated TRUTH TABLE 1.  
                       TRUTH TABLE 1                               ACTIVITY               INDICATOR       WIRELESS_ACTIVITY   LOM_ACTIVITY   230 ON (YELLOW)                   0   0   1       0   1   1       1   0   1       1   1   0                  
 
         [0019]    Wireless connector  225  includes a WIRELESS_ON/OFF output  225 B at which a WIRELESS_ON/OFF signal is present. This signal indicates if the wireless card (if present) is on or off. The WIRELESS_ON/OFF signal is provided to discrete logic circuit  245  as shown in FIG. 2. Here 0 indicates off and 1 indicates on. LOM controller  165  includes output  165 B and  165 C at which a LOM — 10 MBIT signal and a LOM — 100 MBIT signal are present, respectively. If LOM — 10 MBIT is high, this indicates that LOM controller  165  is operating at 10 Mbps, whereas if LOM — 100 MBIT is high, this indicates that LOM controller  165  is operating at 100 Mbps, The outputs  245 A and  245 B of discrete logic  245  drive link rate indicator  235  to turn on either the 10 MBIT-GREEN indicator or the 100 MBIT AMBER indicator in lowing truth table designated TRUTH TABLE 2:  
                                                                 TRUTH TABLE 2                                   WIRELESS —     LOM_10   LOM_100   10 MBIT   100 MBIT           ON/OFF   MBIT   MBIT   GREEN   AMBER                                        0   0   0   OFF   OFF           0   0   1   OFF   ON           0   1   0   ON   OFF           1   0   0   ON   OFF       *   1   0   1   OFF   ON       *   I   1   0   ON   OFF       **   1   1   1   X   X                                  
 
         [0020]    In TRUTH TABLE 2, 0 indicates off and 1 indicates on. Logic  245  processes the input signals provided thereto such that if WIRELESS_ON/OFF is 0 (wireless card is off) and LOM — 10 MBIT and LOM 100 MBIT are both 0, then both the 10 MBIT GREEN and 100 MBIT AMBER indicators are off.  
         [0021]    If the LOM — 100 MBIT signal is 1 (or on), then the 100 MBIT AMBER indicator is on and the 10 MBIT GREEN indicator is off regardless of whether the WIRELESS_ON/OFF is 0 (off) or 1 (on). This is true regardless of the state of the WIRELESS_ON/OFF signal since logic  245  permits LOM controller  165  to override wireless card  160  with respect to the indicators. In other words, when connector  230  is coupled to a wire-based LAN as opposed the system being coupled to a wireless LAN via wireless card  160 , then LOM controller  165  overrides the wireless card and controls the indicators  235  on connector  220 . Similarly, if the LOM — 10 MBIT signal is 1 (or on), then the 10 MBIT GREEN indicator is on and the 100 MBIT indicator is off regardless of the state of the WIRELESS_ON/OFF signal.  
         [0022]    In one typical scenario where the user is operating in wireless mode, the user is not connected to a network by a wired network cable plugged into the wall, the WIRELESS_ON/OFF will be 1 (on). In this case, the user will be apprised that the wireless link is good by a GREEN indication from the GREEN/AMBER LED  250  and will receive activity information from the YELLOW LED  230 .  
         [0023]    In another operational scenario, when the user is operating in wired LAN mode (i.e. when connector  220  is plugged into a wire LAN), the user is apprised that the link is good by observing either a GREEN indication from GREEN/AMBER LED  250  or an AMBER indication from GREEN/AMBER LED  250 . Concurrently, the user observes the speed of the connection by observing if the indicator LED  250  is green or amber.  
         [0024]    As can be seen, a principal advantage of these embodiments is the provision of a technology which permits an information handling system to indicate both activity and link rate information (speed and link good) for both LOM controllers and wireless modems without providing indicators beyond those ordinarily needed for the LOM controller alone. While this novel methodology has been described with reference to an information handling system such as a portable computer, the disclosed methodology also applies to other electrical devices such as personal digital assistants (PDA&#39;s), cellular and other telephone devices, satellite receivers, home entertainment systems, electronic gaming equipment, configurable automotive electronic devices, etc., and combinations thereof. Such devices have become so processor dependent that they are considered to be computer systems and indeed are information handling systems.  
         [0025]    Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, a wide range of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of an embodiment may be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.