Patent ID: 7047338

Claim:
In a gaming machine having a master gaming controller and at least one other gaming device, a method of operating said gaming machine comprising: providing a main communication board adapted to facilitate communication via various communications formats, said main communication board having a plurality of standard receptor slots; providing power to said main communication board via a first power connection; providing a first daughter board in a first standard receptor slot of said main communication board, said first daughter board adapted to convert signals sent from the master gaming controller in a first communications format to signals in a second communications format for transmission to said other gaming device or along a gaming machine network; providing power to said first daughter board via a second power connection; switching off power through said first power connection to said main communication board; maintaining power to said first daughter board via said second power connection during said step of switching off power through said first power connection to said main communication board; providing a second daughter board in a second standard receptor slot of the main communication board, said second daughter board adapted to convert signals sent from the master gaming controller to signals in a third communications format for transmission to said other gaming device, another gaming device, or along a gaming machine network; providing power to said second daughter board via a third power connection; switching off power through said second power connection to said first daughter board; maintaining power to said second daughter board via said third power connection during said step of switching off power through said second power connection to said first daughter board; and replacing said first daughter board with a third daughter board in said first standard receptor slot of the main communication board.