Patent ID: 8521931

Claim:
A serial input/output (SIO) expander device, comprising: a processor/controller configured to receive a master data stream from an initiator device and to transmit a returning master data stream to the initiator device; and a plurality of target master ports coupled to the processor/controller and configured to transmit a split data stream to a target device coupled thereto and to receive a returning split data stream from the target device coupled thereto, wherein the processor/controller is configured to split the master data stream into a plurality of split data streams based on the data in the master data stream and to direct the split data streams to the corresponding plurality of target master ports based on the data in the split data streams, wherein the processor/controller directs the split data streams to the corresponding plurality of target master ports in such a way that each split data stream maintains the same bit positions as in the master data stream, and wherein the processor/controller is configured to assemble a plurality of returning split data streams into the returning master data stream based on the data in the returning split data streams and to transmit the returning master data stream to the initiator device.