US 6,982,954 B2 | ||
Communications bus with redundant signal paths and method for compensating for signal path errors in a communications bus | ||
Sang Hoo Dhong, Austin, Tex. (US); and Harm Peter Hofstee, Austin, Tex. (US) | ||
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US) | ||
Filed on May 03, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/848,175. | ||
Prior Publication US 2002/0163881 A1, Nov. 07, 2002 | ||
Int. Cl. G01R 31/08 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 370—225 | 22 Claims |
1. A communications bus connected between a source node and a destination node, the communications bus including:
(a) a number of alternate transmission paths extending between the source node and the destination node on a common substrate
comprising a semiconductor chip;
(b) a source switching arrangement interposed between the source node and the alternate transmission paths, the source switching
arrangement being operable to selectively connect the source node to a selected one of the alternate transmission paths and
disconnect the source node from each other alternate transmission path;
(c) a destination switching arrangement interposed between the destination node and the alternate transmission paths, the
destination switching arrangement being operable to selectively connect the destination node to the selected one of the alternate
transmission paths and disconnect the destination node from each other alternate transmission path; and
(d) test circuitry connected to the source node and the destination node for applying a test signal to the selected one of
the alternate transmission paths and for monitoring the destination node to determine whether the test signal is properly
received at the destination node, wherein when the test signal is not properly received at the destination node the source
switching arrangement disconnects the source node from the selected one of the alternate transmission paths and connects the
source node to a respective one of the other alternate transmission paths, and the destination switching arrangement disconnects
the destination node from the selected one of the alternate transmission paths and connects the destination node to the respective
one of the other alternate transmission paths.
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