| US 7,539,801 B2 | ||
| Computing device with flexibly configurable expansion slots, and method of operation | ||
| Yaoqiang (George) Xie, North York (Canada); and Roumen Saltchev, Markham (Canada) | ||
| Assigned to ATI Technologies ULC, Markham, Ontario (Canada) | ||
| Filed on May 27, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/140,040. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0271713 A1, Nov. 30, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06F 13/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 710—104 [710/301] | 4 Claims |
| 2. A motherboard operable in first and second modes of operation, said motherboard comprising:
a bus interface, interconnected to a peripheral bus having at least 2n data lines;
a first expansion slot for receiving peripheral cards, said first expansion slot comprising a first set of n connectors, interconnected
with n of said 2n data lines, and a second set of n connectors; a second expansion slot for receiving peripheral cards said
second expansion slot comprising a first set of n connectors, interconnected with n of said 2n data lines, and a second set
of n connectors;
a bus switch selectively connecting each of said second set of n connectors of said first expansion slot to a corresponding
one of said second set of n connectors of said second expansion slot in said second mode, and disconnecting each of said second
set of n connectors of said first expansion slot from a corresponding one of said second set of n connectors of said second
expansion slot in said first mode, thereby allowing peripheral cards comprising 2n data line interconnects received in said
first and second expansion slots to each train to use n of said 2n data lines in said first mode.
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