Local bus IDE architecture for a split computer system

摘要

Described is a personal computer system that includes a first housing coupled to a second housing with a multi-conductor cable. The first housing includes an IDE direct access storage device having an opening for receiving a removable storage medium. The second housing is separate from the first housing and includes a microprocessor coupled to a local bus and an expansion bus, a first IDE controller, a non-volatile storage device coupled to the local bus and a power supply. The cable is coupled to the first and second housings for electrically connecting devices in the first housing to devices in the second housing. The second housing has a first interface coupled to the expansion bus, the first IDE controller and the cable. The first housing includes a second interface coupled to the cable and the IDE device. The first interface is operative to (1) determine when a bus cycle initiated by a device in the second housing is directed to the IDE device in the first housing and (2) transfer data from the IDE controller to the IDE device via the cable and the second interface when a bus cycle is directed to the IDE device.