A COMPUTER SYSTEM HAVING A BRIDGE BETWEEN BUSES

摘要

A computer system having an ISA bus (32) and a PCI bus (30) is provided with a PCI to ISA bridge (34) having certain imbedded functions performed by PCI slaves (64-68) on the bridge. In order to implement the bridge in slow CMOS technology, the PCI control signals are latched on the bridge. Since the PCI slaves on the bridge cannot respond with control signals on the PCI bus fast enough to satisfy the PCI bus protocol due to this latching, a logic device (70) is provided on the bridge. The logic device monitors the unlatched master-slave control signals carried on the PCI bus, and in appropriate situations, drives the control signals on the PCI bus (within the time specified by the PCI bus protocol) that the PCI slaves would normally drive but are unable to within the time necessary to meet the PCI bus protocol.