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Abstract

A first integrated circuit includes interface logic between legacy devices and an expansion bus. A second integrated circuit provides input and output terminals for the interface logic. A bus couples the first and second integrated circuits and transfers data substantially continuously between the first and second integrated circuits. The data includes output signals from the interface logic which is provided to the output terminals of the second integrated circuit and input signals for the interface logic from the input terminals of the second integrated circuit. The data is transferred between the first and second integrated circuits in frames which includes a predetermined number of data bits and preassigned slots for the states of the input and output signals, so as to continuously transfer the state of the input and output signals to and from the input and output pins of the second integrated circuit at a predetermined rate. The second integrated circuit includes input/output terminals to couple to legacy devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a game port, a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) port, a floppy drive, a PC speaker and an infrared port.

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First Claim