Interface control device
An interface control device includes a first interface, a second interface, a third interface, an interface controller and a clock supplying unit. The first interface is used to communicate with a first information processing device and obtain a first clock signal from the first information processing device. The second interface is used to communicate using a second clock signal with a second information processing device different from the first information processing device. The third interface is used to communicate with a controller of a data-storage medium. The interface controller performs an interface control for the first, second and third interfaces. Moreover, the clock supplying unit supplies the first clock signal to the third interface while communications through the second interface have not been established.
1. An interface control device comprising:
a first interface to communicate with a first information processing device and obtain a first clock signal from the first information processing device;
a second interface to communicate using a second clock signal with a second information processing device different from the first information processing device;
a third interface to communicate with a controller of a data-storage medium;
an interface controller to perform an interface control for the first, second and third interfaces; and
a clock supplying unit to supply the first clock signal to the third interface while communications through the second interface have not been established.
2. The interface control device of claim 1 , wherein the clock supplying unit generates a third clock signal based on the second clock signal and supplies the third clock signal to the third interface, while communications through the second interface have been established.
3. The interface control device of claim 2 , wherein the clock supplying unit determines a frequency of the third clock signal based on a transmission rate of communication through the second interface.
4. The interface control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a switching unit to switch operation modes of the interface controller, the operation modes including
a first operation mode to transmit a response indicating that the memory capacity is not zero in response to a command requesting a memory capacity of the data-storage medium from the first information processing device
and a second operation mode to transmit a response indicating that the memory capacity is zero in response to the command requesting a memory capacity of the data-storage medium from the first information processing device.
5. The interface control device of claim 4 , wherein the interface controller receives signals through the first interface and transmits the signals through the second interface, while the operation mode is the second operation mode and communications through the second interface have been established.
6. The interface control device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a signal detector to detect a power of a radio signal that the second interface is capable to receive,
wherein the interface controller keeps the second interface inactive when the first operation mode starts, and the interface controller activates the second interface when the signal detector detects the power of the radio signal for the first time.
7. The interface control device of claim 1 , wherein the interface controller receives signals through the third interface and transmits the signals through the second interface, while communications through the second interface have been established.
8. The interface control device of claim 1 , wherein the interface controller obtains a power through the first interface.
9. The interface control device of claim 8 , wherein the interface controller determines at least one of a maximum transmission rate through the second interface, a maximum transmission power of the second interface, and a frequency of the second clock according to supplied amount of the power.
10. The interface control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a recording unit to store a state of communication through the second interface at the last time when a power stops being supplied to the interface controller, the state showing whether the communication through the second interface is established or not,
wherein the interface controller determines whether a signal is transmitted through the second interface or the third interface according to the state of communication,
the signal being first received to initialize the data-storage medium through the first interface after the power starts to supplied,
if the state in the recording unit shows the communication is established.
11. The interface control device of claim 1 , wherein the interface controller starts to supply a power to the second interface after a signal showing the selected data-storage medium is received through the first interface.
12. The interface control device of claim 1 , wherein the interface controller stops supplying the power to the second interface
when the communication through the second interface has not been established after the interface controller starts supplying a power to the second interface,
or when a signal showing a second data-storage medium is received through the first interface, the second data-storage medium is neither the data-storage medium nor an external data-storage medium connected through the second interface.
13. The interface control device of claim 1 , wherein the interface controller receives signals through the second interface
and temporarily stores the signals in the data-storage medium through the third interface and transmits the signals through the first interface.
14. The interface control device of claim 2 , wherein the interface controller temporarily receives signals through the second interface
and stores the signals in the data-storage medium through the third interface and transmits the signals through the first interface,
if the first clock signal is slower than the third clock signal.
15. The interface control device of claim 14 , wherein the clock supplying unit supplies the first clock signal to the third interface
while the interface controller transmits the signals stored in the data-storage medium trough the first interface.
16. An interface control device comprising:
a first interface to communicate with a first information processing device and obtain a first clock signal;
a second interface to communicate using a second clock signal with a second information processing device different from the first information processing device;
a third interface to communicate with a controller of a data-storage medium;
a converting unit to converts a frequency of the first clock signal to a frequency of the second clock signal;
an interface controller to perform an interface control for the first, second and third interfaces; and
a clock supplying unit to supply the first clock signal to the third interface while communications through the second interface have not been established
and to generate a third clock signal based on the second clock signal and supply the third clock signal to the third interface while communications through the second interface have been established.
17. An interface control device comprising:
a first interface to communicate with a first information processing device;
a second interface to communicate with a second information processing device different from the first information processing device;
a third interface to communicate with a controller of a data-storage medium;
a management unit to manage a state of communications through the second interface; and
an interface controller to perform an interface control including
a determination whether signals are transmitted through either the second or third interface, or, neither the second nor third interface,
according to a kind of the signals and the state of the communications, the signals being received through the first interface.
18. The interface control device of claim 17 , wherein the interface controller determines that
if the kind of the signal is a first signal to check a state of the data-storage medium, the first signal is transmitted to neither the second interface nor the third interface,
and if the kind of the signal is a second signal to initialize the data-storage medium, the second signal is transmitted through the second interface,
while the state of the communications shows that the communication has been established.
19. The interface control device of claim 18 , wherein the interface controller determines that
if the kind of the signal is a third signal to transmit data in Data Transfer Mode of the controller of the data-storage medium, a signal showing error of the data-storage is transmitted through the first interface.
20. The interface control device of claim 17 , wherein the interface controller determines that
if the kind of the signal is a first signal to check a state of the data-storage medium, the first signal is transmitted to neither the second interface nor the third interface,
and if the kind of the signal is a second signal to initialize the data-storage medium, the second signal is transmitted through the third interface,
while the state of the communications shows that the communication has been disconnected.