A flexible input/output (I/O) expansion card connection and communication technique are provided. The flexible I/O expansion card is, in some examples, a mezzanine expansion card that may be a single width mezzanine expansion card, a double width expansion card, or a quad width expansion card. Multiple connectors on a mainboard provide a slot to receive plug in (insertion) of an expansion card. A slot is associated with a communication bus (e.g., Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)) established between the expansion card and an associated processor. The expansion card (or more than one expansion card) may be inserted in multiple orientations with respect to the multiple connectors. Automatic adjustment of communication on the communication bus may be implemented via one or more hardware level and/or software assisted translations to allow the mezzanine expansion card to function in a normal or a reverse (180 degrees relative to normal) orientation.

A microcontroller includes an input pin and internal pull-up and pull-down circuits. External pull-up and pull-down circuits are also coupled to the input pin. The microcontroller is operable according to different configuration modes which include configuring the input pin in a floating state. A control logic then configures the internal pull-up and pull-down circuits according to an internal pull-up mode to acquire a first input voltage signal (at a first logic value) from the input pin, and further configure the internal pull-up and pull-down circuits according to an internal pull-down mode to acquire a second input voltage signal (at a second logic value) from the input pin. A selection of the operating mode of the MCU is then made based on the acquired first and second logic values.

An IC includes a bare die and a multiplexed pin. The multiplexed pin is electrically connected to first and second switch circuits, the first and second switch circuits are respectively connected to first and second circuit modules disposed on the bare die and control a connection between the first and second circuit modules and the multiplexed pin, the first switch circuit is connected to a first die pad by a metal layer trace within the bare die, the second switch circuit is connected to a second die pad by a metal layer trace within the bare die, and the first and second die pads are connected to the multiplexed pin through a bond wire respectively. The bare die with a larger number of die pads can be packaged into an IC package with a smaller number of chip pins.

An IC includes a bare die and a multiplexed pin. The multiplexed pin is electrically connected to first and second switch circuits, the first and second switch circuits are respectively connected to first and second circuit modules disposed on the bare die and control a connection between the first and second circuit modules and the multiplexed pin, the first switch circuit is connected to a first die pad by a metal layer trace within the bare die, the second switch circuit is connected to a second die pad by a metal layer trace within the bare die, and the first and second die pads are connected to the multiplexed pin through a bond wire respectively. The bare die with a larger number of die pads can be packaged into an IC package with a smaller number of chip pins.

In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a communication interface configured to be coupled to a communication bus and an input circuit. The communication interface has a plurality of terminals. The input circuit has a first input coupled to a first terminal of the plurality of terminals, and a second input coupled to a second terminal of the plurality of terminals. The first input of the input circuit is configured to receive a first signal and the second input of the input circuit is configured to receive a second signal. The input circuit is configured to generate a reset signal at an output of the input circuit based on the first and second signals while the communication interface is unselected.

An integrated circuit includes a plurality of peripheral input/output pins, a plurality of general-purpose input/output pins, a link network, and a network control circuit. The link network is coupled to the plurality of peripheral input/output pins and the plurality of general-purpose input/output pins. The network control circuit is coupled to the link network, and controls the respective connections between the plurality of peripheral input/output pins and the plurality of general-purpose input/output pins via the link network according to correspondence between the plurality of peripheral input/output pins and the plurality of general-purpose input/output pins.

An integrated circuit includes a plurality of peripheral input/output pins, a plurality of general-purpose input/output pins, a link network, and a network control circuit. The link network is coupled to the plurality of peripheral input/output pins and the plurality of general-purpose input/output pins. The network control circuit is coupled to the link network, and controls the respective connections between the plurality of peripheral input/output pins and the plurality of general-purpose input/output pins via the link network according to correspondence between the plurality of peripheral input/output pins and the plurality of general-purpose input/output pins.

A flexible input/output (I/O) expansion card connection and communication technique are provided. The flexible I/O expansion card is, in some examples, a mezzanine expansion card that may be a single width mezzanine expansion card, a double width expansion card, or a quad width expansion card. Multiple connectors on a mainboard provide a slot to receive plug in (insertion) of an expansion card. A slot is associated with a communication bus (e.g., Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)) established between the expansion card and an associated processor. The expansion card (or more than one expansion card) may be inserted in multiple orientations with respect to the multiple connectors. Automatic adjustment of communication on the communication bus may be implemented via one or more hardware level and/or software assisted translations to allow the mezzanine expansion card to function in a normal or a reverse (180 degrees relative to normal) orientation.

A flexible input/output (I/O) expansion card connection and communication technique are provided. The flexible I/O expansion card is, in some examples, a mezzanine expansion card that may be a single width mezzanine expansion card, a double width expansion card, or a quad width expansion card. Multiple connectors on a mainboard provide a slot to receive plug in (insertion) of an expansion card. A slot is associated with a communication bus (e.g., Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)) established between the expansion card and an associated processor. The expansion card (or more than one expansion card) may be inserted in multiple orientations with respect to the multiple connectors. Automatic adjustment of communication on the communication bus may be implemented via one or more hardware level and/or software assisted translations to allow the mezzanine expansion card to function in a normal or a reverse (180 degrees relative to normal) orientation.

An IC includes a bare die and a multiplexed pin. The multiplexed pin is electrically connected to first and second switch circuits, the first and second switch circuits are respectively connected to first and second circuit modules disposed on the bare die and control a connection between the first and second circuit modules and the multiplexed pin, the first switch circuit is connected to a first die pad by a metal layer trace within the bare die, the second switch circuit is connected to a second die pad by a metal layer trace within the bare die, and the first and second die pads are connected to the multiplexed pin through a bond wire respectively. The bare die with a larger number of die pads can be packaged into an IC package with a smaller number of chip pins.