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US 5,471,586 AGranted
Interface system having plurality of channels and associated independent controllers for transferring data between shared buffer and peripheral devices independently
AssigneeUnisys Corporation
InventorsKhorvash Sefidvash, Seyed H. Hashemi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device interface module provides multiple concurrently operating data transfer channels between multiple groups of peripheral devices and ad multiported buffer memory which communicates via an interface bus to other external modules of a computer system.
Claims5
A device interface Module (DIM) for high speed data transfers between four groups of peripheral devices and first and second system busses, comprising:
- (a) four independent protocol-controller means connecting four groups of peripheral devices for data transfer operations, each said protocol-controller means including:
- (a1) FIFO register means for holding data destined to a buffer memory means and data destined for a connected peripheral device;
- (b) four channel bus means connecting, respectively, each of said protocol controller means to said buffer memory means wherein each said channel bus means includes:
- (b1) a dedicated script memory for holding commands from a control processor means to manage data transfer operations;
- wherein each of said protocol controller means executes the commands independently for controlling the data transfer operations between the peripheral devices connected thereto and the buffer memory means via said FIFO register means associated with each said protocol controller means;
- (c) bus controller logic means, coupling to each of said channel bus means, for granting equal time access period to each of said channel bus means;
- (d) said control processor means, coupling to each of said channel bus means, for generating said script commands for each of said protocol controller means to control said data transfer operations;
- and
- (e) said buffer memory means for temporarily storing data received from said first or second system busses destined for said peripheral devices.
6 more elements
A multiple device interface module system where a plurality of device interface modules communicate with first and second system busses, said system comprising:
- (a) a plurality of device interface modules wherein each device interface module includes:
- (a1) first and second I/O port means connected to said first and second system busses for receiving and/or sending data to/from an internal buffer memory means;
- (a2) said buffer memory means for storing data received from said first and second system busses and for storing data received from a plurality of groups of peripheral devices;
- (a3) four independent protocol-processor port means connecting four channel bus means to four groups of peripheral devices for data transfer operations;
- (a4) each of said four channel bus means for transferring data to/from said protocol-processor port means from/to said buffer memory means and including:
- (a4a) script memory means for holding commands and programs received from a control processor means to manage data transfer operations;
- wherein each of said protocol-processor port means executes the commands independently for controlling the data transfer operations between the peripheral devices connected thereto and the buffer memory means;
- (a5) bus control logic means, coupling to each of said channel bus means, for granting equal time access period to each of said channel bus means;
- and
- (a6) control processor means, coupling to each of said channel bus means, for generating said script commands and programs for each of said protocol controller means to control said data transfer operations.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.