Circuit for selectively performing data format conversion

A computer system, comprising:

• a first device;
• a second device;
• and
• a circuit coupled between said first and second devices for selectively converting the format of information specified in a transfer operation between said first device and said second device, said conversion circuit including:
• means for determining if said transfer operation specifies an address that is in a first predefined range of addresses or a second, different predefined range of addresses;
• and
• means coupled to said determining means for switching the information format between a first format and a second format if said address is within said second predefined range and maintaining the information format unchanged if said address is within said first predefined range.

A computer system, comprising:

• a first device;
• a second device;
• and
• a circuit coupled between said first and second devices for selectively converting he format of information specified in a transfer operation between said first device and said second device, said conversion circuit including:
• address detection logic for determining if said transfer operation specifies an address that is in a first predefined range of data addresses or a second, different predefined range of instruction addresses;
• and
• selective conversion logic coupled to said determining address detection logic for switching the information format between a first format and a second format if said address is within said second predefined range and maintaining the information format unchanged if said address is within said first predefined range;
• wherein the information stored in said second predefined range is data, and the information stored in said first predefined range are instructions.

A circuit in a computer system having a first device and a second device for selectively converting the format of information specified in a transfer operation between the first device and the second device, wherein:

• the first device stores the information in either the first address range or the second address range;
• the first address range is a non-conversion address range;
• the second address range is a conversion address range;
• and the circuit performs the following steps:
• determining whether the transfer operation specifies an address in the conversion address range or the non-conversion range;
• converting the information format between a first format and a second format if the address is in the conversion address range;
• not converting the information format if the information is in the non-conversion address range;
• and
• storing the information such that it may be retrieved by the second device.