Ncr Corporation

Dennis B Merkes

Venu Chari

Alfred Hodel

This invention relates to an adapter for interprocessor communications and the method therefor. An adapter is included in a data processing system which has a plurality of central systems, each of the plurality of central systems having at least one serial channel control processor. The data processing system further has a dynamic channel exchange for providing switching logic thereby permitting each of the plurality of central systems access to a plurality of peripherals coupled to the dynamic channel exchange. The adapter is operatively connected to the dynamic channel exchange for providing communications between any pair of central systems. The adapter comprises a link control module which provides handshake control to perform message bit/byte synchronization and translation. A message protocol module, which is operatively connected to the link control module, controls the transmission of information with a selected one of the plurality of central systems, the control being administered by interfacing with the serial channel control processor in accordance with a defined message protocol. A data buffer provides intermediate storage of information passed between the pair of central systems. A control processor schedules and monitors the information transfer into and out of the data buffer by interfacing with the message protocol module in accordance with the defined message protocol thereby achieving the information transfer between the pair of central systems.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Dennis B Merkes