Unisys Corporation

Sperry Corporation

Sperry Rand Corporation

Howard A Koehler

Larry L Byers

Wayne A Michaelson

John T Rusterholz

James R Hamstra

David J Tanglin

Jerry Hudson Pertl

A system for apportioning serially supplied data among eight contending memory banks tends to equalize usage among the banks despite their arrangement in a predetermined, sequential priority. Each bank has a data hold register, an OR logic gate to generate a request signal whenever its register contains data, and a negative AND gate for enabling the bank for clearing data from its register. All except the lowest priority bank further include a blocking latch and an enabling NOR gate. Each blocking latch is set when its associated bank is enabled, and then inhibits its associated AND gate and each higher priority AND gate, while enabling each lower priority NOR gate. Each enabled NOR gate provides an enabling signal to all lower priority AND gates. When the lowest priority AND gate is enabled by the NOR gates and its request signal, all blocking latches are cleared. The banks thus are utilized in a sequence that is maintained even if one or more banks are bypassed on occasion.

Data bank priority system

A dual priority hold register enables the transfer of data to memory ports having serial priority in accordance with two stages of priority. First, all latches of a high priority sector of the register are cleared. Then, the highest priority latch of the low priority sector of the register is cleared, while the latches of the higher priority register are loaded with further data. Following clearance of the low priority latch, all latches of the higher priority register are cleared once again, followed by clearance of the next highest priority latch of the lower priority register sector while the higher priority register is loaded once again. The sequence is repeated until both the higher and lower priority sectors of the register are clear.

Bifurcated register priority system

A local store for a scientific vector processor which provides high speed access to scalar variables, parameters, temporary operands, and register save area contents of the system. Basically, the local store is a general purpose storage structure which provides access which is as fast as access to the general or vector registers of the vector processor. It is capable of being accessed either directly or indirectly via indexing. It resides in the virtual address area of the machine so that it is accessible for either reading or writing by the host programs. Because of its positioning in relation to the high performance main storage unit its size is transparent to the other programs of the system since it overflows automatically into the main storage unit. It also has multiple interfaces which provide a more simple matching of the bank widths and transfer rates of the rest of the scientific processor.

Local store for scientific vector processor

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing a digital computer from erroneously outputting data contained in an output word to another digital computer or peripheral device. A portion of the output word is allocated as a key field which must be matched with a predetermined lock value before the digital computer will allow an output of the data field of the output word to occur. That is, a key value specified as part of the output word must match a predetermined lock value before an output transfer of the data field of the output word is allowed to take place. If the lock value and key value do not match, the central processor section of the digital computer is interrupted. This apparatus and method not only verifies the correct operation of the digital computer output data transfer hardware by preventing an erroneous transfer of the data field of the output word but also alerts the central processor section in the event of a mismatch by means of an interrupt.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Howard A Koehler