Honeywell Information Systems Inc.

John J Bradley

Ming T Miu

Jian-Kuo Shen

Theodore R Staplin, Jr

Robert C Miller

Kenneth E Bruce

John W Conway

Ralph M Lombardo, Jr

Brian L Stoffers

Richard L King

Melinda A Widen

Bruce H Tarbox

George J Barlow

David B O'Keefe

George M O'Har

Thomas O Holtey

William Panepinto, Jr

Boyd E Darden

Thomas C O'Brien

Eugene Nusinov

A chip implemented in new technology is designed to include expandable levels of new functionality. The chip includes compatibility circuits which connect to a number of pins which are unused in the chip it replaces in an existing computer system. The compatibility circuits connect to those internal parts of the new chip that contain the newly added or altered levels of functionality. The new chip is installed in the existing computer system just as the prior chip. When so installed, the compatibility circuits enable the new chip to operate in the same manner as the replaced chip but at high speed and with improved performance. When the new chip is installed in the system for which it was designed, the compatibility circuits enable the chip to operate with a selectable level of new functionality at the same higher speed and improved performance.

LSI microprocessor chip with backward pin compatibility and forward

A data processing system having a central processing unit (CPU) capable of performing binary and decimal arithmetic software instructions is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for speeding conversion of a number in binary format to decimal format by first stripping leading zeroes before the highest order non-zero bit of the binary number, and only allocating enough memory storage bits to hold the resultant decimal number. A multiplexer is used to apply a partial sum during conversion concurrently to both inputs of an adder for doubling.

Apparatus and method for converting a number in binary format to a

A chip implemented in newer technology is designed to include new functionality. The chip includes compatibility circuits which connect to a pin which is unused in the chip it replaces in an existing computer system. The compatibility circuits connect to those internal parts of the new chip that contain the newly added or altered functionality. The new chip is installed in the existing computer system just as the prior chip. When so installed, the compatibility circuits enable the new chip to operate in the same manner as the replaced chip but at higher speed and with improved performance. When the new chip is installed in the system for which it was designed, the compatibility circuits enable the chip to operate with the new functionality at the same higher speed and improved performance as compared to the replaced chip.

LSI microprocessor chip with backward pin compatibility

Processor apparatus is described for performing binary and decimal arithmetic operations. In performing decimal multiplication with the processor apparatus, to reduce the amount of processing to be done with the apparatus and thereby speed up the performance of the decimal multiplication, the leading zeroes prefixing the highest order significant digit in both a multiplier and a multiplicand are identified, counted and removed. Decimal multiplication is then performed using the stripped multiplier and multiplicand, and to the resultant partial product a number of zeroes are prefixed equal to the number of zeroes originally stripped from the multiplier and multiplicand. The result is the product of the original multiplier and multiplicand.

Apparatus for performing simplified decimal multiplication by stripping

What is disclosed is apparatus making up an arithmetic logic unit and utilizing a programmable read-only memory (PROM) to perform arithmetic functions for an associated processor. The PROM is used as a look-up table for computation results. Operands used to perform a mathematical computation make up an address to the PROM which is used to read out the computation result stored therein. Also stored in the PROM as part of each computation result are information bits indicating if the computation result is a valid answer. These bits are also read out and stored in flip-flops to indicate to the processor if the computation result is valid or invalid.

Arithmetic logic unit with outputs indicating invalid computation

A data processing system having a central processing unit (CPU) capable of performing binary and decimal arithmetic software instructions is described. The CPU includes a microprocessor which executes the binary arithmetic software instructions under firmware control. Also disclosed is an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) that functions with the CPU. The ALU has operand inputs to which are connected switched steering circuits that permit particular operands and zero operands to be selectively applied to any or all of the ALU operand inputs. This allows easy performance of special arithmetic functions such as adding a decimal operand to itself when converting the decimal operand to a binary operand, and to subtract a decimal operand from zero when complementing decimal operands.

Decimal arithmetic logic unit for doubling or complementing decimal

Apparatus is provided for addressing a memory by word and by one of a number of nibbles within a word, with the ability to increment or decrement nibble and word addresses and thereby access adjacent nibbles and words without having to generate new nibble and word addresses. An initial word address is placed in an address counter and an initial nibble address is placed in a nibble control. The two addresses indicate a particular nibble within a particular word. Thereafter, only increment or decrement signals are provided to increment and decrement the nibble address and/or the word address. A nibble counter counts the increment and decrement nibble signals and when the last or first nibble in a word is addressed, an increment or decrement word address signal is respectively generated that changes the word address stored in the address counter.

Nibble and word addressable memory arrangement

A data processing system which includes a central processing unit coupled over a common bus with a plurality of input/output controllers (IOCs) and main memory includes apparatus which allows an IOC to signal the CPU to wait and retry the current I/O instruction. Other apparatus is provided which enables the CPU to continually retry the I/O instruction until the IOC accepts or rejects the I/O instruction and which further allows the CPU to suspend the retrying of the I/O instruction and to process interrupt requests and data transfer requests from any one of the plurality of IOCs. After processing the interrupt or data transfer request, system control is returned to retrying the I/O instruction.

Data processing system having synchronous bus wait/retry cycle

A computer system which facilitates the execution of nested subroutines and interrupts is disclosed. As each branch transfer within the program is executed by a control area logic, a microcommand initiates the transfer of the return address, which has been derived from the address in the present routine, to a first register of a push down stack. In addition, the microcommand also pushes down one level the contents of all of the registers in the stack containing previously stored return addresses. Thus, a sequential return to unfinished routines or subroutines is provided. When the subroutine or hardware interrupt service routine is completed, a code in the address field enables the return address of the previously branched from or interrupted routine to be retrieved from the first register in the push down stack and to provide it as the address of the next instruction to be executed. The retrieval of the return address from the push down stack also pops all other stored return addresses one level in the stack. In addition to providing multiple levels of subroutine and interrupt nesting, any number of subroutines or hardware interrupts may be partially completed since the last operating subroutine or hardware interrupt service routine is always the first one to be completed. Logic is also provided to detect the occurrence of a hardware interrupt during a return sequence such that the requirement to simultaneously push and pop the stack is properly handled.

Program counter stacking method and apparatus for nested subroutines and

A hardware interrupt apparatus for assigning the microprogrammed control system to the highest priority hardware interrupt requesting service. In a microprogrammed control system having at least one hardware interrupt, the presence of a hardware interrupt request will cause the interruption of the currently executing microprogram at the end of the current microinstruction. The address of the next microinstruction in the interrupted microprogram is saved in a hardware interrupt return address register and the next microinstruction address is generated as a function of the particular hardware interrupt to be serviced. A microprogram dedicated to servicing the particular hardware interrupt is then entered at the hardware interrupt generated next microinstruction address. Logic is provided within each microinstruction to inhibit hardware interrupts. Logic is provided within each microinstruction to indicate that the address of the next microinstruction should be taken from the hardware interrupt return address register, thereby allowing for the resumption of the interrupted microprogram. The hardware interrupt apparatus is further organized such that the entry to a second hardware interrupt service microprogram can be made upon the completion of a first hardware interrupt service microprogram without having to return to the original microprogram interrupted by the first hardware interrupt. Upon completion of the second hardware interrupt microprogram service routine, return can be made to the original microprogram interrupted by the first hardware interrupt.

Microprogrammed system having hardware interrupt apparatus

One or more common buses are provided for coupling a plurality of units in a data processing system for transfer of information therebetween. The central processing unit (CPU) allocates the one or more common buses to one of the requesting units as a function of request type and on which of one or more common buses the requesting unit is located. Bus requests are generated in a synchronous manner by use of a timing signal originating in the CPU which is connected in series between the one or more units on each of the one or more common buses.

Data processing system having centralized bus priority resolution

A logic system is provided for accommodating the exchange of information between two or more communication busses of a data processing system, wherein plural central processing units and plural memory units on independent communication busses may have same logic addresses. Memory and CPU addresses are translated at the bus rate through a multiplicity of flexible address translation ranges to enable a data processing unit on one communication bus to access an apparent contiguous range of addresses encompassing all data processing units on all communication busses.

Intersystem translation logic system

In a data processing system which includes a central processing unit and one or more main memory units comprised of semiconductor dynamic random access memory chips, logic is provided within the system to provide for the single stepping of the central processing unit clock thereby allowing for the execution of one CPU cycle. The system logic is organized such that the memory refresh command signals, which are normally generated by the CPU, are generated by the single step logic thereby maintaining the contents of the main memory modules. The logic of the overall data processing system is organized such that most transfers of information between the main memory, the CPU and I/O controllers, to which peripheral devices are connected, may take place in the single step mode of operation without the loss of information.

Microprogrammed system having single microstep apparatus

A logic control system in an intersystem link (ISL) unit accommodating the transfer of binary coded information between communication busses in a data processing system is disclosed, wherein information may be transferred between plural communication busses while further information flow continues on each communication bus at the bus rate, and additional information transfers between the communication busses continue to be handled by the ISL unit.

Intersystem cycle control logic

In a data processing system which includes one or more common buses to which a plurality of input/output controllers are connected for the transfer of data, blocks of data may be transferred between main memory and an input/output controller (IOC) synchronously with operation of the central processor unit (CPU). Logic is provided for enabling one unit of data to be transferred during a Data Multiplex Control (DMC) data transfer operation in which the requesting IOC requests a DMC data transfer of the CPU and later provides the CPU with a channel number assigned to the requesting IOC. In order to allow a data entry operator inputting data via a peripheral device connected to an IOC the ability to correct errors, a backspace character is provided so that the operator can enter it to indicate to the system to ignore the preceding character. Logic is provided within the system to allow a DMC IOC to detect the output of a backspace character from the peripheral device connected to the IOC and to inform the CPU of the entry of the backspace character by a special (backspace) input/output interrupt. Further logic is provided within the CPU to adjust pointers to the main memory input buffer to effectively ignore the byte of data corresponding to the character preceding the backspace character. Still further logic is provided within the DMC IOC to prohibit the sending of special (backspace) input/output interrupts to the CPU if there are no bytes of data remaining in the input buffer.

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Framingham, MA, United States of America

John J Bradley