Honeywell Information Systems Inc.

Bull Hn Information Systems, Inc.

Robert J Farrell

Kin C Yu

John W Conway

Robert E Huettner

John P Grandmaison

John H Vernon

Allen C Hirtle

Leonard E Niessen

Kenneth T Coit

A local area network (LAN) system is provided that is capable of accommodating a variety of computer subsystem types, and having a LAN controller which can control at substantially the same time a plurality of LANs of the same type or a plurality of different types of LANs.

Controller for controlling multiple LAN types

A programmable communications processor is coupled to execute instructions of programs designed to process the transfer of information between a plurality of communication channels and a main memory included in the system. A software implemented and controlled pause counter enables the execution of a given maximum number of instructions for servicing, for example, a communication channel following which it suspends or pauses such servicing, in order to service another higher priority request which may be pending. Processing of lower priority service requests thus cannot delay the recognition and handling of higher priority requests for more than a minimum period of time and the effective throughput rate is increased.

Communication line service interrupt technique for a communications

Growing community of inventors

Wakefield, MA, United States of America

Robert J Farrell