International Business Machines Corporation

Stephan R Richter

Michael F McAllister

Gerhard H Ruehle

Klaus K Kempter

Charles F Pells

Arnold Blum

Fritz Irro

Hermann Schulze-Schoelling

Horst Von Der Heyden

Klaus J Getzlaff

Johann Hajdu

Guenter Knauft

Herbert Chilinski

Helmut Schaal

A method and apparatus of interconnecting with a system board is presented. A system board having a metal stiffener mounted thereon is provided with an opening in the stiffener to provide access to an area of interest on the system board. A probe test assembly is positioned a the opening and secured to the stiffener when testing is desired to provide access to the pins of the device under test (e.g., a Multi Chip Module (MCM) on the system board). Alternatively, a system enhancement device, such as an MCM or Single Chip Module (SCM) having additional Central Processing Units (CPU's) or other features, may be installed on the system board at the opening in the stiffener to enhance the function of the system board. Another alternate includes an interface assembly positioned at the opening in the stiffener. A cover is positioned at the opening and secured to the stiffener at all other times.

Method and apparatus of interconnecting with a system board

Method of interconnecting with a system board

A method and apparatus of interconnecting with a system board is presented. A system board having a metal stiffener mounted thereon is provided with an opening in the stiffener to provide access to an area of interest on the system board. A probe test assembly is positioned at the opening and secured to the stiffener when testing is desired to provide access to the pins of the device under test (e.g., a Multi Chip Module (MCM) on the system board). Alternatively, a system enhancement device, such as a MCM or Single Chip Module (SCM) having additional Central Processing Units (CPU's) or other features, may be installed on the system board at the opening in the stiffener to enhance the function of the system board. Another alternate includes an interface assembly positioned at the opening in the stiffener. A cover is positioned at the opening and secured to the stiffener at all other times.

Method and apparatus for enhancing a system board

System interface assembly and method

A high frequency probe is presented. The probe comprises a probe body having a coaxial resilient double ended probe element attached thereto by an adaptor. A locking pin is attached to the probe adaptor and extends parallel to the probe element, however, it is slightly shorter as the locking pin should not contact any pins of the device being probed. The locking pin serves to hold the probe in place. Alternatively, a high frequency differential probe is presented. The high frequency differential probe comprises a base having a first pair of opposing spring steel plates and a second adjacent pair of opposing spring steel plates connected thereto. The first pair of spring plates are also connected to a first probe adaptor and the second pair of spring plates are also connected to a second probe adaptor. A first probe body is mounted at an angle to the first adaptor and a second probe body is mounted at an angle to the second adaptor. A first coaxial resilient double ended probe element connected to the first probe body by the first adaptor and a second coaxial resilient double ended probe element connected to the second probe body by the second adaptor.

High frequency probe

In the processing of instructions in data processing systems it is not always possible to execute these instructions without interruption since particular situations, in the following called events can occur which necessitate a short interruption for executing the operations caused by such events before continuing the interrupted instruction processing. Such repetition however is only possible when the contents of the operation register containing the instruction is frozen during the interruption. Such a situation requires two actions: the first is the execution of a forced operation to resolve the event. The second action is a repetition of the instruction and execution phase of the interrupted instruction.

Device in the instruction unit of a pipeline processor for instruction

An instruction execution modification mechanism is described for a digital data processor wherein multiple programs or tasks are performed in a concurrent manner by means of a time slice mechanism which causes the instructions from the different programs to be executed in an interleaved manner. Instructions from the different programs are executed during different successive time slice intervals. The instruction execution modification mechanism is responsive to the occurrences of various predetermined conditions in the data processing system for selectively modifying the normal execution of different ones of the instructions in different ones of the programs. To this end, there is provided a program list mechanism listing the modifiable programs, an instruction list mechanism listing the modifiable instructions and a modification storage mechanism for storing modification signals for the different instructions. If, during a given time slice interval, the program to be executed is on the modifiable program list and the instruction to be executed is on the modifiable instruction list and the appropriate condition is occurring in the data processing system, then the modification storage mechanism is enabled to send the modification signals for this instruction to the instruction execution unit for modifying the normal execution of this instruction.

Instruction execution modification mechanism for time slice controlled

A method for performing manual operations, such as address compare equal stop, single cycle alter, etc., in a time slice controlled microprocessor with microprogramming, which avoids stopping the processor clock when any of the programs requires a manual operation. This problem is solved by assigning the manual operations to a specific program, which for the other programs in the multiprogram environment executes the manual operations required.

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Boeblingen, Germany

Stephan R Richter