The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 29, 1980
Filed:
Aug. 10, 1978
Robert L Rawlings, El Toro, CA (US);
Ronald D Mathews, Mission Viejo, CA (US);
Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
In a digital data communication network there is provided a data communications subsystem working in conjunction with a main host system having a central host processor and main memory. The data communications subsystem provides a data communications processor and a local autonomous data communications memory connected to a basic control interface unit which supports a plurality of front-end controllers. The data communications subsystem can sense a halt in the main system and operate autonomously and independently of the main host system during such down-time. The present disclosure describes a front-end controller-processor called an adapter cluster module which is used to control a plurality of line adapters, each of which communicates with remote terminals on low to medium speed transmission lines. Up to 16 such adapter cluster modules may be accommodated as front-end controllers within a single data communications subsystem. Each adapter cluster module can handle up to eight transmission lines operating in full duplex mode. A ROM memory area is provided for standard program routines. A RAM memory is provided for storage of special routines and instructions in addition to a scratchpad area for accumulation of a full message block before any interruption is made to the data communications processor requesting further data transfer instructions. Thus, a large magnitude of overhead operations are removed from the data communications processor which formerly was interrupted each time a byte of information was received by the adapter cluster module.