Distributed control store word architecture

Abstract

Apparatus that provides interrupt operation in a central processor based system wherein internal subsystems are operated via addresses generated by a next address generator in the processor and sent to control stores associated with each subsystem to thereby read out firmware instructions which are used by a controller in each subsystem to control the operations of same. When a special condition is detected in ones of the subsystems a trap signal is sent to the next address generator which responds by generating a microinstruction address to the subsystem that generated the trap signal. The subsystem responds to the microinstruction to read out a register, the contents of which indicate the status of processing in the subsystem including the special condition. The register contents are forwarded to the processor which tests same to determine the nature of the special condition and calls a microprogram the microinstructions of which are applied to the control store of the subsystem that generated the trap signal. The subsystem responds to the microinstructions to clear the special condition. Certain subsystems may alternately send a special condition indicating signal directly to the next address generator, rather than a trap signal, and responsive thereto the next address generator calls the required microprogram to be applied to the control store of the subsystem that generated the indicating signal.