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:
Nov. 17, 1992
Filed:
Nov. 26, 1991
John J Erhard, Newark Valley, NY (US);
Raymond E Losinger, Endicott, NY (US);
Daniel J Sucher, Vestal, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A computer system has a universal channel and control unit to interface, with a minimum complexity, to a plurality of different I/O adapters such as a Token Ring adapter or an Ethernet adapter. The system comprises a main processor with main memory, an I/O processor coupled to the main processor by a bus, and a channel program which runs on the I/O processor. The channel program accesses the processor and main memory. The channel program and main processor communicate with a first I/O program protocol. A control unit program also runs on the I/O processor and interfaces the channel program to a plurality of different I/O adapters with a second relatively simple, universal I/O program protocol. Each of the I/O adapters also has a different I/O program protocol than the other I/O adapters and the first I/O protocol, for communication with their respective device.