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. 03, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 04, 1997
Douglas E Morrissey, Exton, PA (US);
Edward T Cavanagh, Jr, Norristown, PA (US);
Gene T Wieder, Coopersburg, PA (US);
Kin H Ng, Glenmoore, PA (US);
William E Oldham, Pottstown, PA (US);
Unisys Corporation, Blue Bell, PA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus is provided for transferring user defined data from a parallel storage medium to a serial link driver in an I/O channel subsystem of a processor or I/O device controller. The serial link driver transmits a frame of user defined data over a serial data transfer medium. A data buffer receives and stores user defined data from the parallel storage medium. A control data facility that is distinct from the data buffer forms and transmits control data from the sender of the frame to the recipient of the frame via a path that does not include the data buffer. The control data facility includes respectively different dedicated logic for asynchronously generating each of the following: special character sequences, frame delimiters, headers, and cyclic redundancy checksums. A switching facility receives the user defined data from the data buffer. The switching facility also receives control data from the control data facility. The switching facility provides either the user defined data or the control data to the serial link driver. A data path control mechanism signals the switching facility to alternately provide the control data and the user defined data to the serial link driver, thereby forming frames.