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:
Jan. 16, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 24, 1998
Kenneth J. D'Souza, Irvine, CA (US);
Tsun Yau Ng, Orange, CA (US);
Western Digital Corporation, Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
A read-only memory is connectable to a microcontroller data bus and address bus and includes memory circuits for storing a sequential array of code words executable by the microcontroller; memory address decoding circuits for selecting one of the array of code words, and circuits for conveying the selected one to the data bus when a read signal is received from the microcontroller. Circuits are provided for storing an address transmitted by the microcontroller when an address latch signal is received from the microcontroller, the stored address being connected to the memory address decoding circuits. The stored address is incremented each time a read signal is asserted. A microcontroller for executing a program stored sequentially in read-only memory comprises an address bus for providing a next program code word address to the read-only memory; circuits for providing an address latch enable signal to the read-only memory for latching the program code word address, and circuits for providing a read signal to the read-only memory. The address latch enable signal is suppressed when the next program code word address is consecutive with an immediately preceding program code word address. The microcontroller does not generate the address of the next program code word as long as the address of the next program code is consecutive with an immediately preceding program code word address. A disk drive controller includes both such microcontroller and a program code memory.