METHOD OF PERFORMING DIGITAL COMPUTATIONS USING MULTIPURPOSE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR

• US 3,579,201 A
• Filed: 09/29/1969
• Issued: 05/18/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank J. Langley
• Original Assignee: Frank J. Langley
• Inventors: Langley, Frank J.
• Application Number:
  US04/861,750
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• US Class Current: 712/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7864 on more than one IC chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30149 of variable length instructions

Abstract

A digital computer, exemplifying a method of organizing and controlling the elements of a general or special purpose computer, incorporating identical multipurpose integrated circuits in the control and/or arithmetic elements, each one of such circuits being responsive to the combination of commonly applied clock pulses and coded function signals and a unique enable signal. With such an arrangement, a basic design of such control and/or arithmetic elements may be changed to expand word length, memory capacity or instruction repertoire by connecting similar multipurpose integrated circuits to existing ones as required.

Claims

1. A digital computer utilizing a plurality of integrated circuits, each one thereof being adapted, when enabled, to respond to a function code signal and a clock pulse to process applied digital words in a selected one of a plurality of ways, such computer comprising:

a. a program controller for sequentially producing such function code signals and clock pulses as are required to perform a selected program and, simultaneously with the production of each one of such signals, at least one of a plurality of enable signals;

b. first means for connecting the program controller to each one of the integrated circuits to apply all function code signals and clock pulses from the program controller to each one of the plurality of integrated circuits;

c. second means for connecting the program controller to each One of the integrated circuits to apply, to each one thereof, a different one of the plurality of enable signals;

d. an arithmetic element, including at least one of the integrated circuits, for processing applied digital words;

e. addressable memory means for storing digital signals representative of program instructions and digital words to be processed; and

, f. means for interconnecting the addressable memory means with the plurality of integrated circuits and the program controller to actuate the latter with program instructions in accordance with the program to be performed and digital words to the arithmetic element in accordance with such program.

2. A digital computer as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of integrated circuits includes a program counter, a memory address register and an instruction register, the program counter and the memory address register being connected between the program controller and the addressable memory means to select therefrom program instruction signals in order required to perform the selected program and the instruction register being connected between the addressable memory means and the program controller to maintain, at the input to the program controller, each one of such program instruction signals during execution of the operations required to perform each one of such program instruction signals.

3. A digital computer as in claim 2 wherein the program controller includes:

a. a decoder, responsive to each one of the program instruction signals from the instruction register, for producing a control signal indicative of each one of such signals; and

b. means, responsive to each control signal, for producing operation control signals corresponding to each such control signal.

4. For use in a digital computer utilizing a plurality of integrated circuits, each one of such circuits being responsive to the application, simultaneously, of a coded function signal, an enabling signal and a clock pulse to perform one of a plurality of functions, the method of controlling each one of such integrated circuits, comprising the steps of:

a. applying a coded function signal and a clock pulse to each one of the plurality of integrated circuits and an enabling signal to a selected one of the plurality of integrated circuits, whereby a single selected one of such integrated circuits is responsive to perform a selected one of the plurality of functions; and

, b. thereafter changing the coded function signal applied to each one of such integrated circuits and applying the enabling signal to a different one of the plurality of integrated circuits, whereby a different selected one of such integrated circuits is responsive to perform a different selected one of the plurality of functions.

5. For use in a digital computer wherein program instruction signals and operand signals are stored at predetermined addresses in an addressable memory unit, such signals being sequentially read out of such memory unit in response to signals from a memory address unit and applied, respectively, to a program controller and an arithmetic element, the former producing operation control signals for the memory address unit and the arithmetic element to execute each operation in a predetermined program, the method of controlling the memory address unit and the arithmetic element comprising the steps of:

a. deriving, from the program controller, such coded function signals as are required to execute each successive one of the program instruction signals, together with an enabling signal and a clock pulse corresponding to each one of such operation control signals;

b. applying each successive one of the coded function signals and each clock pulse to the arithmetic element and the memory address unit; and

c. selectively applying each enabling signal to the arithmetic element or the address memory unit, thereby selectively to enable such element or unit to execute each operation in the predetermined program.