Device for automatically loading the central memory of electronic processors
First Claim
1. In an electronic data-processing system including a central memory, computing means for executing a main program on data stored in said central memory, and a mass memory containing data to be selectively introduced into said central memory preparatorily to the execution of said main program,the combination therewith of an external unit, independent of said computing means, comprising:
- storage means containing an ancillary program to control the selective introduction of data from said mass memory into said central memory;
operating means connected to said storage means for carrying out a transfer of at least a part of said ancillary program to said central memory in response to a starting command; and
check means connected to said operating means for verifying the correct performance of said transfer and halting said transfer upon detecting a malfunction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic data processor includes a computing unit CPU carrying out a main program on the basis of data stored in a central memory MC and transferred to it from a mass memory MM under the control of an ancillary program or "bootstrap" prerecorded in an external unit UE. The latter comprises a read-only memory RP storing the ancillary program, another read-only memory RM containing a set of microinstructions sequentially read out under the control of an address counter CRM to carry out the word-by-word transfer of the ancillary program to the central memory MC, and various components LCM, LSA, CFD for checking the correct performance of these operations and halting the transfer in the event of a malfunction while emitting an alarm signal.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In an electronic data-processing system including a central memory, computing means for executing a main program on data stored in said central memory, and a mass memory containing data to be selectively introduced into said central memory preparatorily to the execution of said main program,
the combination therewith of an external unit, independent of said computing means, comprising: -
storage means containing an ancillary program to control the selective introduction of data from said mass memory into said central memory; operating means connected to said storage means for carrying out a transfer of at least a part of said ancillary program to said central memory in response to a starting command; and check means connected to said operating means for verifying the correct performance of said transfer and halting said transfer upon detecting a malfunction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification