Communications processor
First Claim
1. An information transfer system for transferring information between a common location and a plurality of independently operating data processors over a bi-directional bus operated in a demand assigned mode, said information transfer system including:
- an information storage and retrieval device and an arbitrator at said common location, said arbitrator coupling said bi-directional bus to said information storage and retrieval device,said arbitrator including means for generating a control signal after all said independently operating processors, collectively, either has had, refused or does not require access, and also including clock means for generating a cyclic timing signal having two distinct portions,a plurality of bus control means, each associated with a different one of said plurality of independently operating data processors, each said bus control means including a control signal input and a control signal output, each said bus control means enabling access to said bi-directional bus by the associated data processor only on receipt of said control signal or a replica thereof,a clock bus coupled to said clock means for distributing said timing signal to a plurality of said bus control means,control signal distributing means coupled to said means for generating a control signal for presenting said control signal to be effective at a control signal input of only one of said bus control means, and coupling a control signal output of each of a plurality of said bus control means to be effective at a control signal input of other of said bus control means,each of said bus control means responsive to the receipt of a control signal or replica thereof at said control signal input for immediately coupling a replica of said control signal to the associated control signal output in the event access to said bus is not required,or if access to said bus is required, allowing access to said bi-directional bus subsequent to receipt of said control signal or replica thereof and synchronous with said timing signal for one of said distinctive portions and simultaneously with the beginning of said one distinctive portion coupling a replica of said control signal to an associated control signal output.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible, modular communications processor is disclosed comprised of a plurality of microprocessors. A demand assigned bus is provided to couple the microprocessors through an arbitrator to an information storage and retrieval device. Each of the microprocessors comprises a conventional integrated circuit microprocessor, associated local memory, transmitters and receivers for coupling information to and from the bus and bus access circuitry, cooperating with the arbitrator to allocate the bus resource. Communication input/output is handled by a plurality of microprocessors configured as line processors, each coupled to its associated interface switch, which, in turn, is coupled to modems or other input/output devices. A background or executive microprocessor is included to manage system configuration and react to failures. The common bus actually comprises a pair of buses and modularity is provided by allowing the number of line processors to be changed by inserting or deleting circuit cards without affecting the operation of other line processors. The communications processor may be redundantly configured by providing an additional arbitrator and additional executive or background processor and information storage and retrieval device such that all common equipment is redundant. On the other hand, the processor can be configured for load sharing wherein a plurality of line processors and one of the executive or background processors operate on one bus under control of an arbitrator operating to and from one of the information storage and retrieval devices, while the other executive or background processor cooperates with a different group of line processors over the other bus under control of the other arbitrator to and from the other information storage and retrieval device.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. An information transfer system for transferring information between a common location and a plurality of independently operating data processors over a bi-directional bus operated in a demand assigned mode, said information transfer system including:
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an information storage and retrieval device and an arbitrator at said common location, said arbitrator coupling said bi-directional bus to said information storage and retrieval device, said arbitrator including means for generating a control signal after all said independently operating processors, collectively, either has had, refused or does not require access, and also including clock means for generating a cyclic timing signal having two distinct portions, a plurality of bus control means, each associated with a different one of said plurality of independently operating data processors, each said bus control means including a control signal input and a control signal output, each said bus control means enabling access to said bi-directional bus by the associated data processor only on receipt of said control signal or a replica thereof, a clock bus coupled to said clock means for distributing said timing signal to a plurality of said bus control means, control signal distributing means coupled to said means for generating a control signal for presenting said control signal to be effective at a control signal input of only one of said bus control means, and coupling a control signal output of each of a plurality of said bus control means to be effective at a control signal input of other of said bus control means, each of said bus control means responsive to the receipt of a control signal or replica thereof at said control signal input for immediately coupling a replica of said control signal to the associated control signal output in the event access to said bus is not required, or if access to said bus is required, allowing access to said bi-directional bus subsequent to receipt of said control signal or replica thereof and synchronous with said timing signal for one of said distinctive portions and simultaneously with the beginning of said one distinctive portion coupling a replica of said control signal to an associated control signal output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21)
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17. An information transfer system for transferring information between a group of at least three independently operating asynchronous information processing means and a common information storage and retrieval device comprising:
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information bus means including plural bi-directional data lines, plural address lines, and plural bus control lines, said group of independently operating information processing means each coupled to said plural bi-directional data and address lines and at least some of said bus control lines, arbitrator means coupling said common information storage and retrieval device to said bi-directional data and address lines, said arbitrator means including bus clock generating means generating a substantially periodic signal having two distinctive portions, said bus clock means coupled through one of said bus control lines to a plurality of said independently operating information processing means, and further including a bus grant signal generating means for producing a bus grant signal, each of said plurality of independently operating information processing means including, information transmitting/receiving means coupled to said bi-directional data and address lines of said information bus means, and control means for selectively enabling said information transmitting/receiving means to transmit or receive information from said bus, said control means coupled to at least some of said bus control lines for enabling said transmitting means to transmit on said information bus means during one distinctive portion of said periodic signal but only in response to receipt of said bus grant signal prior to said one distinctive portion of said periodic signal and, substantially simultaneous with initiation of said transmission, to output a replica of said bus grant signal if the associated information processing means requires access to said information storage and retrieval device, said control means responding to receipt of a bus grant signal to substantially simultaneously therewith output a replica of said bus grant signal if the associated information processing means does not require access to said information storage and retrieval device, said bus control lines of said bus means including a means coupling said bus grant signal to be effective at only one of said plurality of independently operating information processing means, and further including additional means coupling a bus grant output of said one independently operating information processing means to be effective at only a control means of another independently operating information processing means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of distributing access to a common bus among a plurality of independently operating data processors each of which can both transmit to and receive from said common bus for the purpose of allowing said data processors to access a common memory device coupled to said bus, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) distributing a cyclic bus timing signal and allowing transmission from any data processor only during a first portion of said timing signal and allowing reception by any said data processor during another portion of said timing signal, exclusive of said first portion (2) generating a control signal when said processors collectively have had, refused or do not require access and coupling said signal to only one of said data processors, (3) transmitting from any processor in response to receipt of said control signal, said transmission synchronous with said first distinctive portion and simultaneous with said transmission coupling said control signal to a control signal output, and (4) coupling said control signal from a control signal output of one data processor to another in a predetermined order. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A communication processor including common memory means,
a bidirectional demand assigned information bus means providing access to said memory means, a plurality of at least three independently operating asynchronous microprocessors each coupled to said demand assigned information bus means, arbitrator means and a plurality of bus access means each of said bus access means associated with a different one of said microprocessor for controlling access to said bidirectional demand assigned information bus means by said microprocessors jointly with all other bus access means and said arbitrator means, memory bus means coupled between said arbitrator and said memory means, said arbitrator means coupled to said bidirectional demand assigned information bus means and to said memory bus means for transferring information between both said bus means, a plurality of modems, each coupled to a different one of said microprocessors for the transfer of information therebetween and an executive microprocessor coupled to said bidirectional demand assigned information bus means and to said arbitrator, a plurality of interface switching means, each interface switching means coupling a modem to a different one of said plurality of independently operating microprocessors, common interface switching bus, a group of interface switching means also coupled to said common interface switching bus, logic means in each of said group of interface switching means, and means coupling said logic means to said executive microprocessor, said logic means responsive to controls from said executive microprocessor for coupling information from a modem onto said interface switching bus.
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39. An information transfer system for transferring information between a common location and a plurality of at least three independently operating data processors including a bidirectional data and address bus operating in a demand assigned mode, comprising:
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bus grant signal generating means at said common location for generating a bus grant signal and for coupling said bus grant signal to a bus grant input of a bus access logic means associated with a single one of said independently operating data processors, a bus access logic means associated with each of said independently operating data processors for allowing said associated data processor access to said bidirectional data and address bus in response to receipt of said bus grant signal if said associated processor previously requested access to said data and address bus, each said bus access logic means including a bus grant input and a bus grant output, a control bus, means coupling said control bus to each said bus access logic means for distribution of a clocking signal to each bus access logic means, said control bus including a segmented bus grant conductor with different segments connected from a bus grant output of a bus access logic means to a bus grant input of another bus access logic means, so that each bus grant input is coupled to a bus grant output of a different bus access logic means except for that bus grant input coupled to said bus grant signal generating means, each said bus access logic means including a complete signal means for producing a distinctive output at an output terminal only when an associated data processor requires access to said data and address bus and for producing a different output at said terminal each time said associated data processor has had access to said data and address bus or does not require such access, said control bus including first means responsive to said output terminal of each said complete signal means to produce a first output when each said complete signal means does not produce said distinctive output, said bus grant signal generating means including logic means responsive to said first output of said first means for generating a bus grant signal each time said first means produces said first output. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification