EP0134115A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Asynchronous buffered communications interface
Assignee: Tektronix Inc
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Filing: 1984-08-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-08-01
Abstract
Abstract A communications interface for controlling asynchronous data transmission between a host computer and an input/output device achieves very high data transfer rates and reduces 1/0 bottlenecks. The interface includes a microprocessor and a memory addressable thereby. The microprocessor controls data transfer from the host computer into an output buffer maintained within the memory and controls subsequent data transfer from the output buffer to an output device, independently of the operation of the host computer. Data received from the host computer is stored directly into the appropriate output buffer storage location without any time-consuming reading and writing of the data by the microprocessor. This is accomplished by providing a hardware register for storing data received from the host computer. At the appropriate time data transfer from the microprocessor to the memory is disabled, and data transfer from the register to the memory is enabled. Data is this rapidly transferred from the register directly into the memory location addressed by the microprocessor.
Inventors
- 👤 Lannie J. Tierney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 17:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/10; G06F13/12; G06F13/122
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A communications interface for controlling data transmission between a host computer and an input/output device, said communications interface comprising: (a) programmable control means; and (b) data storage means addressable by said programmable control means; said programmable control means including means for (i) controlling data transfer from the host computer to an output buffer maintained within said data storage means; and (ii) controlling data transfer from said output buffer to an output device independently of the operation of the host computer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A communications interface for controlling data transmission between a host computer and an input/output device, said communications interface comprising: (a) programmable control means; and (b) data storage means addressable by said programmable control means; said programmable control means including means for (i) controlling data transfer from the host computer to an output buffer maintained within said data storage means; and (ii) controlling data transfer from said output buffer to an output device independently of the operation of the host computer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 1, said programmable control means further including means for (i) controlling, independently of the operation of the host computer, data transfer from an input device to an input buffer maintained within said data storage means; and (ii) controlling data transfer from said input buffer to the host computer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 1 wherein said output buffer comprises a plurality of sequentially addressable data storage locations in said data storage means and wherein data received from the host computer is stored in the next sequentially available data storage location of said output buffer without reading of said data by said programmable control means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 1 further comprising: (a) a register for storing data received from the host computer; and (b) means for disabling data transfer from said programmable control means to said data storage means and for enabling data transfer from said register to said data storage means; whereby data is transferred from said register into a data storage location of said data storage means addressed by said programmable control means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 4 further comprising: (a) a counter for counting data characters received from the host computer; and (b) means for resetting said counter if a preselected number of data storage locations of said output buffer are available to receive data; whereby: (i) overflow of said counter signals the host computer that no data storage locations of said output buffer are available to receive data; and (ii) resetting of said counter signals the host computer that data storage locations of said output buffers are available to receive data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 4 further comprising: (a) address storage means addressable by said programmable control means and for storing the address of the next sequentially available storage location of said output buffer; and (b) digital circuit means for changing said address to the address of the first data storage location of said output buffer if said address exceeds the address of the last data storage location of said output buffer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 4 further comprising a timer for timing host computer specified time delays between transmission of successive data characters from said output buffer to the output device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 4 further comprising a programmable timer for timing the rate of data transfer from said output buffer to the output device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 2 further comprising a register for storing data to be inputed to the host computer and wherein said programmable control means controls data transfer from said input buffer to the host computer by transferring the data from said input buffer to said register and then signalling the host computer that the data may be extracted from said register.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 4 wherein said output buffer comprises 1,022 sequentially addressable data storage locations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 9 wherein said input buffer comprises 2,048 sequentially addressable data storage locations.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
104 words
A communications interface for controlling data transmission between a host computer, a first plurality of input devices and a second plurality of output devices, said communications interface comprising: (a) programmable control means; and (b) data storage means addressable by said programmable control means and including a plurality of output buffers, each one of said output buffers corresponding to one of said output devices; said programmable control means including means for (i) controlling data transfer from the host computer to said output buffers; and (ii) controlling data transfer from said output buffers to said corresponding output devices independently of the operation of the host computer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
104 words
A communications interface for controlling data transmission between a host computer, a first plurality of input devices and a second plurality of output devices, said communications interface comprising: (a) programmable control means; and (b) data storage means addressable by said programmable control means and including a plurality of output buffers, each one of said output buffers corresponding to one of said output devices; said programmable control means including means for (i) controlling data transfer from the host computer to said output buffers; and (ii) controlling data transfer from said output buffers to said corresponding output devices independently of the operation of the host computer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
76 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 12 wherein said data storage means further includes a plurality of input buffers, each one of said input buffers corresponding to one of said input devices; and said programmable control means further including means for (i) controlling, independently of the operation of the host computer, data transfer from said input devices to said corresponding input buffers; and (ii) controlling data transfer from said input buffers to the host computer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
69 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 13 wherein said output buffers each comprise a plurality of sequentially addressable data storage locations in said data storage means and wherein data received from the host computer is stored in the next sequentially available data storage location of the output buffer corresponding to the output device specified by the host computer, without reading of said data by said programmable control means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
74 words
A communications interface as recited in claim 12 further comprising: (a) a register for storing data received from the host computer; and (b) means for disabling data transfer from said programmable control means to said data storage means and for enabling data transfer from said register to said data storage means; whereby data is transferred from said register into a data storage location of said data storage means addressed by said programmable control means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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