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EP0136178A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Automatic memory board reconfiguration

Assignee: Tandem Computers Inc
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Filing: 1984-09-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-09-27
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Abstract

Abstract A method for automatically reconfiguring the memory address space of a plurality of memory boards allows varying capacity boards to be arbitrarily assigned to backplane locations without human intervention. By reading from a nonvolatile memory on each memory board, a processor can determine the proper address range to assign each memory board. It can then load this information into the borad's configuration register and, if necessary, update the board's nonvolatile memory. Each memory board then uses the addresses of incoming access requests and the contents of its configuration register to determine which memory components are to be accessed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert Whiting Horst
  • 👤 Richard Matthew Collins
  • 👤 Gilbert Eugène Lauer

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 17:21
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F12/00; G06F12/02; G06F12/06; G06F12/0646; G06F12/0653; G06F12/0661

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim 143 words
1: Apparatus for automatically reconfiguring the memory address structure of a data processing system having a plurality of memory boards each with a plurality of memory devices, including: nonvolatile memory means on each memory board for storing information about the address size of that memory board; processor means for reading the contents of said nonvolatile memory means, collecting said contents in temporary storage means, creating an address space assignment for each memory board, and writing said address space assignment to each memory board; register means on each memory board for storing said address space assignment; comparison means on each memory board for comparing addresses asserted on the memory bus of said data processing system with said address space assignment; enabling means on each memory board responsive to said comparison means for enabling access to selected ones of said memory devices on that board.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 143 words
1: Apparatus for automatically reconfiguring the memory address structure of a data processing system having a plurality of memory boards each with a plurality of memory devices, including: nonvolatile memory means on each memory board for storing information about the address size of that memory board; processor means for reading the contents of said nonvolatile memory means, collecting said contents in temporary storage means, creating an address space assignment for each memory board, and writing said address space assignment to each memory board; register means on each memory board for storing said address space assignment; comparison means on each memory board for comparing addresses asserted on the memory bus of said data processing system with said address space assignment; enabling means on each memory board responsive to said comparison means for enabling access to selected ones of said memory devices on that board.

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