Concurrent multi-protocol I/O controller

Claim 2

Improved communications controller coupling a host computer to 1/0 devices in an information processing system including the host computer having a channel interfaceh and first and second communications protocols, resectively, whereby a plurality of communications protocols can be concurrently executed for communication between a host computer and a plurality of 1/0 devices, characterized by a data processing element for executing a sequence of stored program instructions to control the transfer of data between said 1/0 devices and said host computer; by a memory element for storing program instructions and parameter tables associated with said transfer of data; by a first sequence of stored program instructions for defining said first communications protocol; by a second sequence of stored program instructions for defining said second communications protocol; by a first control table associated with said first I/O device, for relating said first 1/0 device with said first program instructions; by a second control table associated with said second 1/0 device, for relating said second 1/0 device with said second program instructions; by said first table being invoked when first data is to be transferred between said first 1/0 device and said host computer, to call said first program instructions to impose said first communications protocol to govern the transfer of said first data; by said second table being invoked when second data is to be transferred between said second I/O device and said host computer, to call said second program instructions to impose said second communications protocol to govern the transfer of said second data; whereby a plurality of communications protocols can be concurrently executed for communication between a host computer and a plurality of I/O devices.

Claim 3

The improved communications controller of claim 1, characterized by a third sequence of stored program instructions for emulating the communications protocol of a testing terminal; by a testing terminal connected to said data processing element, for invoking the execution of said third sequence of program instructions, to enable testing said communications controller.

Claim 4

In use of an improved communications controller of claim 1 and/or claim 2 an information processing system including a host computer executing a first and second host access method programs and having a channel interface and first and second I/O devices having a first and second communications controller coupling said host to said I/O devices, characterized by the data processing element for executing a sequence of stored program instructions to control the transfer of data between said I/O devices and said host computer; by the memory element for storing program instructions and parameter tables associated with said transfer of data; by the first sequence of stored program instructions for defining said first communications protocol; by the second sequence of stored program instructions for defining said second communications protocol; by the first control table associated with said first I/O device, for relating said first I/O device with said first program instructions and said host access method program; by the second control table associated with said second I/O device, for relating said second I/O device with said second program instructions and said second host access method program; said first table being invoked when first data is to be transferred between said first I/O device and said host computer using said first host access method, to call said first program instructions to impose said first communications protocol to govern the transfer of said first data; said second table being invoked when second data is to be transferred between said second I/O device and said host computer using said second host access method, to call said second program instructions to impose said second communications protocol to govern the transfer of said second data whereby a plurality of communications protocols can be concurrently executed for communication between a host computer and a plurality of host access method programs and a plurality of I/O devices.