Means for limiting field length of computed data

Claim 1

In a data processing system of the type including a data processor which is suppliable with data to be processed therein to provide resultant data therefrom, the resultant data comprising at least one field, a circuit arrangement comprising: a data processor for processing data supplied thereto and for providing resultant data comprising at least one resultant data field; processor output means for receiving each resultant data field from said processor; counting means coupled to said processor output means for counting the number of resultant data fields which are received thereby; limit register means for storing a number representing a desired number of fields of said resultant data; a memory comprising a plurality of addressable storage locations, memory address and memory data registers, said memory including at least one limit number address generator for providing the address in said memory of a selected limit number and means for activating said limit number address register to provide the address in said memory at which said selected limit number is stored to read out said number into said data register for subsequent supply to said limit register means; bus means for coupling said limit register means to said memory data register to enable the transfer of a number from said data register to said limit register means for use in limiting the number of fields of resultant data produced by the processor with which said limit register means is associated; and comparing means to which said counting means and said limit register means are connected for limiting the number of fields of resultant data supplied by said processor to said processor output means to equal the number in said limit register means.