General purpose digital processor for terminal devices

Claim 2

A data processing system including a plurality of terminal devices and a controller for receiving, processing and transmitting data signals to said terminal devices, said controller comprising: a data bus for bidirectionally Transporting sets of bit information signals; a port unit including a plurality of input/output ports; a plurality of port registers in each of said input/output ports, each port register having its input connected to said data bus for storing one bit informaiton signal; a plurality of multiplexing means each sampling one bit signal from all input/output ports and directing its output to said data bus as one bit of the set of bit information signals; a plurality of bidirectional leads, each lead connected to one output of one port register and to one input of each of said plurality of multiplexing means, a group of said plurality of bidirectional leads connected to one of said terminal devices; a main memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to first address signals in the form of a set of bit information signals; a plurality of registers connected to said data bus to store bit information signals representative of data and instructions being processed by the controller and, when actuated, for directing the data and instructions as a set of bit information signals to said data bus; said main memory store connected to one of said plurality of registers for receiving said first address signals in the form of a set of bit information signals received from said terminal devices and directed to said data bus via one of said plurality of port registers, and, when actuated, for delivering data and a second address signal to another of said plurality of registers as a set of bit information signals; and an instruction decode and execution unit including a fast access memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to said second address signals for generating a plurality of command signals controlling the transfer of data signals to and from the terminal devices via said port unit and to and from said data bus among the units, registers and main memory store.

Claim 3

A data processing system as defined in claim 1 wherein said controller further includes an arithmetic, logical and shifting unit connected to said data bus for performing arithmetic, logic and shift functions on the set of bit information signals received from said data bus to obtain a resultant signal and, when actuated, for directing the resultant signal to said data bus as one set of bit information signals.

Claim 4

A data processing system as defined in claim 1 wherein said controller further includes an interrupt address generator connected to said port unit to receive and detect request signals representative of requests by the terminal devices for access to the controller said interrupt address generator including priority means for selectively servicing a highest priority of said request signals as determined by the connection of the terminal device request signals to said port unit, said interrupt address generator responsive to a highest priority request signal to generate an interrupt signal for interrupting a process being performed by the controller and to generate an address signal to said main memory store to retrieve an instruction from said main memory store.

Claim 5

A data processing system as defined in claim 1 including means for logically combining sets of bit information signals and wherein the instruction signals from the main memory store and the instructions from the fast access memory store are directed to said combining means to modify or not said fast access memory store instructions to obtain resultant control signals which control the generation of said plurality of command signals by said instruction decode and execution unit.

Claim 6

A data processing system including a plurality of terminal devices and a controller for receiving, processing and transmitting data signals to said terminal devices, said controller comprising: a data bus for bidirectionally transporting sets of bit information signals; a port unit including a plurality of input/output ports; a plurality of port registers in each of Said input/output ports, each port register having its input connected to said data bus for storing one bit information signal; a plurality of multiplexing means each sampling one bit signal from all input/output ports and directing its output to said data bus as one bit of the set of bit information signals; a plurality of bidirectional leads, each lead connected to one output of one port register and to one input of each of said plurality of multiplexing means, a group of said plurality of bidirectional leads connected to one of said terminal devices; an interrupt address generator connected to said port unit to receive and detect request signals representative of requests by the terminal devices for access to the controller, said interrupt address generator including priority means for selectively servicing a highest priority of said request signals as determined by the connection of the terminal device request signals to said port unit, said interrupt address generator responsive to a highest priority request signal to generate an interrupt signal for interrupting a process being performed by the controller and to generate an address signal to a main memory store; said main memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to first address signals in the form of a set of bit information signals; a plurality of registers connected to said data bus to store a set of bit information signals representative of data and instructions being processed by the controller and, when actuated, for directing the data and instructions as a set of bit information signals to said data bus; said main memory store connected to one of said plurality of registers for receiving said first address signals in the form of a set of bit information signals received from said terminal devices and directed to said data bus via one of said plurality of port registers, and, when actuated, for delivering data and second address signals to another of said plurality of registers as a set of bit information signals; and an arithmetic, logical and shifting unit connected to said data bus for performing arithmetic, logic and shift functions on the set of bit information signals received from said data bus to obtain a resultant signal and, when actuated, for directing the resultant signal to said data bus as one set of bit information signals; and an instruction decode and execution unit including a fast access memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to said second address signals for delivering control signals, said control signals being directed to said arithmetic, logical and shifting unit as a set of bit information signals for logical combination with a set of bit information signals from said port unit to modify or not said control signals to obtain resultant control signals, said instruction decode unit in response to said resultant control signals and to said interrupt signal generating a plurality of command signals controlling the transfer of data signals to and from the terminal devices via said port unit and to and from said data bus among the units, registers and main memory store.

Claim 7

A data processing system including a plurality of terminal devices and a controller for receiving, processing and transmitting data signals to said terminal devices, said controller comprising: a data bus for bidirectionally transporting sets of bit information signals; a port unit including a plurality of input/output ports; a plurality of port registers in each of Said input/output ports, each port register having its input connected to said data bus for storing one bit information signal; a plurality of multiplexing means each sampling one bit signal from all input/output ports and directing its output to said data bus as one bit of the set of bit information signals; a plurality of bidirectional leads, each lead connected to one output of one port register and to one input of each of said plurality of multiplexing means, a group of said plurality of bidirectional leads connected to one of said terminal devices; an interrupt address generator connected to said port unit to receive and detect request signals representative of requests by the terminal devices for access to the controller, said interrupt address generator including priority means for selectively servicing a highest priority of said request signals as determined by the connection of the terminal device request signals to said port unit, said interrupt address generator responsive to a highest priority request signal to generate an interrupt signal for interrupting a process being performed by the controller and to generate an address signal to a main memory store; said main memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to first address signals in the form of a set of bit information signals; a plurality of registers connected to said data bus to store a set of bit information signals representative of data and instructions being processed by the controller and, when actuated, for directing the data and instructions as a set of bit information signals to said data bus; said main memory store connected to one of said plurality of registers for receiving said first address signals in the form of a set of bit information signals received from said terminal devices and directed to said data bus via one of said plurality of port registers, and, when actuated, for delivering data and second address signals to another of said plurality of registers as a set of bit information signals; and an arithmetic, logical and shifting unit connected to said data bus for performing arithmetic, logic and shift functions on the set of bit information signals received from said data bus to obtain a resultant signal and, when actuated, for directing the resultant signal to said data bus as one set of bit information signals; and an instruction decode and execution unit including a fast access memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to said second address signals for delivering control signals, said control signals being directed to said arithmetic, logical and shifting unit as a set of bit information signals for logical combination with a set of bit information signals from said port unit to modify or not said control signals to obtain resultant control signals, said instruction decode unit in response to said resultant control signals and to said interrupt signal generating a plurality of command signals controlling the transfer of data signals to and from the terminal devices via said port unit and to and from said data bus among the units, registers and main memory store.

Claim 8

A data processing system including a plurality of terminal devices and a controller for receiving, processing and transmitting data signals to said terminal devices, said controller comprising: a data bus for bidirectionally transporting a set of bit information signals; a port unit including a plurality of input/output ports; a plurality of port registers in each of said input/output ports, each port register having its input connected to said data bus for storing one bit information signal; a plurality of multiplexing means each sampling one bit signal from all input/output ports and directing its output to said data bus as one bit of the set of bit information signals; a plurality of bidirectional leads, each lead connected to one output of one port register and to one input of each of said plurality of multiplexing means, a group of said plurality of bidirectional leads connected to one of said terminal devices; a main memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to first address signals in the form of the set of bit information signals; an address register connected to receive and store bit information signals representing address signals from said data bus and to direct the first address signals to said memory store; a data register connected to receive and store data information signals signifying data and second address signals from said memory store and said data bus, and, when actuated, to direct the data information signals to said data bus as a set of bit information signals; an arithmetic, logical and shifting unit connected to said data bus for performing arithmetic, logic and shift functions on the set of bit informaiton signals received from said data bus to obtain a resultant signal and, when actuated, for directing said resultant signals to said data bus as a set of bit information signals; a program counter register connected to said data bus to store a set of bit information signals representative of instructions to be performed and, when actuated, for directing the set of bit information signals to said data bus; a plurality of general registers connected to said data bus to store a set of bit information signals representative of data being processed by the controller and, when actuated, for directing the set of bit information signals to said data bus; an instruction decode unit including a fast access read only memory store having addressable storage locations; and an instruction register connected to said data bus to receive and store a set of bit information signals representative of instructions to be performed and, when actuated, to direct the set of bit information signals via said data bus to said instruction decode and execution unit; said fast access read only memory store receiving the bit information signals representing instructions from said instruction register as the second address signals for retrieving control signals, said control signals being directed to said arithmetic, logical and shifting unit as a set of bit information signals for logical combination with a set of bit information signals from said port unit to modify or not said control signals to obtain resultant control signals, said instruction decode unit in response to said resultant control signals generating a plurality of command signals controlling transfer of data signals to and from the terminal devices via said port unit and the transfer of sets of bit information signals onto said data bus among the units and registers.

Claim 9

A data processing system including a plurality of terminal devices and a controller for receiving, processing and transmitting data signals to said terminal devices, said controller comprising: a data bus for bidirectionally transporting a set of bit information signals; a port unit including a plurality of input/output ports; a plurality of port registers in each of said input/output ports, each port register having its input connected to said data bus for storing one bit information signal; a plurality of multiplexing means each sampling one bit signal from all input/output ports and directing its output to said data bus as one bit of the set of bit information signals; a plurality of bidirectional leads, each lead connected to one output of one port register and to one input of each of said plurality of multiplexing means, a group of said plurality of bidirectional leads connected to one of said terminal devices; a main memory store having addressable storage locations responsive to first address signals in the form of the set of bit information signals; an address register connected to receive and store bit information signals representing address signals from said data bus and to direct the first address signals to said memory store; a data register connected to receive and store data information signals signifying data and second address signals from said memory store and said data bus, and, when actuated, to direct the data information signals to said data bus as a set of bit information signals; an arithmetic, logical and shifting unit connected to said data bus for performing arithmetic, logic and shift functions on the set of bit informaiton signals received from said data bus to obtain a resultant signal and, when actuated, for directing said resultant signals to said data bus as a set of bit information signals; a program counter register connected to said data bus to store a set of bit information signals representative of instructions to be performed and, when actuated, for directing the set of bit information signals to said data bus; a plurality of general registers connected to said data bus to store a set of bit information signals representative of data being processed by the controller and, when actuated, for directing the set of bit information signals to said data bus; an instruction decode unit including a fast access read only memory store having addressable storage locations; and an instruction register connected to said data bus to receive and store a set of bit information signals representative of instructions to be performed and, when actuated, to direct the set of bit information signals via said data bus to said instruction decode and execution unit; said fast access read only memory store receiving the bit information signals representing instructions from said instruction register as the second address signals for retrieving control signals, said control signals being directed to said arithmetic, logical and shifting unit as a set of bit information signals for logical combination with a set of bit information signals from said port unit to modify or not said control signals to obtain resultant control signals, said instruction decode unit in response to said resultant control signals generating a plurality of command signals controlling transfer of data signals to and from the terminal devices via said port unit and the transfer of sets of bit information signals onto said data bus among the units and registers.

Claim 10

A data processing system as defined in claim 6 wherein said controller further includes an interrupt address generator connected to said port unit to receive and detect request signals representative of requests by the terminal devices for access to the controller said interrupt address generator including priority means for selectively servicing a highest priority of said request signals as determined by the connection of the terminal device request signals to said port unit, said interrupt address generator responsive to a highest priority request signal to generate an interrupt signal for interrupting a process being performed by the controller and to generate an address signal to said main memory store to retrieve an instruction from said main memory store.

Claim 11

A data processing system as defined in claim 6 including means in the instruction decode and execution unit for controlling the controller by performing the steps of: a. forming an interrupt overhead if a terminal device has requested service; b. transferring the signal in the program counter to the memory address register; c. transferring the instruction signals designated by the memory address register from the main memory store into the data register; d. incrementing the program counter; e. traNsferring the instruction signals from the data register into the instruction register; f. transferring the instruction signals from the instruction register into the instruction decode and execution unit; g. performing the operation designated by the instruction signals; and h. generating a plurality of command signals according to the instruction signals.

Claim 12

A data processing system as defined in claim 8 including means in the instruction decode and execution unit for generating the command signals to execute at least one of the following steps: a. combining the instruction signals from the instruction register with the signals in the general register through the arithmetic, logical and shifting unit; b. transferring signals from a general register to the port register selected by the command signal; c. transferring data signals from the multiplexer means selected by the command signal to the general register; d. reading or writing memory data in the address location specified by the command signal; and e. combining data signals with signals from the general register in the arithmetic, logical and shifting unit.