Data transfer control unit

Claim 2

In a data processing system including a CPU and an I/O unit for transferring data between data processing systems, an improved data transfer control unit for transferring data via an outside bus with an outside source comprising: a dedicated controller; an internal system bus, coupled to said dedicated controller, for transferring address information, data, and control information; a dual ported RAM having a first data port coupled to said internal system bus and a second data port coupled to the CPU and divided into a plurality of storage locations; an I/O interface, coupled to the outside data bus and said internal system bus, for transferring data between said internal system bus and the outside data bus under control of said dedicated controller; and flag storage means for storing a plurality of flags, each flag corresponding to a storage location in said dual ported RAM, where each flag is set by the CPU when the CPU has written data to each flag's corresponding storage location, and where each flag is reset by said dedicated controller when said dedicated controller transfers said written data from said corresponding storage location to the outside bus via said I/O interface.

Claim 3

In a data processing system including a CPU and an I/O unit for transferring data between data processing systems, an improved method for transferring data via an outside bus with an outside source, comprising the steps of: providing a serial data transfer control unit including a dedicated controller, an internal system bus, coupled to said dedicated controller, for transferring address information, data, and control information, an external system bus, coupled to the CPU, for transferring address information, data, and control information, a dual ported RAM having a first port coupled to said internal system bus, a second port coupled to said external system bus, and divided into a plurality of storage locations, and I/O interface, coupled to the outside bus and said internal system bus, for transferring data between said internal system bus and the outside bus under control of said dedicated controller, and a flag storage unit for storing a plurality of flags, each flag indicating whether a corresponding storage location has been written; checking, using said dedicated controller, whether said I/O interface has received outside data from the outside source transmitted on the outside bus via said I/O interface; if said outside data has been received from the outside source, transferring, under control of said dedicated controller, said received outside data to storage locations in said dual ported RAM; setting, using said dedicated controller, said flags corresponding to the said storage locations to indicate that said received outside data has been stored in said storage locations; checking, using the CPU, which flags have been set; and reading, using the CPU, in response to said flags having been set, outside data only from storage locations corresponding to flags which are set, so that the CPU is not required to control said I/O interface.

Claim 4

In a data processing system including a CPU and an I/O unit for transferring data between data processing systems, an improved method for transferring data via an outside bus with an outside source, comprising the steps of: providing a serial data transfer control unit including a dedicated controller, an internal system bus, coupled to said dedicated controller, for transferring address information, data, and control information, an external system bus, coupled to the CPU, for transferring address information, data, and control information, a dual ported RAM having a first port coupled to said internal system bus, a second port coupled to said external system bus, and divided into a plurality of storage locations, and I/O interface, coupled to the outside bus and said internal system bus, for transferring data between said internal system bus and the outside bus under control of said dedicated controller, and a flag storage unit for storing a plurality of flags, each flag indicating whether a corresponding storage location has been written; checking, using said dedicated controller, whether said I/O interface has received outside data from the outside source transmitted on the outside bus via said I/O interface; if said outside data has been received from the outside source, transferring, under control of said dedicated controller, said received outside data to storage locations in said dual ported RAM; setting, using said dedicated controller, said flags corresponding to the said storage locations to indicate that said received outside data has been stored in said storage locations; checking, using the CPU, which flags have been set; and reading, using the CPU, in response to said flags having been set, outside data only from storage locations corresponding to flags which are set, so that the CPU is not required to control said I/O interface.

Claim 5

In a data processing system including a CPU and an I/O unit for transferring data between data processing systems, an improved method for transferring data via an outside bus with an outside source, comprising the steps of: providing a serial data transfer control unit including a dedicated controller, an internal system bus, coupled to said dedicated controller, for transferring address information, data, and control information, an external system bus, coupled to the CPU, for transferring address information, data, and control information, a dual ported RAM having a first port coupled to said internal system bus, a second port coupled to said external system bus, and divided into a plurality of storage locations, an I/O interface, coupled to the outside bus and said internal system bus, for transferring data between said internal system bus and the outside bus under control of said dedicated controller, and a flag storage unit for storing a plurality of flags, each flag indicating whether a corresponding storage location has been written; checking, using said dedicated controller, whether said I/O interface has received outside data from the outside bus via said I/O interface; if data is to be transferred to an outside source, transferring, under control of the CPU, said data to be transferred to storage locations in said dual ported RAM; setting, using the CPU, said flags corresponding to the said storage locations to indicate that said data to be transferred has been stored in said storage locations by the CPU; checking using said dedicated controller, which flags have been set; and transferring, under control of said dedicated controller and in response to said flags having been set, said data to be transferred only from said storage locations corresponding to flags which are set, to said I/O interface for transmission to an outside source to that the CPU is not required to control said I/O interface.

Claim 6

In a data processing system including a CPU and an I/O unit for transferring data between data processing systems, an improved method for transferring data via an outside bus with an outside source, comprising the steps of: providing a serial data transfer control unit including a dedicated controller, an internal system bus, coupled to said dedicated controller, for transferring address information, data, and control information, an external system bus, coupled to the CPU, for transferring address information, data, and control information, a dual ported RAM having a first port coupled to said internal system bus, a second port coupled to said external system bus, and divided into a plurality of storage locations, an I/O interface, coupled to the outside bus and said internal system bus, for transferring data between said internal system bus and the outside bus under control of said dedicated controller, and a flag storage unit for storing a plurality of flags, each flag indicating whether a corresponding storage location has been written; checking, using said dedicated controller, whether said I/O interface has received outside data from the outside bus via said I/O interface; if data is to be transferred to an outside source, transferring, under control of the CPU, said data to be transferred to storage locations in said dual ported RAM; setting, using the CPU, said flags corresponding to the said storage locations to indicate that said data to be transferred has been stored in said storage locations by the CPU; checking using said dedicated controller, which flags have been set; and transferring, under control of said dedicated controller and in response to said flags having been set, said data to be transferred only from said storage locations corresponding to flags which are set, to said I/O interface for transmission to an outside source to that the CPU is not required to control said I/O interface.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flag storage means is included within the dual ported RAM.

Claim 8

In a data processing system including a CPU and an I/O unit for transferring data between data processing systems, an improved data transfer control unit for transferring data via an outside bus with an outside source comprising: a dedicated controller; an internal system bus, coupled to said dedicated controller, for transferring address information, data, and control information; a dual ported RAM having a first data port coupled to said internal system bus and a second data port coupled to the CPU and divided into a plurality of storage locations; p1 an I/O interface, coupled to the outside data bus and said internal system bus, for transferring data between said internal system bus and the outside data bus under control of said dedicated controller; and flag storage means for storing a plurality of flags, each flag corresponding to a storage location in said dual ported RAM, where said flag is set by said dedicated controller when said dedicated controller has received data from the outside bus via said I/O interface and written said received data to said flag's corresponding storage location, and where said each flag is reset by the CPU when the CPU has read said received data from said corresponding storage location.

Claim 9

In a data processing system including a CPU and an I/O unit for transferring data between data processing systems, an improved data transfer control unit for transferring data via an outside bus with an outside source comprising: a dedicated controller; an internal system bus, coupled to said dedicated controller, for transferring address information, data, and control information; a dual ported RAM having a first data port coupled to said internal system bus and a second data port coupled to the CPU and divided into a plurality of storage locations; p1 an I/O interface, coupled to the outside data bus and said internal system bus, for transferring data between said internal system bus and the outside data bus under control of said dedicated controller; and flag storage means for storing a plurality of flags, each flag corresponding to a storage location in said dual ported RAM, where said flag is set by said dedicated controller when said dedicated controller has received data from the outside bus via said I/O interface and written said received data to said flag's corresponding storage location, and where said each flag is reset by the CPU when the CPU has read said received data from said corresponding storage location.