Abstract: A system and method for automatically storing and retrieving loads of materials from a high-rise storage warehouse including providing for electronic identification of materials at a remote storage operator station and thereafter activating a CPU to (a) electronically verify the acceptability of the materials, (b) assign a transaction code to the data bit representation of the identification of the load, and (c) select an address in the high-rise storage warehouse for the load. The load is accompanied by the transaction code in machine-readable form and then moved to a pickup station adjacent the high-rise storage warehouse. Proper alignment of the load is then electronically verified and the transaction code is communicated to the CPU to identify which materials are on the pickup station. A storage-retrieval (S/R) machine is dispatched at the command of the CPU to move the load to its CPU-assigned address in the high-rise storage warehouse.

Abstract: A microcomputer for controlling an automated materials handling system, the microcomputer having a novel interface circuit permitting direct interface with a wide variety of peripheral devices, both serial and parallel and at any one of a variety of communication rates selected to maximize machine efficiency under a wide range of noise conditions. A safety relative timer circuit terminates operation of the machine if the S/R machine does not complete a task within a predetermined time increment.