Abstract: A coprocessor has a systolic array of processors each associated with a memory; an array data bus conveying input data to and output data from connections to the array; data buffers for the input and output data; an input and output data bus communicating with the data buffers and with a host processor; a control bus conveying successive operation codes to the array processors an instruction control store containing instructions providing operation codes for successive operations of the array processors, and a sequencer to select instructions from the control store. An intermediate data bus with a microprocessor and further random access memory communicating with that bus, carries input and output data for the array, input and output data for the microprocessor, and addresses for the memories associated with the processors of the array and for the sequencer.

Abstract: A confocal microscope system has a turntable with object locations for mounting multiple samples to be examined in a ring. The turntable is rotated about an axis concentric with the ring. At least one confocal microscope optical system is mounted with components movable axially and radially relative to the ring so that an object region may be scanned through samples mounted in the object locations, each microscope system including a point image detector providing a signal output, and a demultiplexer for receiving the signal output and isolating signal segments associated with different sample locations, and a multiple channel signal processor processes the signals associated with different locations, and a control unit moves axially movable components of each optical system firstly to establish focus reference data for each object and then to control the focus of the microscope responsive to the focus reference data as it scans successive object locations.