Abstract: A system and method is described for modulating the operating speed of a microprocessor, or other processing element, and the duration of chip select signals in response to the selected microprocessor operating speed. The microprocessor clock is modulated by division, multiplication, or alternative clock selection, as directed by instructions executing on the microprocessor. Power consumption by the microprocessor may be thereby reduced under program control in accord with the required level of processor activity. As the power consumed by typical peripheral devices is largely proportional to the activity of the chip select input at a given operating voltage, the present invention further describes circuits and methods of modulating the duration of the chip select outputs from a microprocessor responsive to the operating speed of the microprocessor to lower power dissipation levels within the associated peripheral devices.

Abstract: A memory manager which is capable of modifying microprocessor memory access signals to selectively control access to memory devices as a series of memory banks. Memory bank control registers are associated with each memory bank for retaining interface parameters utilized by the memory manager to control memory access signal generation for each memory bank. By way of example, the memory bank control register allows the selection of wait states, access signal generation, write protection, and page-mode addressing as a result of selective address signal inversion. The memory manager may be implemented within a microprocessor, or integrated within a separate circuit.

Abstract: A computer language construct for connecting related but independent routines at compile time. The computer language construct allows the creation of symbolic "chains", which can be called at run time. Individual functions and code fragments, written in a high level programming language, can be attached to the chains. When a symbolic chain is called, all the functions and code fragments attached to it will also be called. The definition of a symbolic chain and each function or code fragment attached to it are all independent. Chains can also be organized hierarchically, and a chain can be attached to another chain.