Abstract: In a computer system having a plurality of processors and processes, a semaphore architecture for communication with and between the processes in order to effects coordination and cooperation between processes. The invention is implemented in firmware and software, and divides the work of an entire semaphore operation such that the simple part of the P and V operations (which deliver and pick-up signals to and from the processes, respectively) is done by the firmware; whereas the difficult work of the P or V operation is done by software. Thus the improved architecture increases the speed of the system by the use of firmware and increases the flexibility of the computer system by utilizing software to change functionality.

Abstract: A logic device, which may be a digital computer, is simulated by dividing the device into logic blocks and classifying the blocks by levels according to flow of signals in the device. A state memory simulates input and output logic states of the respective blocks. A simulator simulates operations of the respective blocks. The blocks on each level are successively simulated in four stages, namely, (1) provision of simulated logic states for the respective output logic states, (2) comparison of the simulated logic states with the respective output logic states, (3) decision of those of the input logic states of higher level blocks which should be changed into the simulated logic states, and (4) renewal of the output logic states and of the decided input logic states in the state memory. Renewal of the output logic states may be carried out during the stage (1).

Abstract: A data processing system has a plurality of peripheral devices and a main memory, a direct memory access controller for controlling the transfer of data between the main memory and the peripheral devices including a local memory connected to the peripheral devices for storing data written to and read from the peripheral devices, a sequencer for controlling the transfer of data between the main memory and the local memory, a local address register connected to the sequencer for providing the local memory address for memory operations of the local memory, a system address register connected to the sequencer for providing the main memory address for memory operations of the main memory, and a data register for holding data transferred between the main memory and the local memory.

Abstract: A program scanner for a processor having multiple internal streams of instruction and data flow scans a sequence of incoming codes, and employs a plurality of rams to detect various types of syllables in that code. The contents of these rams are signals indicating the various types of codes possible with the output of the rams then being multiplexed to provide an output indicating which syllables can be grouped together for transmission to various units of the processor.

Abstract: A single-chip microprogram sequence controller can be selectively operated in either an interrupt mode or a trapped mode. In the interrupt mode, the miroprogram sequencer allows the currently-executing microinstruction to finish execution before beginning the interrupt routine which services the asynchronous event which requested the interruption of the presently-executing microinstruction stream. In the trap mode, the sequencer aborts the currently-executing microinstruction to avoid an irreversible error which would result if the microinstruction were to finish execution before beginning the routine which services the event which requested trapping of the presently-executing microinstruction.

Abstract: A data acquisition system includes a microprocessor and a sequencer. The sequencer includes a microengine which when conditioned by the microprocessor affects the transfer of analog sampled digitized data from a signal conditioner to a global random access memory. The microprocessor may interrupt the microengine to read selected digitized data.

Abstract: A memory storage scheme permitting storage of characters in one of several orientations in response to selected applied addresses, including a plurality of random access memory (RAM) chips organized into RAM SETS, each set including N.sub.B devices where N.sub.B equals the number of bits in a character, each device being organized as N.sub.R +1 bits where N.sub.R is the number of bits stored in each device; each RAM SET describing R adjacent rows of bit map, each row containing KN.sub.B +1 bits.

Abstract: A peripheral controller is provided for controlling data transfers between peripheral devices operably on one type of data bus to devices operable on a second data bus. An intermediate buffer is utilized so that data is read into one memory block from the sending data bus and read out of another memory block to the receiving data bus. Controls are provided to prevent overwriting data which has not been transmitted and to prevent data transfers from the buffer until at least one block of memory has been filed.

Abstract: An automatic flight control system having two digital processors receives sensor data over a bit serial data bus through a serial-to-parallel converter. The converter formats the data into bytes corresponding to the data parameters from the sensors. One of the processors controls the bus timing and receives the data bytes which are simultaneously applied to an independent data storage element. An independent address sequencer provides sequential addresses to the independent data storage element at which to store sequential data bytes from the converter. After an entire data frame is stored in the independent data storage element, the second processor performs a bulk move of the data into its local data storage element. The sensors are configured in data subsystems which provide respective messages, each message containing an address identifying the subsystem. These addresses are utilized for directing the data messages to respective areas in the independent data storage element.

Abstract: A monolithically integrable circuit includes a memory having electrically writable and erasable non-volatile storage cells and a memory region having an addressing space subdivided into a plurality of partial quantities of respective addresses receiving reference data, an addressing circuit connected to the memory for reading out, writing and erasing partial regions of the memory, a control unit connected to the memory and to the addressing circuit causing access to part of the memory addresses to be dependent on an input operation through the addressing circuit, the control unit including a data comparison unit carrying out comparison operations between a plurality of stored reference data and externally entered code data, address lines connected to the memory, a selection logic connected to the address lines for determining the partial quantities together with the address lines, and an address control unit connected to the address lines through the selection logic for delivering a release signal if at least

Abstract: A method and data processing system for validating prefetch instruction. The system includes an instruction unit, an n-stage pipeline which provides data segments representing instruction words from a memory to the instruction unit. The system further includes a circuit for prefetching instruction words to be executed subsequently to a presently executing instruction and a circuit for verifying the validity of the prefetched instruction word prior to execution thereof by the execution unit, and a circuit for causing the instruction unit to a fault condition only when the execution of an invalid instruction is begun.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for causing an existing display and/or printing mode in a computer or the like to be preserved in sheltering areas located in memory upon commencement of an interrupt task. After completing such an interrupt task, the present invention causes use of the sheltered mode to be resumed. The present invention correctly preserves the originally existing display and/or printing mode until after completion of an externally generated interrupt task, thus effectively eliminating the undesirable process that is otherwise needed for reactivating the original mode.

Abstract: There is provided a data processing circuit for processing symbol data read from a disc of a digital audio system such as a DAD player. Each of the symbol data read from the disc is first stored into a buffer register and then transferred therefrom to a symbol memory in accordance with internal pulse signals, and the number of the pulse signals generated during a period required to process one frame of symbol data is greater than that of symbol data contained in one frame of symbol data. An address data for addressing a desired area of the symbol memory is formed by adding a reference address data generated by counting the internal frame synchronization signals to a relative address data generated by adding together a specific pair of addressing data read out from an address memory, the address memory storing a plurality of groups of addressing data to be used in accordance with each mode of operation of this circuit.

Abstract: A system has circuitry for reading out a graphic data string from a source area of a graphic memory, starting from a start address storing the graphic data string, by continuously counting the start address of the graphic memory. The graphic data string read out by this circuitry is stored in a buffer memory. When storage of the graphic data string in the buffer memory is completed, the graphic data string is continuously read out from the buffer memory. The readout graphic data string is written in a destination area, starting from a start address thereof, by continuously counting the start address of the destination area in the graphic memory.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus is provided for protecting the accounting data stored in an electronic postage meter having multiple non-volatile memories for the storage of accounting data, including the steps of and associated apparatus for providing a first non-volatile memory; writing postage transactions accounting data into the first non-volatile memory in real time during each trip cycle of the meter; providing a second non-volatile memory; writing postage transaction accounting data into the second non-volatile memory only during the power cycle of the meter; and disabling the first non-volatile memory when the meter enters a power down cycle to prevent any further writing of data into the first non-volatile memory. Advantageously, the first non-volatile memory is clamped to ground potential during the power down cycle.

Abstract: A programmable, high speed, single chip microcomputer includes 4K of RAM, ROM, registers and an ALU. Program can be stored in the on-chip RAM. The first local variable of each process to be executed is a workspace pointer (WPTR), and each process has a respective workspace identified by its WPTR. For each process, addressing of other variables is relative to the current WPTR, which is stored in a workspace pointer register (WPTR REG). Instructions are constant bit size, having a function portion and a data portion loaded, respectively, into an instruction buffer (IB) and an operand register (OREGTR). Memory address locations are formed by combining the contents of the workspace pointer register and the operand register, or the contents of the A Register and the operand register. A set of "direct functions" obtains data from OREG. "Indirect functions" use the OREG contents to identify other functions, obtaining data from registers other than the operand register.

Abstract: An address environment storage unit for a stack-oriented data processor for operating in data sets arranged as structured blocks, or nested pushdown stacks. The address environment storage employs a plurality of sets of display registers such that the current set of display registers does not have to be updated each time the processor moves to a different area of data in memory. The programmer only needs to provide a designation of a lexical level in a particular stack and the offset value from the base of the particular activation record in that stack for addition to obtain actual memory address. When the processor executes a procedure enter operator that calls for a new section of memory in which to operate, a display pointer is changed to point to the set of display registers provided for accessing that new area of memory.

Abstract: In a memory hierarchy system having two or more hierarchy storages of different access speeds and programs and/or data to be loaded on the hierarchy storages, an activity information acquisition unit and a display unit are provided to present information regarding selection of programs and/or data to be loaded on a higher level in memory hierarchy, a unit is provided which automatically decides loading of the programs and/or data on the higher level and executes reallocation of the programs and/or data on the basis of the information, and a unit is provided which permits the user to change the loading by using a user command. The user can make full use of these units during execution of the memory hierarchy control. In an embodiment, priority for the programs and/or data to be loaded on the higher level is calculated and decided. The programs and/or data are written into the real storage in accordance with their priority to increase the real storage hit rate upon occurrence of a next request for loading.

Abstract: In combination with a multiprocessing/multiprogramming computer system having a ring protection mechanism for protecting computer programs from unauthorized access, a new call instruction architecture is implemented partly in firmware and partly in hardware. Also, a new stack mechanism stores hardware managed control information in a control frame and software controlled data in a data frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling sequential (DMA) transfers between a plurality of buffer memories and a data translation device. Each buffer has an overrun has an overrun area associated with it. Prior to transfers from the buffers to the data translation device, the buffer memories are first "threaded" together by loading the overrun area of a first buffer with data from the next buffer. During the DMA transfer, when the first buffer becomes empty a request is made to the computer to restart the DMA operation on the next sequential buffer, but while the interrupt is being serviced data is continually being transferred out of the first buffer's overrun area. Alternatively, for transfers from the data translation device to the buffers, after the first buffer is full, an interrupt is generated and incoming data is stored in the first buffer's overrun area while the interrupt is being serviced. After the interrupt is serviced data is stored in the next sequential buffer.