Abstract: The organization of a frame portion of an integrated circuit chip to include buffers and drivers as well as a power supply for testing functional elements arranged in a "framed" portion of the chip permits smaller drivers and buffers and a lower power supply to be used during later normal operation. The frame portion may be separated completely after testing.

Abstract: A PLA (e.g., 100) operates with two-level clock control timing, that is, with a pair of master and slave registers (e.g., 12 and 13) connected to the PLA wordlines (e.g., W.sub.1, W.sub.2, . . . W.sub.n) between the PLA's AND and OR planes (e.g., 11 and 14). The slave register's output to the OR plane is controlled by a combinational logic device (e.g., 21), such as an AND gate to which a WAIT signal is applied. In this way, when the WAIT signal (e.g., W) is available at the beginning of a given cycle of the clock control timing, the output of the PLA (including PLA feedback) can respond to this WAIT signal before the end of the given cycle--that is, the PLA is capable of same-cycle decision making.

Abstract: A combinational logic device, such as an AND gate, is connected to control the flow of information along a wordline from the AND plane to the OR plane of a PLA (programmed logic array). To each such combinational logic device is applied an input signal from a source external to the PLA, so that the PLA's output can respond relatively quickly to this input signal--that is, the PLA is capable of relatively quick decision making.

Abstract: The organization of a frame portion of an integrated circuit chip to include buffers and drivers as well as a power supply for testing functional elements arranged in a "framed" portion of the chip permits smaller drivers and buffers and a lower power supply to be used during later normal operation. The frame portion may be separated completely after testing.

Abstract: A microprocessor with a hierarchical PLA control arrangement with a relatively rich function capability is achieved by applying the same subsection of the bit field of the output register of a control PLA to the inputs of each of the controlled PLA's. In addition, routing bits in the output register of the control PLA are applied to gate the clocks at the inputs of the controlled PLA's. Significant increase in PLA function, relative to PLA size, is achieved.

Abstract: The present invention is a programmed logic array (PLA) which implements IF, THEN, ELSE, or CASE statements. This is accomplished through the use of combinatorial logic located between the DECODER and ROM arrays of the PLA.

Abstract: A hierarchical organization of programmable logic arrays permits the control of microprocessor functions to be achieved in a way which allows otherwise wasted clock time to be used. The mostly independent operations of the several PLA's is organized by "handshake" signals from the latches of one PLA to those of another via AND circuits operative to selectively enable clock signals, in some instances, and data in other instances, to be applied to the latches. The use of the AND circuits enables requisite operations to be achieved with relatively small PLA's.

Abstract: A hierarchical organization of programmable logic arrays permits the control of microprocessor functions to be achieved in a way which allows otherwise wasted clock time to be used. The mostly independent operations of the several PLA's is organized by "handshake" signals from the latches of one PLA to those of another via AND circuits operative to selectively enable clock signals, in some instances, and data in other instances, to be applied to the latches. The use of the AND circuits enables requisite operations to be achieved with relatively small PLA's.