GB1482659A - Device for selective exchange of information - Google Patents

Abstract

1482659 Processing data COMPAGNIE INTERNATIONALE POUR L'INFORMATIQUE CII-HONEYWELL BULL 28 Oct 1974 [6 Nov 1973] 46600/74 Heading G4A A plurality of modules MO1-MOn (Fig. 1) each including a processing unit P1-Pn and a memory M1-Mn storing a program S1-Sn and communicating with a remote station St1-Stn are interconnected by a bus, orders originating from one module MOj enabling the exchange of information between the station Stj and stations connected to other modules, the module also being able to send an order to a further module MOi so that the module MOi controls exchange of information between its station Sti and other stations. As described if module MOj has control of the bus it calls up a slave module (e.g. MOk, Fig. 2, not shown) and either transfers information Ij from its memory (Mj) to the slave module (MOk) or receives information (Ik) from the memory (Mk) of the slave. At receipt of an end of information transfer from the slave module or on receipt of a signal from the slave module that it has received from the module MOj an end of transfer signal, the mastership of the bus is transferred by the module MOj to the following module. After mastership of the bus has been transferred, received information may be transferred from the modules to their respective stations. Each processor includes a microprogram store (ÁM, Fig. 4, not shown) which in response to messages received on the bus provides control signals for the access of stored programs which permit, e.g. transfer of data between fast and slow peripherals in the remote station and the memory.