Patent · US Expired

Microprogram-coupled multiple-microprocessor module with 32-bit byte width formed of 8-bit byte width microprocessors

US4736317A · kind A · utility

71Cited by
13References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 17, 1985
Grant dateApr 5, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 17, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F15/7832
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A microprogram-coupled multiple-microprocessor module receives a system command system status and associated data. The system command and the system status can be directly used as an address or mapped into a microprogram memory address to initiate micro-subroutines. The module can serve as a basic processor and its microprogrammability gives it a high degree of flexibility and modularity. A five-microprocessor module is employed in one example. Basic microprogramming techniques used in the module include a multiple-way microprogram branch technique. The organization of the module is systematic and structured and the microprogramming for the module is a comparatively simple procedure. The module achieves an improved rate of instruction execution at a relatively small cost in the number of clock cycles required.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.