Patent · US Expired

Multimode scan apparatus

US4819166A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
7References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 15, 1987
Grant dateApr 4, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 15, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/2268
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Disclosed is a scan apparatus which provides an interface and control signals between a secondary computer and data locations in a host computer. The scan apparatus functions independently of the normal operation of the host computer. Scan-out is performed transparently to the operation of the host computer. The host computer is organized into a plurality of functional units. Each functional unit is constructed of circuits on semiconductor chips. The semiconductor chips are organized in blocks. In the present invention, each block within the host computer includes a multimode scan apparatus which controls the scan operations in connection with that block. The scan apparatus in each block is connected to the secondary computer by clock and scan lines. The scan apparatus on each block includes a multimode sequencer which is controlled by the secondary computer and independently of the operation of the host computer, executes the scan sequences for performing the scan operations associated with the block.

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