Method and apparatus for data exchange between microprocessors

US4845667A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Wolfgang Hoptner · Uhingen, DE
• Gerhard Lotterbach · Markgröningen, DE
• Egbert Perenthaler · Stuttgart, DE
• Jan F. van Woudenberg · Schwieberdingen, DE
• Udo Zucker · Brackenheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 22, 1988
• Grant date: Jul 4, 1989
• Expiry date: Sep 22, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F02D41/266
• WIPO field: Engines, pumps, turbines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for data exchange between a master microprocessor and a slave microprocessor, in which the connection is a parallel bus and the data exchange requires a minimum of time. For this purpose, the data are transmitted in a predetermined sequence and in which the transmission-start identifier is a signal train generated by the master processor which is specifically associated with data transmission. Preferably, a master processor and a slave processor are interconnected by the parallel data bus, with buffer memories, such as latches, interposed. A toggle flip-flop is connected to the interrupt input of the slave processor in such a way that merely placing a specific instruction (i.e. command+data) on the bus simultaneously notifies the slave processor to prepare for the exchange of data, thereby saving time.