System for loading initial program loader routine into secondary computer without bootstrap ROM

US4943911A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Alcatel N.V. · NL

Inventors

• Dieter Kopp · Hemmingen, DE
• Thomas Hormann · Bornsteiner Straße, DE
• Uwe Ackermann · Delbrück, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 20, 1987
• Grant date: Jul 24, 1990
• Expiry date: Nov 20, 2007

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F15/167
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A secondary computer is connected to a primary computer via a shared memory. The initial program loader for the secondary computer is stored in a mass memory of the primary computer rather than in a bootstrap memory. The primary computer loads the initial program loader into the shared memory, sends a restart instruction to a central processing unit of the secondary computer, and then controls a memory access logic circuit such that all program memory access instruction are routed to that portion of the shared memory holding the initial program loader until the secondary computer has read out the last instruction of the initial program loader. The central processing unit then sends to the memory access logic circuit an acknowledge signal which causes the latter to route all further program memory access instructions to a program memory of the secondary computer.