Multiprocessing system with interprocessor communications facility
US5210828A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 4, 1990 |
| Grant date | May 11, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 4, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F15/167
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A plurality of processors are connected to the interprocessor communications facility in the multiprocessing system of the invention. The interprocessor communications facility has arbitration circuitry, mailbox circuitry, and processor interrupt circuitry. The interprocessor communications facility of the invention is centralized and does not require the use of main storage. This enables processors to communicate with each other in a fast and efficient manner. The arbitration circuitry prevents simultaneous access of the interprocessor communications facility by more than one processor, and decodes the commands sent from the processors and routes them to the processor interrupt circuitry or to the mailbox circuitry, depending on the command. The mailbox circuitry of the invention receives messages from sending processors and provides them to the intended receiving processors in a safe and secure manner. The processor interrupt circuitry facilitates the interprocessor communications process by handling interprocessor interrupts.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.