Patent GB-1392231-A (GB)
Title: Switching system
IPC: G06F13/18
Filed: 1972-05-09
Abstract: 1392231 Processors PHILIPS ELECTRONIC & ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES Ltd 9 May 1972 [12 May 1971] 21534/72 Heading G4A To reduce the time for which a common bus is occupied when information is to be transferred between one of a plurality of processors P, Q, R and one of the plurality of stores A, B, C, D a switching unit shown in Figs. 5A, 5B, is included between the processors and the stores, the unit comprising a register PSR-RSR, ASR-DSR for each processor and store and first and second priority circuits 1, 2, in the first of which is determined, for each requested store, the requesting processor having the highest priority and in the second of which is determined the highest priority store request. The latter may be determined by the priority of either the processors or the stores. As described, the registers PSR-RSR include a section Pn-Rn for the number of the associated processor, a section Pr-Rr for the number of the requested store(s) and a section PS-RS for the selection information. If, for example, processor P requests store B, processor Q requests store A and processor R requests stores A and D, priority unit 1 which comprises four sections receives an input from gates 102, 103 to circuit 1A, an input from gate 105 to circuit 1B and an input from gate 112 to circuit 1D which results in "occupied" flip-flops FFA, FFB, FFD being set. If processor P has the highest priority followed by processors Q, R circuits 1A-1D deliver outputs on leads 1AQ, 1BP, 1DR to control a switching unit SWC and to gates 114, 116, 124 respectively so that the numbers of processors Q, P and R are stored in registers XnA, XnB and XnD respectively, counters CCA, CCB and CCD starting cycling at this time. This results in signals CA, CB and CD being applied to priority circuit 2 and if the store A has the highest priority followed by stores B, C and D processor Q is first given access to store A so that counters CCB and CCD are held in their standby state whilst counter CCA continues to circulate. (Alternatively the line having the lowest processor number Pn may have priority in which case processor P is given access to store B). Access to store A is effected by gate 134 being enabled by the output A2 from priority circuit 2 and by signal 1AQ so that gate SB2 in selection bus SB is enabled to feed the information QS from the register QSR to register ASR at an appropriate output pulse from counter CCA.  Transfer from a selected store is controlled by priority circuit 4 receiving at its input an output po of the circulating counter to select one of the registers XnA-XnD so that the processor number stored therein selects one of three gates OB5-OB7. The circuit 4 also enables one of four sets of gates OB1-OB4 so that data from the selected store is passed through the appropriate gate OB5-OB7 to the selected processor register PIOR-RIOR. When the information has been transferred a flip-flop FFOB in priority circuit 4 is cleared by the output ceo of the circulating counter to prepare the circuit 4 for the next request. Transfer from a processor is similarly effected by a priority circuit 3 receiving at its inputs an output pi from the circulating counter and selecting one of registers XnA-XnD, the processor number stored therein enabling the associated set of gates IB1-IB3 to transfer data from registers PIOR-RIOR by one set of four gates IB4- IB7, also enabled by the priority circuit 3, to the selected store AIOR-DIOR. When information has been transferred a flip-flop FFIB in the priority circuit 3 is cleared by the output cei of the circulating counter. At the final count of the circulating counter the flip-flop FFA-FFD in priority circuit 1 associated with the effected request is cleared to allow the system to proceed to the next highest priority request.