Patent GB-1250926-A (GB)
IPC: G06F13/16
Filed: 1969-07-08
Abstract: 1,250,926. Data storage. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. 8 July, 1969 [15 July, 1968], No. 34263/69. Heading G4C. Data processing apparatus includes a plurality of memory units of substantially identical cycle time sharing a common select and input interface and a common output interface with a data processing system and also sharing a common circuit having interdependently timed components the total cycle time of which has a maximum value less than the memory unit cycle time, there being provided timing means responsive to select signals for initiating operation of the memory units and the common circuit by selective distribution of timing signals in such a way that operation of the apparatus is notionally divided into time zones at least as great as the common circuit cycle time in any one of which zones not more than one memory unit can be brought into action. Fig. 1, in which the common circuit is errorcorrection circuitry, shows memories A and B, and registers called DATA, FETCH, FETCH UPDATE, BUS IN, STORE, STORE UPDATE and MARK, the two MARK registers relating to respective memories and indicating bytes of a multibyte word to be changed in memory. In the associated system, each byte has a parity bit but in the memories the parity bits are replaced by error-correction code bits, generators ECC GEN of the latter being provided. In Fig. 1, d, p, c mean data, parity bits and error-correction code bits respectively. A COMPARE block, fed as shown, detects errors and corrects them via a DECODE block in the STORE UPDATE and FETCH UPDATE registers, including consequential corrections to the error-correction code and parity bits therein. The MARK registers prevent undesired corrections (in the STORE UPDATE register) for bytes which are not to be rewritten. A parity check is done in the BUS IN register. A tapped delay line provides timing signals in a series of time zones, there being a latch for each time zone for each memory separately. A SELECT signal for a given memory, if the memory is not busy and no memory is in the first zone, will supply a pulse to the delay line and set the first latch and a busy latch for the respective memory. The latches for that memory are set and reset in turn under control of the respective preceding latches and the delay line. Timing signals from the delay line go to the apparatus of Fig. 1, signals to the memories and non-common circuits being gated by the latches. The STORE register is set from the BUS IN register at an early or late time in the second zone according to the set or reset state respectively of a pair of further latches respective to the memory. The pair is set at a particular instant in the first zone for the respective memory providing the first further latch of no other memory is already set. The further latches are reset in the third zones of their respective memories. The first further latch of a memory can also be set at an instant between the early and late times in the second zone. Thus if one memory is operating in the second zone and another is operating in the first zone, the latter is not permitted to use the early timing (preventing interference).