David M Ruby

US Patent:

47076941, Nov 17, 1987

Filed:

Jun 6, 1986

Appl. No.:

6/873139

Inventors:

David L. Bauer - Thornton CO
Larry D. Bowyer - Boulder CO
David M. Ruby - Aurora CO
Richard A. Windhausen - Thornton CO

Assignee:

American Telephone and Telegraph Company - New York NY
AT&T Information Systems Inc. - Morristown NJ

International Classification:

H04Q 100

US Classification:

34082552

Abstract:

There is disclosed a port communication method and apparatus for controlling system controller communications with port circuits of the system. The port communication apparatus generates commands to port module interfaces, interposed between the controller and port circuits, in a predetermined order and receives acknowledgement signals therefrom. Thereafter, the port interfaces concurrently collect data from the associated port circuits and transmit this data in response to a subsequent read command from the port communication apparatus. In one embodiment the port communication apparatus includes a programmable microcode routine which generates the commands using input parameters which are specified in various registers and in the microcode program call.