Data processing peripheral subsystems

Claim 2

A magnetic tape transport drive adapted to be connected to a controller for effecting signal processing operations relating to recording on and reading from a magnetic media and having input lines for respectively receiving a MOVE command signal instructing relative movement between a transducer and the media, a command line for causing it to receive signals commanding a function to be performed, said tape unit having an output terminal indicating interruption condition and a second output terminal for indicating busy and not busy conditions, a set of bus-in lines for carrying data signals and status signals from the tape drive to a connected controlling unit, and a like set of incoming bus-out lines for receiving said command signals plus data signals to be recorded, a timing signal generator, the improvement including in combination: bistable means indicating an extended operation to be performed by the drive independent of a connected controller, AND circuit means jointly responsive to the generator and to said bistable means to continuously supply timing signals to said interruption line during said extended operation, means supplying an interruption signal to said line upon the detection of an interruption condition, and means operative at the end of said extended operation to reset said bistable means.

Claim 3

The drive set forth in claim 1 including control means responsive to signals on said bus-out lines to establish a write mode in said drive, indicating means jointly responsive to said write mode and a just-received MOVE command initially to establish a check IBG condition in said drive, AND circuit means jointly responsive to said generator and said check IBG condition to supply timing signals over said interruption line, and control means indicating end of an IBG during said write mode and operative to reset said check IBG condition for removing the tiMing signals from said interruption line.

Claim 4

The drive set forth in claim 1 further including direction indicating means indicating the relative direction of motion between magnetic media and a transducer, means memorizing a commanded direction of movement, comparison means jointly responsive to said direction indication and said commanded direction to indicate whether or not the media is relatively moving in the direction commanded and supplying same to said interruption line, and tachometer means indicating the rate of said relative movement and means connecting said tachometer means to said busy line for supplying tachometer signals thereover simultaneously with said opposite move indication.

Claim 5

The drive set forth in claim 3 wherein said means coupling said tachometer means to said busy line include AND circuit means jointly responsive to said tachometer signals and to said MOVE signal for supplying said tachometer signals over said busy line irrespective of said opposite move indication.

Claim 6

The drive set forth in claim 3 wherein said comparison means includes gating means receiving said timing signals and passing same to said interruption line whenever said media is relatively moving opposite to said commanded direction.

Claim 7

A peripheral device adapted to be connected to a controlling unit for performing data processing operations in connection with a data processing system and including predetermined mechanical movements having selected coordinated electrical functions performed therewith and capable of supplying interruption signals and busy/not busy signals over lines to such controlling unit, the improvement including in combination: motion means responsive to commands received from a connected controlling unit to effect mechanical movements in said peripheral device, indicating means responsive to said mechanical movements being commanded to continuously supply timed signals over one of said lines during said mechanical movements, control means responsive to said electrical functions to terminate said timed signals for indicating completion of a given one of said mechanical movements, and said control means being responsive to an operational condition of said peripheral device for indicating the interruption and busy states over said lines respectively independently of said timed signals.

Claim 8

A peripheral device adapted to be connected to a controlling unit for performing data processing operations in connection with a data processing system and including predetermined mechanical movements having selected coordinated electrical functions performed therewith and capable of supplying interruption signals and busy/not busy signals over lines to such controlling unit, the improvement including in combination: motion means responsive to commands received from a connected controlling unit to effect mechanical movements in said peripheral device, indicating means responsive to said mechanical movements being commanded to continuously supply timed signals over one of said lines during said mechanical movements, control means responsive to said electrical functions to terminate said timed signals for indicating completion of a given one of said mechanical movements, and said control means being responsive to an operational condition of said peripheral device for indicating the interruption and busy states over said lines respectively independently of said timed signals.

Claim 9

The device set forth in claim 6 further including commanded direction of movements and direction detection means, and means indicating movements opposite to said commanded direction, and said indicating means being responsive to said opposite move indication to supply an additional indicating signal over one of said lines, and means supplying signals indicative of the amount of movement over another of said lines simultaneously to said opposite move indications.

Claim 10

The device set forth in claim 6 further capable of effecting selective mechanical movements without a given associated electrical function, said indicating means being further responsive to said movements without said given electrical function to supply timed signals over one of said lines and terminating said timed signals upon initiation of said given electrical function even though said mechanical movements may continue.

Claim 11

The device set forth in claim 8 comprising a magnetic tape unit (MTU) having a transducer for exchanging signals with a magnetic tape transported within said MTU and having recording and readback gaps in a predetermined spaced-apart relationship such that a recorded signal can be sensed in said read gap after a predetermined relative movement between said transducer and a record media, the improvement further including in combination: said given electrical function sensing signals from said medium and transferring same as readback signals, means in said MTU indicating not gap control (not ready to write) wherein said transducer writing gap is scanning an IBG (interblock gap - a nonrecorded meDium) area, means jointly responsive to a WRITE command, said not gap control, and a move indication to supply said intermediate operational state indicating signal, and means for removing said not gap control signal.

Claim 12

The device set forth in claim 6 further including an initial status memory means, AND circuit means jointly responsive to said memory means being in the active condition and to said indicating means to pass said timed signals to one of said lines, said control means being further responsive to a sensed ending of an initial status to reset said memory means from the active condition, further means in said control means responsive to an error condition to reset said memory means from the active condition, and means in said control means to establish an initializing condition and setting said memory means to the active condition and including supplying a not busy signal to a controlling unit simultaneously with said timed signals.

Claim 13

A peripheral device adapted to be connected to digital signal processing apparatus for performing signal processing operations, the device capable of effecting predetermined mechanical movements and selective corresponding electrical functions, means for indicating operational states relating to said movements and said functions, first and second output control lines, the improvement including in combination: first signal producing means supplying a first output signal over said first output control line indicating a first status in said device, second signal producing means supplying a second output signal over said second output control line indicating a second status in said device, intermediate means indicating an intermediate operational state in said device, means responsive to said intermediate indication to continuously supply during such intermediate operational indication a third signal in place of one of said output signals over a corresponding one of said output control lines, and said third signal having distinguishable characteristics from said one output signal.

Claim 14

A peripheral device adapted to be connected to digital signal processing apparatus for performing signal processing operations, the device capable of effecting predetermined mechanical movements and selective corresponding electrical functions, means for indicating operational states relating to said movements and said functions, first and second output control lines, the improvement including in combination: first signal producing means supplying a first output signal over said first output control line indicating a first status in said device, second signal producing means supplying a second output signal over said second output control line indicating a second status in said device, intermediate means indicating an intermediate operational state in said device, means responsive to said intermediate indication to continuously supply during such intermediate operational indication a third signal in place of one of said output signals over a corresponding one of said output control lines, and said third signal having distinguishable characteristics from said one output signal.

Claim 15

The peripheral device of claim 11 further including an input MOVE line for receiving signals commanding said predetermined mechanical movements, and gating means receiving said third signal and supplying same only when said one output signal is not in a given active state for indicating a first state of said one status such that said third signal is selectively interruptable in accordance with said first state.

Claim 16

The peripheral device of claim 12 wherein said intermediate means includes logic means jointly responsive to operational state indicators for indicating first intermediate operational states, latch means in said intermediate means being settable upon initiation of an intermediate operational state and continuously indicating such state until said predetermined mechanical movement has reached a predetermined position.

Claim 17

The peripheral device set forth in claim 12 further including directional tachometer means operatively associated with said mechanical movements for detecting the amount and direction of movement and indicating such direction, commanded direction memory means indicating a commanded direction of relative movement, comparison means jointly responsive to said commanded direction memory means and said tachometer means to indicate a relative movement opposite to the commanded direction, and said intermediate means responsive to said opposite move indication to indicate an intermediate operational state only during said opposite move indication.

Claim 18

The peripheral device of claim 14 wherein said comparison means is actuated by a MOVE signal on said input MOVE line to effect said joint responsiveness, said intermediate means receiving said opposite move indication and including further logic means not gated by said MOVE signal and additional logic means gated by said MOVE signal in addition to said opposite move indIcation.

Claim 19

The peripheral device of claim 15 wherein said intermediate means includes first and second logic means, a MOVE input terminal in said device for receiving a command for a predetermined mechanical movement, said first logic means being jointly responsive to said MOVE command and to said intermediate operational indication to supply a first intermediate operational indication and second means for selectively generating another intermediate operational state indication independent of said MOVE command, and means for combining said intermediate operational indications.

Claim 20

The device set forth in claim 11 further including an initial status latch in said intermediate means indicating a status preparatory to signal processing operations, said intermediate means indicating the intermediate operational state when said latch is set to the active condition; control means resetting said latch upon detection of an error condition in said device or upon completion of said initial status.

Claim 21

The device set forth in claim 11 further including gating means receiving said third signal and responsive to one of said output signals being in an active signal state to block said third signal, control means actuating same to enable supplying said third signal at all times during said intermediate indication subject to priority of said one output signal whereby attention of a controlling unit is enabled without aborting said intermediate operational state.

Claim 22

A peripheral subsystem for a data processing system including a peripheral device capable of effecting predetermined mechanical movements selectively with corresponding electrical functions, means in the device for indicating operational states thereof with respect to said movements and functions, a controlling portion in said peripheral subsystem including a microprocessor and data flow circuit means; control means in said peripheral device for receiving and being responsive to MOVE and command signals from said controlling unit, a set of bus lines extending from the controlling unit to the device for transferring data signals thereacross and exchanging command signals whenever said command line is activated by the controlling unit; a pair of lines extending from the device to the controlling unit respectively for interruption and busy status transfer, said control logic means supplying said status signals to said lines; the improvement including in combination: intermediate operational state means in said device for indicating the existence of an intermediate operational state associated with said movements, oscillator means supplying timed signals, gating means jointly responsive to said intermediate operational state means and said oscillator means for supplying pulses to one of said lines extending from the device to the controlling unit, and said control means supplying steady-state signals over said lines for indicating status such that the pulses are superimposed on the steady-state signals for indicating the intermediate operational state.

Claim 23

A peripheral subsystem for a data processing system including a peripheral device capable of effecting predetermined mechanical movements selectively with corresponding electrical functions, means in the device for indicating operational states thereof with respect to said movements and functions, a controlling portion in said peripheral subsystem including a microprocessor and data flow circuit means; control means in said peripheral device for receiving and being responsive to MOVE and command signals from said controlling unit, a set of bus lines extending from the controlling unit to the device for transferring data signals thereacross and exchanging command signals whenever said command line is activated by the controlling unit; a pair of lines extending from the device to the controlling unit respectively for interruption and busy status transfer, said control logic means supplying said status signals to said lines; the improvement including in combination: intermediate operational state means in said device for indicating the existence of an intermediate operational state associated with said movements, oscillator means supplying timed signals, gating means jointly responsive to said intermediate operational state means and said oscillator means for supplying pulses to one of said lines extending from the device to the controlling unit, and said control means supplying steady-state signals over said lines for indicating status such that the pulses are superimposed on the steady-state signals for indicating the intermediate operational state.

Claim 24

The peripheral subsystem set forth in claim 19 wherein said device is a magnetic tape transport capable of transporting magnetic media in relative motion with respect to a transducer and said device further including read/record circuits responsive to said control means for effecting transducing operations with respect to said magnetic media, said data flow circuits in said controlling unit constituting signal-state changing circuits for changing format of signals between a data processing code and a storage code, the improvement further including: initial status means in said intermediate operational state means for indicating that a magnetic media is being loaded onto said tape transport and said initial status means being resettable by said interruption signal or a not ready to ready signal generated by said control logic, and said control logic sending a not busy state to saId controlling unit to avoid committing said device to said controlling unit during said media loading.

Claim 27

An interfacing system for a peripheral unit and a control unit, including first and second tag lines extending between said units for transferring status signals from the peripheral unit to said control unit, said peripheral unit having first operational states requiring no action by said control unit, second operational states requiring action by said control unit, and an intermediate operational state requiring no action by the control unit at least until cessation of such intermediate operational state, a pair of signal lines extending between said units for carrying control signals from said control unit to said peripheral unit, the improvement including in combination: first means in said peripheral unit for establishing first signal conditions on said tag lines, modulation means in said peripheral unit for modulating one of said first signal conditions on said tag lines for indicating said intermediate operational state, means intermediate said first and modulation means and said tag lines and responsive to one of said second operational states to supply a second signal condition in place of said one first signal condition and including means blocking said modulating signal condition in response to said second signal condition, means in said peripheral unit continuing said first or second operational state indicating signal conditions as said modulating signal condition is removed from said lines, and means in said control unit responsive to said signal conditions for indicating which operational state is present in said peripheral unit.

Claim 28

An interfacing system for a peripheral unit and a control unit, including first and second tag lines extending between said units for transferring status signals from the peripheral unit to said control unit, said peripheral unit having first operational states requiring no action by said control unit, second operational states requiring action by said control unit, and an intermediate operational state requiring no action by the control unit at least until cessation of such intermediate operational state, a pair of signal lines extending between said units for carrying control signals from said control unit to said peripheral unit, the improvement including in combination: first means in said peripheral unit for establishing first signal conditions on said tag lines, modulation means in said peripheral unit for modulating one of said first signal conditions on said tag lines for indicating said intermediate operational state, means intermediate said first and modulation means and said tag lines and responsive to one of said second operational states to supply a second signal condition in place of said one first signal condition and including means blocking said modulating signal condition in response to said second signal condition, means in said peripheral unit continuing said first or second operational state indicating signal conditions as said modulating signal condition is removed from said lines, and means in said control unit responsive to said signal conditions for indicating which operational state is present in said peripheral unit.

Claim 31

The method set forth in claim 23 wherein said continuous indication is a set of constant frequency square waves supplied through an OR circuit to said control unit, interrupting said continuous indication by supplying a constant-amplitude signal error through said OR circuit to said control unit such that the amplitude of the constant-amplitude signal is equal to the maximum amplitude of the pulsating signal such that the pulsating signal is erased, and causing the control unit to respond to the error indicating signal for stopping relative movement.