Discrete controller

Claim 2

A discrete controller for interfacing between a computer and a plurality of discrete devices, said discrete controller comprising: a plurality of line drive cards each interfacing with a respective plurality of computer-switchable discrete devices; a plurality of line receiver cards each interfacing with a respective plurality of signal-generating discrete devices; a control module interfacing between said computer and said line driver and line receiver cards; wherein said line receiver cards each comprise: means responsive to sampling by the computer of the signals from said plurality of signal generating discrete devices; register means for storing the signals obtained during each sampling of said sampling means; comparator means for comparing the signals obtained by said sampling means during each sampling with the signals stored in said register during the preceding sampling; interrupt request means operable to generate an interrupt request to said computer in response to an inequality signal from said comparator means; and means responsive to acknowledgment of said interrupt request by said computer to transfer data from said signal-generating discrete devices to said computer.

Claim 3

A discrete controller for interfacing between a computer and a plurality of discrete devices, said discrete controller comprising: a plurality of line drive cards each interfacing with a respective plurality of computer-switchable discrete devices; a plurality of line receiver cards each interfacing with a respective plurality of signal-generating discrete devices; a control module interfacing between said computer and said line driver and line receiver cards; wherein said line driver cards each comprise: a plurality of flip-flops each having two inputs and an output; a common conductor connected to one input of each of said flip-flops on a given line driver card; common connecting means connecting the other input of each of said flip-flops to the corresponding inputs of the corresponding flip-flops on all of said line driver cards and to said computer; output means connecting the output of each of said flip-flops to drive a respective computer-controlled discrete device; and gating means connected to receive decoded address designations and responsive to a particular address designation to pass a signal to said flip-flops via said common conductor.

Claim 4

A discrete controller for interfacing between a computer and a plurality of discrete devices, said discrete controller comprising: a plurality of line drive cards each interfacing with a respective plurality of computer-switchable discrete devices; a plurality of line receiver cards each interfacing with a respective plurality of signal-generating discrete devices; a control module interfacing between said computer and said line driver and line receiver cards; wherein said line driver cards each comprise: a plurality of flip-flops each having two inputs and an output; a common conductor connected to one input of each of said flip-flops on a given line driver card; common connecting means connecting the other input of each of said flip-flops to the corresponding inputs of the corresponding flip-flops on all of said line driver cards and to said computer; output means connecting the output of each of said flip-flops to drive a respective computer-controlled discrete device; and gating means connected to receive decoded address designations and responsive to a particular address designation to pass a signal to said flip-flops via said common conductor.

Claim 5

A discrete controller for interfacing between a computer and a plurality of discrete devices, said discrete controller comprising: a plurality of line driver cards each comprising: a plurality of flip-flops each having two inputs and an output; a common conductor connected to one input of each of said flip-flops on a given line driver card; common connecting means connecting the other input of each of said flip-flops to the corresponding inputs of the corresponding flip-flops on all of said line driver cards and to said computer; output means connecting the output of each of said flip-flops to drive a respective computer-controlled discrete device; and gating means connected to receive decoded address designations and responsive to a particular address designation to pass a signal to said flip-flops via said common conductor; a plurality of line receiver cards each comprising: means responsive to sampling by the computer of the signals from a plurality of signal-generating discrete devices; register means for storing the signals obtained during each sampling of said sampling means; comparator means for comparing the signals obtained by said sampling means during each sampling with the signals stored in said register during the preceding sampling; inTerrupt request means operable to generate an interrupt request to said computer in response to an inequality signal from said comparator means; means responsive to acknowledgment of said interrupt request by said computer to transfer data from said signal-generating discrete devices to said computer; and a control module interfacing between said computer and said line driver and line receiver cards, said control module comprising: a counter connected to receive command words from said computer; a decoder connected to sequentially receive said command words from said counter as said counter is clocked and serving to decode the address designations of a particular discrete device to be involved in a data transfer with said computer and to apply a signal to the appropriate one of said line driver or line receiver cards to couple said particular discrete device to said computer.

Claim 6

A discrete controller for interfacing between a computer and a plurality of discrete devices, said discrete controller comprising: a plurality of line driver cards each comprising: a plurality of flip-flops each having two inputs and an output; a common conductor connected to one input of each of said flip-flops on a given line driver card; common connecting means connecting the other input of each of said flip-flops to the corresponding inputs of the corresponding flip-flops on all of said line driver cards and to said computer; output means connecting the output of each of said flip-flops to drive a respective computer-controlled discrete device; and gating means connected to receive decoded address designations and responsive to a particular address designation to pass a signal to said flip-flops via said common conductor; a plurality of line receiver cards each comprising: means responsive to sampling by the computer of the signals from a plurality of signal-generating discrete devices; register means for storing the signals obtained during each sampling of said sampling means; comparator means for comparing the signals obtained by said sampling means during each sampling with the signals stored in said register during the preceding sampling; inTerrupt request means operable to generate an interrupt request to said computer in response to an inequality signal from said comparator means; means responsive to acknowledgment of said interrupt request by said computer to transfer data from said signal-generating discrete devices to said computer; and a control module interfacing between said computer and said line driver and line receiver cards, said control module comprising: a counter connected to receive command words from said computer; a decoder connected to sequentially receive said command words from said counter as said counter is clocked and serving to decode the address designations of a particular discrete device to be involved in a data transfer with said computer and to apply a signal to the appropriate one of said line driver or line receiver cards to couple said particular discrete device to said computer.

Claim 7

The device of claim 3 wherein: said decoder applies its signals to said gating means on said line driver cards and to said responsive means on said line receiver cards.

Claim 8

The device of claim 3 wherein: each of said line driver cards interfaces with up to sixteen computer-controlled discrete devices.

Claim 9

The device of claim 3 wherein: each of said line receiver cards interfaces with up to sixteen signal-generating discrete devices.

Claim 10

The device of claim 3 wherein: said plurality of line driver cards is up to 128.

Claim 11

The device of claim 3 wherein: said plurality of line receiver cards is up to 128.

Claim 12

The device of claim 3 wherein: said plurality of line driver cards is up to 128; said plurality of line receiver cards is up to 128; and each of said line driver and line receiver cards interfaces with up to sixteen respective discrete devices.