Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
226 words
In a magnetic tape data processing system including a central processor, a plurality of magnetic tape units and a control unit of the type having: a first control memory having micro orders stored at addressable locations for controlling the operation of said magnetic tape units, an address register for addressing said locations, logic circuitry for interpreting said micro orders, for providing control signals to said magnetic tape units, for receiving responses from said magnetic tape units, and for setting said address register to address said memory, and a data bus connecting said logic circuitry to said magnetic tape units, said address register, said memory and said logic circuitry being interconnected to send control signals resulting from the decoding and interpretation of micro orders to tape units in response to commands from said central processor, an improved diagnostic facility comprising: a second random access read/write memory connected in parallel with said first memory, a loader connected between said data bus and said second random access read/write memory for transferring diagnostic micro orders from a magnetic tape unit into said second memory, said loader including: majority circuitry providing a highly redundant independent data path, not used for normal data transfer through said logic circuitry, between the magnetic tape units and said second memory whereby said loader is functionally independent of malfunctions in the tape units and/or control unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
226 words
In a magnetic tape data processing system including a central processor, a plurality of magnetic tape units and a control unit of the type having: a first control memory having micro orders stored at addressable locations for controlling the operation of said magnetic tape units, an address register for addressing said locations, logic circuitry for interpreting said micro orders, for providing control signals to said magnetic tape units, for receiving responses from said magnetic tape units, and for setting said address register to address said memory, and a data bus connecting said logic circuitry to said magnetic tape units, said address register, said memory and said logic circuitry being interconnected to send control signals resulting from the decoding and interpretation of micro orders to tape units in response to commands from said central processor, an improved diagnostic facility comprising: a second random access read/write memory connected in parallel with said first memory, a loader connected between said data bus and said second random access read/write memory for transferring diagnostic micro orders from a magnetic tape unit into said second memory, said loader including: majority circuitry providing a highly redundant independent data path, not used for normal data transfer through said logic circuitry, between the magnetic tape units and said second memory whereby said loader is functionally independent of malfunctions in the tape units and/or control unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
145 words
The system recited in claim 1 wherein said magnetic tape units each hAve read heads producing parallel outputs representing the information recorded on parallel data tracks of a magnetic tape, wherein said parallel outputs are applied to said data bus which connects said parallel outputs to said logic circuitry, and wherein said data path between said magnetic tape units and said second memory comprises: amplitude sensors connected to said data bus, said amplitude sensors producing an output when the associated read heads are reading recorded data, the outputs of said amplitude sensors being connected to said majority circuitry, said majority circuitry producing an output when a majority of said amplitude sensors are producing an output, the output of said majority circuitry being connected to said second memory to transfer said diagnostic micro orders from said one of said magnetic tape units to said second memory.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system recited in claim 2 wherein said amplitude sensors are further used to detect ones and zeros for reading data into said second memory directly rather than through the relatively complicated normal read detection circuits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system recited in claim 3 wherein said: amplitude sensors are further used for detecting the signals from the tape timing tracks so that the same tape can be read on any drive independent of speed or density.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system recited in claim 1 wherein said control unit transfers microprogram control back and forth between said first memory and said second memory.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system recited in claim 1 wherein said control unit includes a micro order branch and decode system activated from said second memory so that a subsystem including said control unit and at least one magnetic tape unit is operated for diagnostic and maintenance purposes.