公开(公告)号：US5623494A

公开(公告)日：1997-04-22

申请号：US472475

申请日：1995-06-07

申请人： Michael D. Rostoker ,  Sushant Verman ,  Richard Egan ,  Jerry E. Chow

发明人： Michael D. Rostoker ,  Sushant Verman ,  Richard Egan ,  Jerry E. Chow

IPC分类号： H04L12/56 ,  H04Q11/04 ,  H04U3/08

CPC分类号： H04Q11/0478 ,  H04L2012/5615 ,  H04L2012/5616

摘要： A system of the invention connects an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) data network to a plurality of host units. The data network transfers data in the form of ATM cells. A plurality of ATM termination units are connected between the network and the host units respectively. Each termination unit includes a virtual channel memory for storing ATM cells; a processor for segmenting and reassembling the ATM cells stored in the memory; a network interface for transferring ATM cells including segmented Conversion Sublayer Payload Data Units (CS-PDU)s between the memory, the processor and an ATM network; and a host interface for transferring unsegmented CS-PDUs between the memory, the processor and a host unit. The processor of each termination unit includes a computing unit, and a programmable instruction memory for storing a program for controlling the computing unit. The system further includes an Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) system for distributing interrupts from the network to the host units. The APIC system includes a plurality of local units for prioritizing and passing interrupts to the termination units respectively; and an Input/Output (I/O) unit for receiving interrupts from the network, determining to which host units interrupts are addressed, and feeding interrupts to local units corresponding to host units to which interrupts are addressed. Termination units and corresponding APIC local units may be formed on a single integrated circuit chip, and the chip may include ATM I/O units and/or processors constituting the host.

摘要翻译： 本发明的系统将异步传输模式（ATM）数据网络连接到多个主机单元。 数据网络以ATM信元的形式传输数据。 多个ATM终端单元分别连接在网络和主机单元之间。 每个终端单元包括用于存储ATM信元的虚拟通道存储器; 用于分割和重组存储在存储器中的ATM信元的处理器; 用于在存储器，处理器和ATM网络之间传送包括分段转换子层有效载荷数据单元（CS-PDU）的ATM信元的网络接口; 以及用于在存储器，处理器和主机单元之间传送未分段的CS-PDU的主机接口。 每个终端单元的处理器包括计算单元和用于存储用于控制计算单元的程序的可编程指令存储器。 该系统还包括用于将中断从网络分发到主机单元的高级可编程中断控制器（APIC）系统。 APIC系统包括多个本地单元，用于分别优先排序并将中断传递给终端单元; 以及用于从网络接收中断的输入/输出（I / O）单元，确定哪个主机单元中断被寻址，以及将中断馈送给对应于中断被寻址的主机单元的本地单元。 终端单元和对应的APIC本地单元可以形成在单个集成电路芯片上，并且芯片可以包括构成主机的ATM I / O单元和/或处理器。