Abstract:
Data conversion circuits with optimized common hardware convert numbers expressed in a first radix C to other radices m1, m2, etc., with the mode of operation being controlled to establish a radix C to radix m1 conversion in one mode, a radix C to radix m2 conversion in another mode, etc., on a selective basis, as desired. In a first embodiment, numbers represented in a binary (base 2) radix C are converted to a base 10 (m1) or base 12(m2) representation. In a second embodiment, numbers stored in a ternary (base 3) radix C representation are converted to a base 12 (m1) or base 10 (m2) representation. The circuits are predicated upon recognition of the fact that a number represented in a first radix can be converted readily to a second radix using shared hardware if the following equation is satisfied:
Abstract:
The invention concerns a computer system with the usual input and output devices, arithmetic facilities, clocking facilities, associated control logic and incorporating memory facilities, such as a core memory, arranged in a centralized manner with respect to the other facilities of the system, and having uniquely arranged instruction and data accessing control circuitry for establishing a more efficient utilization of hardware. Basically, the core memory is arranged in a conventional manner as far as reading, writing, and transferring of data is concerned, but beyond this, has particular addressable areas designated Special Addresses for facilitating the processing of both instructions and data with a minimum amount of external hardware. The system operates with only a single address register for accessing both instruction and operand information. In a usual case, an operand is accessed and placed in the special address section of memory by using the addressing facilities. Thereafter, another operand is accessed and the operation required is performed with one operand in the special address section accessed by implied addressing, rather than accessing by the conventional addressing facilities. The foregoing arrangement requires a somewhat longer processing interval, but permits the satisfactory accomplishment of all processing required by the use of a unitary essentially single addressing facility. The system is considered to be memory-centered since the memory is involved in practically all of the operations performed in the system. Thus, for example, the memory is used in storage of data and instructions, contains index registers and input/output data address, input/output length counts, editing formats, command key conditions, and various special words required during processing of information. The system operates according to predetermined clocking intervals during which the accessing of instructions, data, input/output transfers, etc. are performed, and in connection with the memory-centered aspect of the system, the clocking circuits are arranged for permutation in order that only a single operand or a pair of operands may be accessed, as circumstances may require. The system incorporates various counting means associated with the aforementioned primary addressing facilities to control the reading and writing of information both directly, sequentially, and sequentially within a selected block of information. The latter is particularly advantageous in operations requiring a repetitive accessing of selected areas of memory, such as during certain arithmetic operations, recomplementing, Multiply operations, and so on.