Intel iapx 432 manual Peripheral Subsystem Interface Sofiware

iAPx 432 Interface Processor Architecture Reference Manual

To sunmar ize, the Attached Processor and the Interface Processor interact with each other by means of address references generated by the AP and interrupts generated by the IP. Since the Interface Processor respoms to memory references, other active Peripheral Subsystem agents (bus masters), such as ~ controllers, may obtain access to 432 system memory via the IP's windows.

PERIPHERAL SUBSYSTEM INTERFACE SOFIWARE

I/O CCNrroLIER

The Per ipheral Subsystem interface is managed by software, which this manual refers to as the I/O controller. The I/O controller executes on the Attached Processor and uses the facilities provided by the AP and the IP to control the flay of data between the 432 system and the Peripheral Subsystem.

432 hardware inposes 00 constraints on the structure of the I/O

controller. Tb help simplify software organization and modification, implementors may wish to consider organizing it as a collection of tasks running under the control of a multitasking

operating system (such as iRMX-80™, iRMX-88™, or

iRMX-86'lM) • This type of organization supports asynchronous message-based conmunication within the I/O controller, similar to the 432' s intr insic interprocess oommunication facility. Extending this approach to the device task as well results in a consistent, system-wide conmunication nndel. Havever, corrmunication within the I/O controller am between the I/O controller am device tasks, is

oqrnpletely application-defined. It may also be ~lemented via synchronous procedure calis, with "messages" being passed in the form of parameters.

However it is structured, the I/O controller interacts with the 432 system through facilities provided by the Interface Processor.

There are three of these facilities: execution environments, windows, am fuoctions.

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