Data input and output controller

TL;DR: In this article, an input/output controller for an information processing system comprising a main memory, a central processing unit, a peripheral controller and a plurality of peripheral units coupled to the central processing units is disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed an input/output controller for an information processing system comprising a main memory, a central processing unit, a peripheral controller and a plurality of peripheral units coupled to the central processing unit. In particular, the input/output controller comprises a plurality of physical channels disposed between the peripheral controller and the central processing unit, a plurality of logical channels for transmitting information with the central processing unit, and each uniquely associated with one of the peripheral units. The main memory stores a first table including a physical channel entry containing informaton relative to the plurality of physical channels and a second table including a logical channel entry containing information relative to the plurality of peripheral units. Further, there is included means for storing a channel control program to be executed by the input/output control system for selectively transferring data between the main memory and the peripheral controller by first connecting the input/output control system to a logical channel entry and placing the identified logical channel table into the means for storing for a subsequent execution.