Kenneth D Howell

US Patent:

53880609, Feb 7, 1995

Filed:

Dec 15, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/991358

Inventors:

James R. Adams - Westminster CO
Kenneth L. Howell - Broomfield CO

Assignee:

Storage Technology Corporation - Louisville CO

International Classification:

G06F 1560

US Classification:

364579

Abstract:

A programmable channel emulator is disclosed which exercises a control unit to which it is attached to detect timing problems or error conditions in the control unit. A plurality of channel emulators can be concurrently operated in order to exercise the control unit in a multiple channel environment. The operation of the plurality of channel emulators is synchronized and controlled by a shared processor in order to emulate possible multiple channel situations that the channel control unit could encounter. Included in this system is a programmable delay circuit that operates under software control to provide a precisely controlled delay between receipt and transmission of signals between each emulator and a connected channel.