PRIORITY ARBITRATION CIRCUIT FOR PROCESSOR ACCESS

摘要

A personal computer is disclosed having a microprocessor RESET/HOLD arbitration circuit and logic. The RESET/HOLD arbitration circuit requires a RESET signal to wait until any pending microprocessor "HOLD" is serviced or in the alternative and in the event the "RESET" signal is being processed causes the microprocessor "HOLD" signal to wait. The priority arbitration circuit and logic is essential to the proper operation of the 80386 microprocessor particularly in shifting from the "protected" mode of the microprocessor to the "real" mode of the microprocessor, since many third party application programs require the use of the microprocessor "protected" mode and require that the microprocessor be "reset" before returning to the "real" mode. The microprocessor "reset" must be accomplished by resetting the microprocessor without resetting the entire machine and without losing a HOLD request during the RESET. The computer system must also be capable of retaining a RESET request while either a DMA or REFRESH cycle is processed.