Apparatus for facilitating a cooperation between an executive computer and a reserve computer

摘要

In a twin computer system a two computers are timed by a common clock generator of clock pulses and are connected to each other by a cable which introduces a time delay greater than a clock pulse period. The computers process in parallel units of data from a plurality of operational units with the first of the computers being the executive computer and the second the reserve computer. The computers are identical and each includes both a first function unit and a second function unit interconnected by a bus system including order and data buses. In addition to the computers and clock generator there is apparatus for initiating the operation of both computers in a given sequence and timing by starting the first computer to process data, and then starting the second computer to process data a given period of time after the starting of the first computer, and actively connecting unidirectionally via the cable the data bus of the first computer to the data bus of the second computer for a certain length of time whereby units of data being transferred from the first function unit of the first computer to the second function unit of the first computer are also transferred to the second function unit of the second computer which correspond to said second function unit of the first computer so that the second computer is initially loaded with data being processed by the first computer. The given period of time the second computer is started after the first computer is substantially equal to the time required to transfer signals representing data from the data bus of the first computer to the data bus of the second computer.