System and method for providing a real-time programmable interface to a general-purpose non-real-time computing system

摘要

A system and method providing read-time external signals to and from a gaming application executing within a platform independent programming environment on a computing system. The system has an input packet queue located within a block of system RAM, a main processing module, and an intelligent I/O interface module all coupled to the main system bus. The system generates an input signal data packet in response to a change in state of one or more external signals. The intelligent I/O interface module itself includes a control processor, an plurality of external signal interfaces, and a dual-port RAM. The control processor generates and stores the input signal data packet within the dual-port RAM before asserting an interrupt signal to the main processing module. Finally, the interrupt signal causes the main processing module to transfer the input signal data packet from the dual-port RAM to the input packet queue. The main processing system retrieves the input signal data packets from the input queue by continually polling the queue and processing the packets in the order received.