The IMP is a very large-scale integration (VLSI) device incorporating the main building blocks needed for the design of a wide variety of controllers. The device is especially suitable to applications in the communications industry. The IMP is the first device to offer the benefits of a closely coupled, industry-standard, TS68000/TS68008 microprocessor core and a flexible communications architecture. This multichannel communications device may be configured to support a number of popular industry interfaces, including those for the integrated services digital network (ISDN) basic rate and terminal adapter applications. Through a combination of architectural and programmable features, concurrent operation of different protocols is easily achieved using the IMP. Data concentrators, line cards, bridges, and gateways are examples of suitable applications for this versatile device. The IMP is a high-density complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (HCMOS) device consisting of a TS68000/TS68008 microprocessor core, a system integration block (SIB), and a communications processor (CP). The TS68302 block diagram is shown in Figure 1.