JPH0728651A - Input/output terminal controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the time required to start up a system and to improve the performance by employing a new code when firmware is transferred to a RAM. CONSTITUTION:A nonvolatile memory 16 in incorporated in the device and firmware data arriving from a host computer are written in a RAM area 13 and the nonvolatile memory 16 in the device. When the power source is turned ON, part of firmware data arriving from the host computer is compared with the firmware data saved in the nonvolatile memory 16 and the data are loaded from the nonvolatile memory 16 to the RAM area 13 on condition that they match each other. When they are different, on the other hand, the latest firmware data are transferred to the RAM 13 and executed it to smoothly start up an input/output device including the controller.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input / output terminal control device connected to a host computer via a communication line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, data processing has become more decentralized, and there are many opportunities to realize some of the processing functions of a host computer with an input / output terminal device. The input / output terminal device in this case may be a distributed processing computer or may be a simple input / output device. Conventionally, an input / output terminal device connected to a host computer has been
It had firmware in the built-in ROM and controlled the input / output device connected according to the firmware (Example 1). Alternatively, the firmware for controlling the input / output device from the host computer is loaded into the RAM area in the input / output terminal device, and the control is switched from the ROM to the RAM firmware for control (Example 2).

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional example, in the case of Example 1, versatility is lacking, and rewriting of the ROM frequently occurs due to addition or change of specifications. In addition, in the case of Example 2, the versatility is excellent, but the control device is powered off (OFF).
As a result, the data in the RAM area is erased. Therefore, it is necessary to instruct the host computer to load the firmware each time the power is turned on and perform the loading operation each time. In addition, the larger the amount of firmware, the more time it takes to load the firmware, and the more time the device including the control device becomes usable. This phenomenon is particularly remarkable when connected using a communication line.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has a non-volatile memory in the apparatus, and when transferring the firmware to the RAM, the new protocol is incorporated to shorten the time required for system startup, An object is to provide an input / output terminal control device with improved performance.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in an input / output terminal device connected to a host computer via a communication line, a firmware data transmission request is issued to the host computer so that the firmware data arrives. A ROM in which a program for waiting is stored, a nonvolatile external memory in which firmware data loaded from a host computer is temporarily stored, and a RAM in which firmware data obtained via the host computer or the nonvolatile external memory is stored. A processor unit that executes the firmware stored in the ROM and the RAM, checks the contents stored in the RAM when updating the RAM firmware, transfers the latest firmware to the RAM, and controls the terminal device. To Characterized in that it Bei. Further, according to the present invention, the attribute information attached to the firmware transfer command obtained from the host computer is compared with the attribute information of the firmware stored in the disk device, a new one is loaded as the firmware data into the RAM, and this is executed Is characterized by.

[0006]

In the input / output terminal device of the present invention, a non-volatile memory such as a disk device is built in the device, and a means for writing the firmware data from the host computer into the RAM area and the non-volatile memory in the device is provided. When turned on, a part of the firmware data from the host computer is compared with the firmware data saved in the non-volatile memory, and only when they are the same, the non-volatile memory is loaded into the RAM area. If it is different, RA is updated with the latest firmware data.
By transferring it to M and executing it, the input / output device including the controller can be started up smoothly. As a result, when firmware is loaded on an input / output terminal device connected by a communication line, or when large-capacity firmware data is loaded on the device, the firmware must be temporarily saved in a non-volatile memory such as a disk device. As a result, the subsequent startup time of the input / output terminal device can be extremely reduced, and the startup of the device becomes smooth.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 11 is a host interface circuit, which is composed of hardware logic such as a driver and a receiver necessary for connection with a host computer. Reference numeral 12 is a ROM, which stores a group of necessary instructions for loading firmware from the host computer. Reference numeral 13 denotes a RAM, which is a memory area for storing firmware instructions coming from the host computer and also firmware data from a disk device 16 described later, and finally input / output by a program stored in this area. The device is controlled.

Reference numeral 14 is a processor unit (CPU)
That is, the firmware stored in the ROM 12, the RAM 13, etc. is executed. Reference numeral 15 denotes a disk interface device (DISK control I / F), which controls the disk device 16 under the control of the processor unit 14, and is composed of a hardware circuit controlled by the processor unit 14. Reference numeral 17 denotes an input / output control interface circuit (input / output control I / F), which is composed of hardware logic for controlling various input / output devices such as a printer and a scanner.

2 to 5 are diagrams showing formats of data or commands used in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the format of attention data issued from the device of the present invention to the host computer. In the figure, reference numeral 21 is an attention status, which indicates a format for returning to the computer, and is composed of an operation code (OP) and an attention code.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the data format of the firmware transfer command 1. In the figure, reference numeral 3
1 is an operation code (OP), which is an instruction code used for interaction with the host computer. Code 3
2 is length data (LNG) and indicates the effective number of data that follows. Reference numeral 33 is save information (SaveInf.)
It is information for clarifying the utilization of the firmware data. Reference numeral 34 is a loading start address, which defines an address to be stored in the RAM area 13. Reference numeral 35 is a firmware start address, where an entry address of the firmware data loaded in the RAM 13 is defined. Reference numeral 36 is firmware information (FWInf.), Which includes a date of firmware creation, a firmware revision number, and the like, and here, attribute information of the firmware to be transferred is defined.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the data format of the firmware transfer command 2. In the figure, reference numeral 4
Reference numeral 1 is an operation code (OP), and reference numeral 42 is a condition code (CC), which indicates the continuity of firmware data (presence or absence of subsequent firmware data). Reference numeral 43 is length data (LNG), which indicates the data length of the firmware in this command. Reference numeral 44 is firmware data, RAM area 1
2 and data saved in the disk device 16.

FIG. 5 shows the firmware transfer command 1,
It is a figure which shows the format of the execution status of 2. In the figure, reference numeral 51 is an operation code (OP), which is a flag indicating the execution status of the firmware transfer 1 command shown in FIG. 3 and the firmware transfer command 2 shown in FIG. Reference numeral 52 is an execution status (RC), and the execution results of the firmware transfer commands 1 and 2 are set.

6 and 7 are flow charts showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 61 is a step for issuing a power-on attention. When the controller is turned on, a firmware request attention is issued to the host computer.

Reference numeral 62 is a firmware transfer command 1
When receiving this command from the host computer, the loading address to the RAM area 13 is set in the hardware.

Reference numeral 63 is a firmware transfer command 1
This is a step of checking the save information of the item, the contents are checked here, and the process according to the contents is executed.
Reference numeral 64 is a step of receiving the firmware transfer command 2, and transfers or counts the number of transfer data according to the storage address in the RAM area 13.

Reference numeral 65 denotes a step of saving data in the disk device 16, which performs each process according to the save information and determines whether or not to save. Further, in FIG. 7, reference numeral 71 is a step of storing the firmware data in the disk device 16, determines save information, compares the firmware information 36 which is a parameter of the firmware transfer command 1, and stores the data in the disk device 16. Stores firmware data.

Reference numeral 72 is a step of loading disk device data, which loads the firmware data read from the disk device 16 into the RAM area 13.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
Will be described in detail with reference to. First, when the power of the controller is turned on, the processor unit 14 starts communication with the host computer via the host interface circuit according to the firmware stored in the ROM 12.

When the host computer determines that communication is possible, it issues a firmware request attention to the host computer and holds the firmware data from the host computer.

When the firmware transfer command 1 having the format shown in FIG. 3 is received from the host computer, the loading address to the RAM area 13 is read and set in the hardware. After setting, the save information 33 is checked.

When data is transferred from the host computer to the RAM area, the execution status of the firmware transfer command 1 is a continuation end notification among the return statuses shown in FIG. 5, and in the case of transfer from the disk device 16 or the disk. If the contents of the device 16 are new, the process ends, and the transfer operation ends.

When loading the data from the host computer, the firmware transfer command 2 is awaited, and when this is received, the RAM area 13 is sequentially loaded, and the loading counter is updated to store the data length of the firmware transfer. .

When the firmware transfer is completed, reference numeral 5
The execution status indicated by 1 is notified, new continuous firmware data is received from the host computer, and the processing is repeated until the end. In the case of termination, the execution status is notified in the termination form “00”.

After the transfer is completed, it is judged from the save information 33 whether or not to save to the disk device 16, and whether or not to update the save firmware data in the disk device 16 is checked.

In the case of updating, as shown in step 71, after saving various necessary data and firmware in the disk device 16, the execution is started from the firmware start address of the RAM area 13, and the RAM firmware is executed.

At this time, in order to notify the host computer that the controller can be executed, the firmware ready tension is notified in the format shown in FIG.

From this notification, it can be seen that the host computer can be used for the loaded device. On the other hand, the save information is checked and the disk device 1
In case of firmware transfer from 6, step 72
Data from the disk device 16 in order
Writing from the loading start address in the AM area 13 is repeated until the firmware loading counter reaches "0".

When this counter reaches "0", the loading from the disk device 16 is completed, the operation moves to the execution address of the RAM area saved in the disk, and the firmware ready attention is transmitted to the host computer. Notify that it is available.

When the firmware data from the host computer is compared with the contents of the disk device 16, the firmware information 36 which is a parameter of the firmware transfer command 1 is used.

As described above, the contents of the firmware information 36 include the date of firmware creation, the firmware revision, and other information, and the comparison is made with the firmware information saved in the disk device 16.

Here, a new one is preferentially selected and loaded for the date or the revision. In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the disk device is used as the medium for storing the firmware, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the IC card memory, floppy disk, etc. can be turned off. If there is a storage medium, it can be used similarly.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the firmware is loaded by the input / output terminal device or the like connected through the communication line, and when the firmware data having a large capacity is loaded into the device, By temporarily saving the loaded firmware data in the disk device, the subsequent start-up time of the input / output device can be extremely reduced, thereby improving the performance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of attention status used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a format of a firmware transfer command 1 used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a format of a firmware transfer command 2 used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a format of execution status of firmware transfer commands 1 and 2 used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Host interface circuit, 12 ... ROM, 13
... RAM, 14 ... Processor unit (CPU), 15
... Disk control interface circuit (DISK
Control I / F), 16 ... Disk device, 17 ... Input / output control interface circuit (input / output control I / F), 21 ... Attention status.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An input / output terminal device connected to a host computer via a communication line, and a ROM storing a program for issuing a firmware data transmission request to the host computer and waiting for the arrival of the firmware data. , A non-volatile external memory in which the firmware data loaded from the host computer is once stored, a RAM in which the firmware data obtained via the host computer or the non-volatile external memory is stored, and a ROM and the firmware stored in the RAM. In addition to executing, RAM processor is provided with a processor unit for performing update check of the contents stored in the RAM when executing the firmware and transferring the latest firmware to the RAM to control the terminal device. Power terminal controller. 2. Comparing the attribute information attached to the firmware transfer command obtained from the host computer with the attribute information of the firmware stored in the disk device, loading a new one into the RAM as firmware data, and executing it. The input / output terminal control device according to claim 1.