JP2000039993A - Device and method for replacing firmware - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and a method for firmware replacement which monitors operation started by new firmware at the time of firmware replacement and puts the firmware back to the original firmware automatically if abnormality of the operation is detected. SOLUTION: The new firmware and old firmware are stored in two areas whose addresses can be switched and the new firmware is monitored for a certain time after the new firmware is started by a timer 31 which clocks the monitor time wherein the operation at the start of the new firmware is monitored and system resetting performed in the case of fault occurrence. If trouble is detected, the addresses are switched to replace the new firmware with the old firmware.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for replacing firmware, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for replacing firmware that restores old firmware when a failure occurs in new firmware after the replacement. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a firmware replacement apparatus has a BOOT program for loading a file transferred from a higher-order apparatus from a writable nonvolatile memory and operating the firmware. At the time of firmware replacement, by replacing files in the writable nonvolatile memory,
The firmware was being replaced. In addition, two files are stored in the memory, and the address space on the memory is switched to perform online firmware replacement.

[0003]

However, such a conventional firmware replacement apparatus has a problem in that an error occurs when a new firmware file is transferred, or a new file has a defect, and so on. When a failure occurs during the operation of the firmware, it is difficult to recover the failure. The conventional firmware replacement device relies on a higher-level device for failure processing to determine if there is a means for dealing with a failure. If the fault that occurred is minor and the fault can be removed, for example, by remote operation from a higher-level device, the fault can be recovered even with a conventional device. However, if the new firmware is seriously defective and remote operation cannot be performed from a higher-level device, the failure cannot be eliminated. In such a case, someone must go to the place where the equipment is located and directly remove the failure, and the loss due to equipment inoperability such as time required for recovery from the failure, labor cost, etc. is enormous. Become. If the device is in a remote location, the damage will be even greater.

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention monitors the operation started by the new firmware when replacing the firmware, and automatically returns to the original firmware when an abnormality in the operation is detected. It is an object of the present invention to provide a firmware replacement device and a firmware replacement method that can be performed.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above objects, a firmware replacement apparatus according to the present invention is a monitoring means for monitoring firmware replacement and areas for storing new and old firmware, respectively. Storage means having two areas capable of switching the address space of the storage means; address monitoring means connected to the monitoring means and the storage means for switching the address space of the two areas according to an instruction of the monitoring means; and a monitoring time. A firmware replacement device having a clocking means for clocking. In the invention according to claim 2 of the present invention, the instruction of the monitoring means output from the monitoring means to the address switching means is generated when the monitoring means detects a new firmware failure. The firmware replacement device according to claim 1, which is a reset signal. Further, in the invention according to claim 3 of the present invention, the address switching means is a logical product of a signal indicating that the time keeping means is measuring a monitoring time and the reset signal, and 3. The firmware switching device according to claim 1, wherein the address switching circuit switches addresses of the two areas by using a signal indicating that the reset signal is generated while the monitoring time is being measured, and returns to the original firmware. It is characterized by being. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage means is the firmware replacement device according to the first, second, or third aspect, wherein the storage means is a flash memory. In the invention according to claim 5 of the present invention, the firmware replacement device further includes a monitoring unit that monitors replacement of a BOOT program, and an area that stores a new and an old BOOT program. A storage unit having two areas capable of switching the space, an address switching unit connected to the monitoring unit and the storage unit for switching the address space of the two regions in accordance with an instruction of the monitoring unit, and measuring a monitoring time. The firmware replacement device according to claim 1, further comprising a timer.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the firmware replacement method, a new area is provided for storing new and old firmware, and a new area is provided for one of two areas capable of switching the address space. Firmware replacement including a procedure for storing firmware, a procedure for monitoring the operation of the new firmware, and a procedure for restoring the firmware when a failure of the new firmware is detected by the monitoring. The method is characterized by: In the invention according to claim 7 of the present invention, the step of monitoring the operation of the new firmware includes activating a timer for measuring a predetermined time together with the start of the operation of the new firmware, and 7. The firmware replacement method according to claim 6, which is a procedure for monitoring that no failure occurs in the new firmware until the process is completed. In the invention according to claim 8 of the present invention, the procedure for restoring the firmware is a procedure for switching addresses of two areas respectively storing the new and old firmware. It is a method of replacing firmware.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in a computer-readable recording medium on which a firmware replacement program is recorded, an area for storing new and old firmware and an address space can be switched. Storing the new firmware in one of the two areas, monitoring the operation of the new firmware, and restoring the firmware when a failure of the new firmware is detected by the monitoring. And a computer-readable recording medium storing a firmware replacement program having the following steps:

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a firmware replacement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A firmware replacement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a means for monitoring the operation after firmware replacement and transmits the data via a CPU 10 for controlling the entire apparatus and an input terminal 60 connected to a higher-level apparatus. Non-volatile memory (FLASH) is a storage means for storing the firmware file
Memory) 20 and a switching circuit 30 provided with a timer 31 as time measuring means for measuring the monitoring time after the firmware replacement and an address switching circuit 32 as an address switching means for the FLASH memory 20, and the firmware is developed. It comprises a memory (RAM) 40, a non-volatile memory (ROM) 50 for storing a boot program and a diagnostic program for system startup, and a bus 60 for interconnecting these. In addition, bus 60
Is connected to a terminal 61 on the bus. The reset signal line 70 is connected to the CPU 10, the reset terminal 71, and the switching circuit 30.

The CPU 10 is a means for monitoring the operation after the firmware is replaced. The CPU 10 monitors new firmware and controls the entire apparatus. CPU10
Is connected via a terminal 61 on the bus to a higher-level device that issues a firmware replacement instruction or the like, and inputs an instruction from the higher-level device via the bus 60. In addition, FLA by bus 60
The SH memory 20, the RAM 40, and the ROM 50 are connected to monitor and control these operations. further,
The reset terminal 71 is connected to the reset signal line 70, and a reset signal issued by the CPU 10 is output to the switching circuit 30 via the reset signal line 70. Further, it is connected to the switching circuit 30 via a signal line 81 to issue a command.

The flash memory 20 has two areas 2
The address space can be switched by a switching circuit 30 which is divided into 1 and 22 and connected via a signal line 82.

The switching circuit 30 is connected to the CPU 10, the signal line 82 and the reset signal line 70,
0, and receives the FLA signal via the signal line 82.
The address space of the SH memory 20 is switched. The switching circuit 30 includes a CPU 1 input via a signal line 82.
A timer 31 for measuring a monitoring time in response to a command of 0, an output of the timer 31 for outputting a value other than 0 during the counting and an AND 33 for inputting a reset signal on a reset signal line 70;
And an address switching circuit 32 for switching the address space of the FLASH memory 20 according to the output of D33. When the timer value is set by the CPU 10, the timer 31 is decremented at a certain timing. After the timeout, the timer 31 is reset to an unset state and does not operate. AND 32 indicates that the timer 31 is counting time,
That is, when the output of the timer 31 is other than 0, when the reset signal is input via the reset signal line 70, 1 is output. When the output of the AND 32 becomes 1, that is, after the operation of the new firmware starts and before the monitoring time set in the timer 31 elapses, the address switching circuit 32 causes the CPU 10 to detect the failure of the new firmware. When a reset signal to be detected and issued is received, FL
The address space of the ASH memory 20 is switched, and the address where the operating firmware is stored is replaced with the address where the old firmware is stored. This allows
The working firmware is restored.

The RAM 40 is connected to other units via a bus 60, and firmware developed by a BOOT program operates on the RAM 40. ROM
Similarly, the bus 50 is connected to other units via a bus 60, and stores a BOOT program. The BOOT program stored in the ROM 50 is stored in the FLASH memory 2
After the firmware stored in the memory 21 with the lowest address of 0 is loaded and expanded in the RAM 40, the firmware is started.

Next, the operation of the firmware exchange apparatus and the firmware exchange method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts of the firmware replacement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart when a failure has not occurred in the new firmware, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart when a failure has occurred. The case where no failure has occurred in the new firmware will be described with reference to FIG.

The host device is connected to a higher-level device that issues a firmware replacement instruction or the like via a terminal 61 on the bus.
Input the instruction of the host device via When the new firmware is transferred from the higher-level device connected to the terminal 61, the CPU 10 sends the new firmware via the bus 60 according to the procedure programmed in the old firmware loaded on the RAM 40 at this time. The wear is stored in the memory 22 at the oldest address of the FLASH memory 20 (step A1). When new firmware is stored, C
The PU 10 sets a monitoring time for monitoring the operation of the new firmware in the timer 31 (Step A2). Thereby, the timer 31 of the switching circuit 30 starts measuring the monitoring time (step B1). Here, the timer 31
Has enough time to check the operation of the new file.

Subsequently, the CPU 10 sets the reset terminal 71
Issue a self-reset signal to reset the system. At this time, since the switching circuit 30 is counting the time of the timer, the condition of system reset during the timer is satisfied, and the address of the flash memory 20 is switched (step B2). Thus, the addresses of the FLASH memory 20 are arranged in the order of the memories 22 and 21. After the reset, the BOO stored in the ROM 50
The T program is started. The BOOT program is F
The new firmware file stored in the LASH memory 22 is loaded and expanded on the RAM 40 (step A3).

After that, the processing is shifted to the new firmware developed on the RAM 40. If the operation of the new firmware is normal, the timer 31 times out, and the failure monitoring of the new firmware ends (step B).
2). The timer 31 enters an unset state due to timeout, and even if a failure occurs and the system is reset (step A4), the address is not switched.

Next, a case where a failure occurs in new firmware will be described with reference to FIG. Timer 31
Is set (step A2), the address of the FLASH memory 20 is switched by the system reset (step B2), and the new firmware stored in the memory 22 is expanded in the RAM 40 (step A3), and the new firmware is updated. Up to the point where is started, the operation is the same as described above.

Thereafter, while the timer 31 is counting time, the CPU 1
When 0 detects a failure (step A4), the CPU 1
0 issues a system reset. By this system reset, the switching circuit 30 performs address switching (step B4), and the FLASH memory 20
Switching is performed in the order of 1 and 22. B stored in the ROM 50
According to the OOT program, the flash memory 2
0, that is, the old firmware is RAM
The operation is expanded to 40 and the operation with the old firmware is started.

If a failure occurs during the file transfer from the host device, the new firmware file will be FLAS
Since the timer 31 is stored in the H memory 22 and the timer 31 has not been set yet, even if a system reset occurs due to a failure, the BOOT program stored in the ROM 50 is
The old firmware stored in the lowest address file 21 of the LASH memory 20 is loaded and expanded on the RAM 40. Therefore, even in this case, it is possible to restore the firmware.

Further, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a firmware replacement device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the firmware replacement device shown in FIG. 4, the BOOT program storage unit 50 is a FLASH memory, and is divided into two areas 51 and 52 like the FLASH memory 20 for storing firmware. 90 allows the address space to be swapped. Further, the switching circuit 90 includes the switching circuit 30.
And has a timer for setting a monitoring time and an address switching circuit, and is connected to the CPU 10 and the reset signal line 70. At system reset, BO
The reset address where the OT program starts is FLASH
When the system is reset, the BOOT program stored in the memory 51 at the lowest address is activated.

The operation of the thus configured firmware replacement apparatus will be described. As in the case of replacing the firmware, the BOOT + diagnostic program is connected to the terminal 61
Is transferred from the higher-level device via the CPU 40, the CPU 10 operates the FL10 according to the firmware stored in the RAM 40.
The file is stored in the memory 52 of the ASH memory 50 at the oldest address. After the storage, the CPU 10
0 Set the internal timer and reset the system. By the system reset, the address switching condition of the switching circuit 90 is satisfied, and the new BO stored in the memory 52 is stored.
The OT program is started. Also, the switching circuit 90
If the BOOT program failure is detected while the timer is counting the monitoring time and a system reset is issued,
The switching of the FLASH memory 50 is performed again by the switching circuit 90, and the old BOOT program is started.

[0022]

As described above, according to the firmware replacement apparatus of the present invention, new firmware and old firmware are stored in two areas whose addresses can be switched, and the new firmware is activated when the new firmware is started. When a failure occurs, new firmware can be returned to the old firmware by a timer that measures a monitoring time for monitoring the operation of the device and a system reset issued when a failure occurs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a firmware replacement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a firmware replacement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a firmware replacement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a firmware replacement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 CPU 20 FLASH memory 21 FLASH memory (young address) 22 FLASH memory (old address) 30 switching circuit 31 timer 32 AND gate 33 address switching circuit 40 RAM 50 ROM 60 bus

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A firmware replacement device, comprising: monitoring means for monitoring firmware replacement; and storage means having two areas for storing new and old firmware, each of which is capable of switching between respective address spaces. A firmware replacement, comprising: an address switching unit connected to the monitoring unit and the storage unit for switching an address space between the two areas according to an instruction of the monitoring unit; and a timer unit for clocking a monitoring time. apparatus. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction from the monitoring unit output from the monitoring unit to the address switching unit is a reset signal generated when the monitoring unit detects a new firmware failure. The firmware replacement device according to claim 1. 3. The address switching unit according to claim 1, wherein the address switching unit is a logical product of a signal indicating that the clocking unit is measuring a monitoring time and the reset signal, and wherein the clocking unit resets the monitoring time while counting the monitoring time. 3. The firmware switching device according to claim 1, further comprising an address switching circuit that switches addresses of the two areas by a signal indicating that a signal has been generated and returns to an original firmware. 4. The firmware replacement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means is a flash memory. 5. The firmware replacement device further comprises: a monitoring unit for monitoring replacement of a BOOT program; and two areas for storing new and old BOOT programs, respectively, and capable of switching between respective address spaces. A storage device, the monitoring device, and an address switching device connected to the storage device for switching the address space between the two areas according to an instruction of the monitoring device, and a timing device for measuring a monitoring time. Item 10. The firmware replacement device according to Item 1. 6. A method for replacing firmware, wherein a new firmware is stored in one of two areas, each of which stores an old and a new firmware and whose address space can be switched, and the new firmware. A method of monitoring firmware operation, and a procedure of restoring firmware when a new firmware failure is detected by the monitoring. 7. The procedure for monitoring the operation of the new firmware includes activating a timer for measuring a predetermined time together with the start of the operation of the new firmware, and updating the new firmware until the clocking of the timer ends. 7. The firmware replacement method according to claim 6, wherein the method is a procedure for monitoring that no failure occurs. 8. The procedure for restoring the firmware is as follows:
8. The firmware swapping method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of switching addresses of two areas respectively storing the new and old firmware. 9. A computer-readable recording medium on which a firmware replacement program is recorded, wherein new firmware is stored in one of two areas in which new and old firmware are respectively stored and in which an address space can be switched. Storing, a procedure for monitoring the operation of the new firmware, and a procedure for restoring the firmware when a failure of the new firmware is detected by the monitoring. A computer-readable recording medium on which a replacement program is recorded.