JP2000207288A - System for detecting data discrepancy of memory card and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a data discrepancy detection system for a memory card, which can specify the moment an error occurs to the memory card and find a wrong place by making a display part lit, when the number of discrepancies in an area is 1 or larger and lit off when 0. SOLUTION: A monitor unit 1 refers to a state register 32 and a state register 42 to find whether or not a memory card 31, and a memory card 41 are loaded. When they are both loaded, a read address is confirmed and one byte is read out of the memory card 31 and the memory card 41. The read data are compared with each other to decide whether they match each other. When they do not, the number of discrepant data is counted and the lamps of a display part 35 and a display part 45 are turned on. When there are no discrepant data, the lamps of the display parts 35 and 45 are turned off. Consequently, if an error occurs between the memory cards 31 and 41, it can be immediately recognized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a detection method and a detection method for detecting data inconsistency in a memory card, and more particularly to a data stored in a memory card which is incorporated in a mobile communication base station apparatus and stores a radio unit program and system parameters. The present invention relates to a detection method for detecting a mismatch and a method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus accommodating a plurality of units having the same function does not store programs and system parameter data used by the units in a read-only memory for each unit. A method is adopted in which the program and system parameters are stored in a common memory and the program and system parameters are transferred from the common memory when the unit is started. A memory card is widely used as a common memory of the device.

[0003] In general, devices constituting an infrastructure system duplicate units indispensable for the operation of the system among the units accommodated so that the operation of the system can be maintained even if a failure occurs. For this reason, two memory units for storing programs and system parameters are also accommodated, but the contents of these memories must always be the same.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a conventional mobile communication base station apparatus. The monitoring unit 1 has a function of managing units in the apparatus and reporting a state change to a higher-level apparatus. TRX unit (wireless unit) 5
0 to 59 each have a wireless interface, and perform processing independently. The memory unit 3 includes the monitoring unit 1
And a memory card 31 storing programs and system parameters of the TRX units 50 to 59,
Status register 32 that summarizes the status of the memory unit
And The status register 32 is means for the monitoring unit 1 to refer to the status of the memory unit 3, and also takes in the mounting status of the memory card 31 from the input terminal 33. The memory unit 4 has the same configuration as the memory unit 3, and includes a memory card 41 and a status register 42.
And Memory unit 3 and memory unit 4
Have the same function and take a redundant configuration. The memory unit 3 acquires the state of the memory unit 4 from the input terminal 34, and the memory unit 4 acquires the state of the memory unit 3 from the input terminal 44, and either the memory unit 3 or the memory unit 4 becomes the active system. Control. When the monitoring unit 1 starts operation, the monitoring unit 1 reads a program and system parameters from the active one of the memory card 3 and the memory card 4 and starts up. Also, when the TRX units 50 to 59 start operation, the memory card 3
Alternatively, a program and system parameters are read from the active one of the memory cards 4 and activated.

[0005]

However, this prior art has the following problems.

The first problem is that if an error occurs in the data on the memory card for some reason, the operator cannot know the error. As a result, erroneous data may be transferred when the unit starts up, and the unit may not start up normally. Also, if the data in both memory cards are mistaken at the same time, if the unit is reset without knowing the fact, the operation cannot be restarted even if the operation / standby of the memory card is switched. The reason is that there is no means for displaying whether the data in the memory card is reliable.

A second problem is that it is not possible to specify the time when an error has occurred in the memory card. As a result, it is difficult to clarify the cause of the error. The reason is that even the active memory card is read only when the unit is started. That is, the fact that the data of the active memory card has an error can be known for the first time when an attempt is made to start the unit after a considerable time has passed since the occurrence of the error in the memory card.

A third problem is that when writing correct data to a memory card in which a data error has occurred by using a memory card editing tool or the like, an incorrect portion cannot be specified. In addition, if the memory card is taken out of the apparatus and left as it is, it may be impossible to determine whether the memory card is normal or whether there is a data error.

According to the present invention, there is provided a data mismatch detection method for a memory card which can notify an operator when an error has occurred in data in a memory card, can identify a point in time when an error has occurred in the memory card, and can identify an erroneous portion. It is intended to provide such a method.

[0010]

A data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to the present invention comprises a display unit, and means for measuring the number of data mismatches between a plurality of memory cards for each area of the plurality of memory cards. Means for writing the number of mismatches together with the area number in a memo area of the plurality of memory cards; means for turning on the display unit when the number of mismatches of at least one of the areas is one or more;
Means for reading the number of mismatches of all areas from the memo area of the plurality of memory cards, and turning off the display unit if the number of mismatches of all areas of the plurality of memory cards is zero. I do.

In the data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to the present invention, when the number of mismatches of at least one of the areas is one or more in the data mismatch detection method for a memory card, the fact is notified to a host device. It is characterized by further comprising means for performing.

Further, in the data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to the present invention, in the data mismatch detection method for a memory card, the plurality of memory cards store programs and system parameters of a plurality of wireless units. Features.

[0013] In the method for detecting data mismatch of a memory card according to the present invention, the number of data mismatches between a plurality of memory cards is measured for each area of the plurality of memory cards, and the number of mismatches is determined together with the area number. Writing to a memo area of a plurality of memory cards; turning on a display unit when at least one of the areas has a mismatch number of 1 or more; And if the number of mismatches in all areas of the plurality of memory cards is zero, turning off the display unit.

Further, according to the data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to the present invention, when the number of mismatches in at least one of the areas is one or more in the above data mismatch detection method for a memory card, the fact is notified to a host device. It is characterized by further comprising means.

Further, in the method for detecting data mismatch of a memory card according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned method for detecting data mismatch of a memory card, the plurality of memory cards store programs and system parameters of a plurality of wireless units. And

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a mobile communication base station apparatus having a unit for storing a program, system parameters, and the like in a removable memory card having an operation standby configuration, and loading and activating data in the operation memory card. ,
The present invention provides a configuration in which an active memory card is compared with a standby memory card during operation, and a notification is made when a mismatch is detected.

In FIG. 1, monitoring unit 1, memory unit 3, memory unit 4, and TRX unit 5
0 to 59 are connected by the I / O bus 2. The monitoring unit 1 is connected to a memory card 3 mounted on each of the memory units 3 and 4 via the I / O bus 2.
1 and the data of the memory card 41 are checked in byte units. When the monitoring control unit 1 detects a data mismatch, the memory card 31 and the memory card 41
In the spare area, the type of the area and the number of inconsistencies in the area are written and simultaneously displayed on the display unit 35 provided in the memory unit 3 and the display unit 45 provided in the memory unit 4 via the I / O bus 2. .

Referring to FIG. 1, a base station for mobile communication includes a monitoring unit 1, an I / O bus 2, a memory unit 3, a memory unit 4, and TRX units 50 to 5.
9. The monitoring / monitoring unit 1 has a function of managing units in the apparatus and reporting a state change to a higher-level apparatus. TRX unit 50-59
Has a wireless interface and performs processing independently of each other. The memory unit 3 includes the monitoring unit 1 and T
The memory card 31 that stores the programs and system parameters of the RX units 50 to 59, the status register 32 that summarizes the status of the memory unit, and the data of the memory card 31 are different from those of the memory card 41 And a display unit 35 for externally displaying. The status register 32 is a means for the monitoring unit 1 to refer to the status of the memory unit 3. The status register 32 captures the mounting status of the memory card 31 from the input terminal 33 and the display status of the display unit 35 from the input terminal 36. . Display 35
Can be realized by an input port and an LED (lamp).
The memory unit 4 has the same configuration as the memory unit 3, and includes a memory card 41, a status register 42, and a display unit 45. The memory unit 3 and the memory unit 4 operate in a redundant configuration. The memory unit 3 displays the state of the memory unit 4 from the input terminal 34, the memory unit 4 displays the state of the memory unit 3 from the input terminal 44,
Each of the acquired memory units is controlled so that either the memory unit 3 or the memory unit 4 becomes an active system.
When the monitoring unit 1 starts operation, it reads a program and system parameters from the active one of the memory card 3 and the memory card 4 and starts the program. Also, when the TRX units 50 to 59 start operation, similarly to the monitoring unit 1, the TRX units 50 to 59 read and start programs and system parameters from the active one of the memory card 3 and the memory card 4.

FIG. 2 shows a memory map of the memory cards 31 and 41. The capacity of the memory card is
It is assumed that the size is 2 Mbytes (256 Kbytes × 8). 256
K bytes are divided into eight areas,
Area 2, ..., area 8. Area 1 is used for memory card management, Area 2 to Area 4 are used for the program and system parameters of the monitoring unit 1,
Areas 5 to 7 are used by the TRX units 50 to 59, and area 8 is used as a memo area. Area 1
The area No. is given to the area 7, and it is set to 01 to 07. Since area 8 is a memo area, no area number is given. FIG.
Shows details of the memo area. Assign to the end of the memory card to isolate it from other data. After the monitoring unit 1 performs a check for each area, the area No. is written in 1 byte, and the number of mismatched data in the area is written in 3 bytes.

Next, the operation of FIG. 1 will be described. The monitoring unit 1 performs an operation of detecting a data error, an operation when the data error is eliminated, and an operation when detecting the mounting of the memory card 31 or the memory card 41.

The operation of detecting a data error will be described with reference to FIG. The monitoring unit 1 intervenes during the normal processing.
It is determined whether the memory card 31 and the memory card 41 are mounted by referring to the status register 32 and the status register 42 (A1). If at least one is not mounted, the process exits. If both are mounted, check the read address and check the memory card 3
One byte is read from 1 (A2). Subsequently, the read address is confirmed, and one byte is read from the memory card 41 (A3). The read data are compared with each other to determine whether they match (A4). If the data written at the same address of the two match, the process proceeds to the next process. If the data do not match, the number is counted as the number of mismatched data (A5). The lamp is turned on (A6). It is determined whether the address being examined is the end address of the area (A7), and if not, the flow is terminated. If it is the end address, the area number and the total number of mismatched data are written in the memo area of the memory card 31 in accordance with the format of the memo area shown in FIG. 3 (A8). Similarly, the data is written in the memo area of the memory card 41 (A9). This flow is repeated forever.

Referring to FIG. 5, the operation when the data error is eliminated will be described. The monitoring unit 1 determines whether or not the memory card 31 and the memory card 41 are mounted between the normal processing by the status registers 32 and 4.
2 (B1), and if at least one is not mounted, the process exits. If both are mounted, the information in the memo area of the memory card 31 is read (B2). It is determined whether the number of unmatched data in each area is all zero (B3). Even in one area,
If there is unmatched data, the process exits. If no inconsistent data exists, the information in the memo area of the memory card 41 is similarly read (B4). It is determined whether the number of mismatched data in each area is all 0 (B
5). If the mismatch data exists even in one area, the process exits. If there is no mismatch data, the lamps of the display unit 35 and the display unit 45 are turned off (B6). This flow is repeated forever.

Referring to FIG. 6, the operation when the mounting of memory card 31 or memory card 41 is detected will be described. When the monitoring unit 1 detects that the memory card 31 or the memory card 41 is not mounted, the monitoring unit 1 periodically checks whether the memory card 31 and the memory card 41 are in the mounted state from that point. It is monitored with reference to (C1). Then, when the memory card 31 or the memory card 41 changes from the unmounted state to the mounted state, the memo area of the memory card 31 or the memory card 41 is cleared to 0 (C
2).

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Even if the display unit 35 and the display unit 45 are provided as shown in FIG. 1, it cannot be dealt with unless a maintenance person is present. It is necessary to surely notify the maintenance person of the data failure of the memory card. In the mobile communication base station apparatus, since no maintenance person is resident in the station building, lighting of the lamp alone is not sufficient. Therefore, the monitoring unit 1 monitors the lamp lighting state of the data inconsistency of the display unit 35 and the display unit 45 from the status register 32 and the status register 42 and reports it to the host device. In this way, the maintenance person can check on the monitoring console.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

The first effect is that if an error occurs between the active memory card and the standby memory card mounted on the device, the operator can immediately recognize the error. The reason for this is that a display means for externally indicating that the data in the memory card does not match is provided.

The second effect is that an error in the data in the memory card can be detected at an early stage. For this reason, if the erroneous data in the memory card is immediately repaired, it is possible to prevent the memory card having the erroneous data from being activated. The reason for this is that a display means is provided for externally indicating that the data in the operating memory card and the data in the standby memory card do not match.

The third effect is that even when the memory card is taken out of the apparatus, it is immediately possible to determine which area should be corrected. The reason is that a function is provided in the spare area of the memory card to write down address information of error data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a data mismatch detection method of a memory card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a format of area division of a memory card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a format diagram of a data mismatch data area in the memo area of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of detecting a data error according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when a data error is resolved according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation when the mounting of the memory card according to the embodiment of the present invention is detected.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobile communication base station device according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 monitoring unit 2 I / O bus 3, 4 memory unit 31, 41 memory card 32, 42 status register 33, 34, 35, 43, 44, 45 input terminal 35, 45 display unit 50 to 59 TRX unit (wireless unit)

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A display unit, means for measuring the number of data mismatches between a plurality of memory cards for each area of the plurality of memory cards, and a memo of the plurality of memory cards together with the number of mismatches together with the area number. Means for writing to the area; means for turning on the display unit when at least one of the areas has a mismatch number of 1 or more; reading of the number of mismatches for all areas from the memo area of the plurality of memory cards; Means for turning off the display unit when the number of mismatches in all areas of the memory card is zero, and a means for detecting a data mismatch of the memory card. 2. The data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to claim 1, further comprising means for notifying a higher-level device when the number of mismatches in at least one of the areas is one or more. Data mismatch detection method of memory card. 3. The data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of memory cards store programs and system parameters of a plurality of wireless units. Data mismatch detection method. 4. A step of measuring the number of mismatches of data among a plurality of memory cards for each area of the plurality of memory cards, and a step of writing the number of mismatches together with the area number into a memo area of the plurality of memory cards. Illuminating a display unit when the number of mismatches in at least one of the areas is one or more; reading the number of mismatches in all areas from the memo area of the plurality of memory cards; And turning off the display unit if the number of area mismatches is zero. 5. The data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to claim 4, further comprising means for notifying, when the number of mismatches in at least one of the areas is one or more, a host device. Data mismatch detection method for memory card. 6. The data mismatch detection method for a memory card according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of memory cards store programs and system parameters of a plurality of wireless units. Data mismatch detection method.