JP2001184303A - Variable length information data access system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a variable length information data access system for transmitting/receiving data, which are not fixed to a system, with a variable length. SOLUTION: An information transmitting source node 1 transmits information. An information receiving destination node 9 receives the information. According to a system synchronizing signal 8, an information data managing device 3 performs managing access processing of information with the information transmitting source node 1 and the information receiving destination node 9. Input/ output ports 4, 10 and 11 perform interfacing with the outside. A region managing area 6 translates a physical address to a logical address. A data region 2 internally has regions 2a, 2b and 2c. A category display managing area 7 has managing areas 7a, 7b and 7c. An input/output managing area 5 manages an input/output port.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a variable-length information data access system, and more particularly to a variable-length information data system capable of changing the range of information data and changing the information content as needed to enable the transfer of variable-length data. Regarding access method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, information data access methods include:
A register, a memory, a FIFO memory, a hard disk, or the like is used as a hard medium between the information sending side and the information receiving side, and parallel transfer, serial communication, LAN communication, or the like is used as a data transfer method. At this time, the data exchange between the transmission and the reception is usually executed according to a certain protocol (transfer speed, communication method, control data, data amount, etc.) that is mutually recognized.

As an example of a technique for handling such variable-length data, there is known, for example, a "method of storing variable-length data in a main storage area" described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-151065.

In this publication, when performing interactive access to variable length data in a main storage area, waste of a data storage area secured in the main storage area is eliminated, and data in the main storage area is saved. A technique is described in which an area used for storage is significantly reduced, and access time for variable-length data storage is reduced.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional variable-length information data access method, since information data transmission and reception are performed based on a fixed protocol, the data format and the data amount are often fixed. In the case of transmitting and receiving long data, since the data format is determined, there is a disadvantage that there is no flexibility in variable-length data.

[0006] In addition, the source and destination addresses of an information path are often determined at the start of transmission, and these source and destination addresses must be added to information data for transfer. It has the disadvantage of being a predetermined limited one.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to use a semiconductor memory accessible from a plurality of input / output ports as a data transfer medium, and to adjust the writing and reading of information data to a system synchronization signal to thereby achieve a variable length system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a variable-length information data access method for realizing transmission and reception of data that is not fixed to a computer.

[0008]

According to the variable length information data access method of the present invention, a semiconductor memory is used as a medium for exchanging information data, and a plurality of input / output ports accessible to all areas of the semiconductor memory are provided. A variable amount of information is transferred and exchanged between the information transmitting side and the information receiving side as needed by performing a write operation and a read operation in which the information data is synchronized with a system synchronization signal based on the area management information. It is characterized by:

[0009] Further, an information transmission source node for transmitting information, an information reception node for receiving information, and information management access processing between the information transmission source node and the information reception node according to a system synchronization signal. Performing information data management device, the information data management device,
A plurality of input / output ports for interfacing with the outside; an area management area for converting a physical address to a logical address; a data area having a plurality of areas; a category display management area having a plurality of management areas; An input / output port management area for managing input / output ports is provided.

[0010] The information source node reserves a free area in the information data management device to enable input / output access, and determines whether the information data management device and the plurality of input / output ports are used or not used. The search is performed using data in the area management area and the input / output port management area.

In the area management area, a physical address is converted into a start address and an end address corresponding to the logical address of the information transmission source node, and the corresponding link address specifies the information reception node. Thereby, the data area can be accessed.

The data area divides its own data area into a plurality of areas, and the data arrangement and data contents of each of the plurality of areas are determined by the information transmission source node. Data category?
Further, it is characterized by holding management information indicating what the data length and data format are, and thereby enabling the information receiving node to recognize the data content and format.

[0013] The category display management area stores the management information in each management area obtained by dividing its own area into a plurality of management areas. By searching for a port, target data is searched for and read after recognizing the information source node in the data area.

Each of the area management area, the data area, the category display management area, and the input / output port management area is a semiconductor memory accessed by a plurality of input / output ports.

[0015]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a variable length information data access system according to the present invention.

In this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an information transmission source node 1 for transmitting information, an information reception destination node 9 for receiving information, and an information transmission source node 1 and information And an information data management device 3 that performs information management access processing with the destination node 9.

Further, the information data management device 3 has input / output ports 4, 10, 11 for interfacing with the outside.
An area management area 6 for converting a physical address to a logical address; a data area 2 having areas 2a, 2b, 2c therein; a category display management area 7 having management areas 7a, 7b, 7c; An input / output port management area 5 for managing 4, 10, 11 is provided.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The information transmission source node 1 first secures an empty area in the information data management device 3 so as to enable input / output access, and a plurality of input / output ports 4, 10 and 1 existing therein.
You will look for a vacancy.

It is necessary to regularly transmit and receive information,
In addition, for the information source node 1 whose information content is fixed, it is possible to secure an individual area and an individual input / output port in the information data management device 3 from the start of operation of the system.

That is, the use or non-use state of the information data management device 3 and the input / output ports 4, 10 and 11 is searched using the data of the area management area 6 and the input / output port management area 5.

When the area and the input / output port in the information data management device 3 can be secured, the area management area 6
And the data in the input / output port management area 5 are updated. Area 2 of data area 2 secured by one information transmitting / receiving node
a, area 2b, area 2c and input / output ports 4, 10, 11
Need not always be single, and a plurality of areas and input / output ports may be secured in some cases. In the area management area 6, a memory address range of the secured area is defined and used. However, this memory address range is a physical address indicating a physical address range, and is not a logical address shown to an external node that refers to information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the area management area.

In correspondence with the logical addresses Start1 to End1 of the reserved node numbers as the information source nodes, the start address start1 which is the start / end address of a single continuous area or a plurality of continuous areas has a physical address. , Start2, start3 and end addresses end1, end2, end3, and the link address corresponding to the secured node number is the receiving node number NO1, NO2, NO3 which is the information receiving node.
Is specified. The actual data area 2 can be accessed by the internal address conversion of the area management area 6. That is, the secured node number NO1 indicates the information transmission source node 1, and the reception node numbers NO1, 2, 3,.
Is shown.

In the areas 2a, 2b, and 2c in the area of the data area 2, the data arrangement and data contents are determined by the information transmission source node 1 as the information transmitting side and the information receiving destination node 9 as the providing side. It holds management information indicating what data category each data belongs to, and what the data length and data format are.

The category display management area 7 is an area in which this management information is organized as a management area 7a, a management area 7b, and a management area 7c. Recipient of information,
The requesting side also searches for an empty input / output port 4 via the input / output port management area 5, and thereby refers to the category display management area 7. By referring to the category display management area 7, the area management area 6 is first referred to, and what areas 2a, 2b, and 2c are secured in the data area 2 in the information data management device 3.
After recognizing where the information source is, the target data is searched and read with reference to the category display management area 7.

In some cases, response information and update information can be returned to the sender.

A plurality of information transmission source nodes (providing side) 1 and an information receiving destination (requesting side) information receiving node 9 existing in these systems are provided to the information data management device 3 by the information data management apparatus 3. Disseminating information for the purpose of
In addition, the receiving operation is performed independently. Therefore, the data area and data contents in the information data management device 3 change in real time. Although an individual data transmission / reception protocol is not required between the information transmitting side and the information receiving side, conditions and timing for changing information data need to be determined for the entire system. The operation of writing and reading information is executed by synchronizing the timing with a system synchronization signal 8 which exists solely in the entire system.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing data writing / reading.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, when the system synchronization signal 8 is given to the information data management device 3 and each of the information transmission source node 1 and the information reception node 9, the first in the slot of the system synchronization signal 8 The write operation of the information data is performed during the timing period. The node that performs this write operation is only the node that has secured this area, and the area management area 6 is set so as to be single. After the writing period, there is a reading period in the same time slot, and reading and reference are performed from a plurality of nodes during that period. The area is all I / O ports 4,1
Nodes that can be accessed equally from 0 and 11 and need information within an equal period of time, separated by a periodically generated system synchronization signal 8, can read the contents of the area.

Whether or not the data area 2 has been read is set in the area management area 6 and used as information data confirmation means. The information requesting side writes the read completion flag within the cycle of the system synchronization signal 8 when referring to the area. Response information from the information receiver is set within a response writing period that continues after the reading period ends.

Writing and reading of these specific information data are identified by the category of the data and exchanged between transmission and reception. The information category must be uniquely set in the system, unify this category,
The managing mechanism must exist in the system. The type of data contained in each area in the information data area is identified by the category display management area 7.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the category display management area.

The category display management area 7 includes Start 1 to End 1 for accessing each data block.
Logical addresses such as Start2 to End2 are displayed,
Further, the information categories classified in a hierarchical manner are designated as a large classification, a middle classification, and a small classification. Further, a data format and a data length are set corresponding to each logical address of the information category.

It is required that the area for transmitting and receiving information in the information data management device 3 changes according to the system state which is changing in real time. Therefore, when a state change occurs, the data in the data area 2 and the data in each management area associated therewith are discarded and returned to the system as a free area in the information data area.

The operation of returning the data is executed by the information transmission source node 1 which is the information transmission side. The operation is performed after confirming whether or not there is a request from the information reception destination node 9 which is the information reception destination. When deemed necessary, the data format may be reset and changed.

As described above, a semiconductor memory capable of writing and reading information data in parallel from a plurality of input / output ports is used, and the use areas of the information transmission side and the reception side are related to each other. An area management area 6, a data area 2, a category display management area 7, and an input / output port management area 5 are prepared as area management (table area).

The information sender writes the outgoing data after securing the area, and registers data for transmitting the data content in the area to the information receiving side in the category display management area 7. The receiving side and the requesting side of the information can read the information contents currently transmitted by the area management area 6 and the category display management area 7 and access the target area to obtain the information.

As means for transmitting and receiving information data, a memory which uses a semiconductor memory as a transfer medium and which can access the memory through a plurality of input / output ports is used.

The timing is adjusted by a system synchronization signal supplied to the entire system.

Therefore, the information sender reserves an empty area by referring to the information data area and the area for managing the input / output ports, and develops the information there. When the data is expanded, the data contents, the configuration type, and the like of the area are determined based on the category determined by the system. Also, the timing at which each information transmitting / receiving node performs setting and reference is performed in accordance with the system synchronization signal, so that real-time data can be maintained.

[0043]

As described above, the variable length information data access method according to the present invention dynamically secures an area for transmitting and receiving information in real time in an information data area set in the system, thereby achieving system synchronization. Since writing and reading can be performed according to the signal, if the data is set in the area according to the information data category uniquely determined by the system without setting individual protocols between transmission and reception, the information transmission side This has the effect that data can be transferred to any information receiving destination and information requesting side without imposing a load on the information receiving side.

Further, this information transfer has an effect that there is no restriction that the transmitting / receiving node is specified, and the data format to be transmitted / received can be changed according to the system state at that time, and the data length can be made variable. are doing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a variable length information data access method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an area management area.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing writing / reading of data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a category display management area.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 Information source node 2 Data area 2a, 2b, 2c area 3 Information data management device 4 I / O port 5 I / O port management area 6 Area management area 7 Category display management area 7a, 7b, 7c management area 8 System synchronization signal 9 Information receiving node 10, 11 I / O port

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor memory is used as a medium for exchanging information data, a plurality of input / output ports accessible to all areas of the semiconductor memory are prepared, and the information data is written in accordance with a system synchronization signal. By performing the operation and the read operation based on the area management information,
A variable-length information data access method characterized in that a variable amount of information is transferred and exchanged as needed between an information transmitting side and an information receiving side. 2. An information transmission source node transmitting information, an information reception node receiving information, and information management access processing between the information transmission source node and the information reception node according to a system synchronization signal. A data area having a plurality of input / output ports for interfacing with the outside, an area management area for converting a physical address to a logical address, and a plurality of areas. A category display management area having a plurality of management areas, and an input / output port management area for managing the plurality of input / output ports. 3. The information transmission source node secures an empty area in the information data management device to enable input / output access, and uses / unuses the information data management device and the plurality of input / output ports. 3. The variable length information data access method according to claim 2, wherein a state is searched using data in the area management area and the input / output port management area. 4. The area management area, wherein a physical address is converted into a start address and an end address, respectively, corresponding to a logical address of the information transmission source node, and a link address corresponding to the physical address is converted into the information reception node. 4. The variable length information data access method according to claim 2, wherein the data area can be accessed by specifying the data area. 5. The data area divides its own data area into a plurality of areas, and each of the plurality of areas has a data arrangement and data contents determined by the information source node, and each data is It holds management information indicating what kind of data category it is, and what kind of data length and data format it is, so that the information receiving node can recognize the data content and format. 5. The variable length information data access system according to claim 2, wherein: 6. The category display management area stores the management information in each management area obtained by dividing its own area into a plurality of management areas, and stores an empty area on the information source node and the information receiving node side. 6. The variable length information data access method according to claim 5, wherein by searching for an input / output port, target data is searched for and read after recognizing the information source node in the data area. 7. The area management area, the data area,
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein each of the category display management area and the input / output port management area is a semiconductor memory accessed by a plurality of input / output ports.
3. The variable length information data access method according to 3, 4, 5, or 6.