JP2001273058A - Computer interfacing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem unable to use a PCMCIA card if a driver soft cannot be read by malfunction on HDD of personal computer, because the operation of PCMCIA card requires the driver soft to control a PCMCIA card controller. SOLUTION: According to the configuration of the invention, the unit has selector 14 which possibly selects a port connecting PCMCIA card slot 15 from PCMCIA port 13A and IDE port 17. When the driver soft controlling PCMCIA card controller 13 is not available, the device enables the ATA card to operate without using the special software by connecting IDE port 17 to PCMCIA card slot 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is a standard for an IDE interface in a computer system having a built-in PCMCIA card slot, such as a notebook personal computer, even in a situation where driver software for controlling a PCMCIA card controller cannot be used. A
PCMCIA card conforming to TA standard
The present invention relates to a computer interface that can be operated by being inserted into a card slot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various notebook personal computers that are portable and can be driven by a battery have been released. On a laptop computer, the interface that can expand the functions is
PCMCIA interfaces that can use various PCMCIA cards are common. Especially PCMCIA
Among the cards, storage products such as a magnetic disk device (HDD) card and a memory card are often used. HDD cards and memory cards are PCMC compliant with the ATA standard, which is the IDE interface standard.
IA cards (referred to as ATA cards) are the mainstream.
When an ATA card is connected to a PCMCIA port,
It operates as an MCIA card and operates as an IDE-HDD when connected to an IDE port.

The configuration of a conventional computer interface device will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a conventional computer interface device.

[0004] 11 is a CPU, 12 is a system controller, 12 A is a system bus, 13 is a PCMCIA card controller, 13 A is a PCMCIA port, and 15 is a PMCIA port.
The CMCIA card slot 17 is an IDE port. The CPU 11 executes an operating system and application programs. The PCMCIA card controller 13 controls the PCMCIA card slot 15, and controls the PCMCIA card slot 15 in the PCMCIA card slot 15.
The TA card 16 is operated. The HDD 18 is a large-capacity data storage device.

The PCMCIA port cannot be used unless there is a driver software for controlling the PCMCIA card controller. Therefore, if the driver software for controlling the PCMCIA card controller cannot be used because the HDD for starting the system of the personal computer is broken, the PCMCIA card controller cannot be controlled, and the PCMCIA card cannot be used. .

[0006]

As described above, the conventional PCMCIA port has a problem that if the personal computer system cannot be started, the PCMCIA card cannot be used. It is very difficult to replace the HDD with a notebook computer, and the replacement of the HDD by the user is not covered by the warranty. Therefore, it is difficult to replace the HDD and construct a new system. It was very time-consuming.

The most troublesome thing when the PCMCIA port cannot be used is that data written on the HDD card or the memory card cannot be read.

[0008] The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems by using HD.
It is intended to operate the ATA card without accessing special software provided in D and to be able to retrieve data from the ATA card.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a computer interface device according to the present invention comprises:
A PCMCIA card controller, a PCMCIA port, an IDE port connected to a system bus, and a PC
The configuration includes a MCIA card slot, a selector for selecting one of a PCMCIA port and an IDE port connected to the system bus, and connecting to the PCMCIA card slot. With this configuration, ATA
The card is installed in a personal computer as a standard BIOS (BASIC INPUT OUTPUT).
IDE that can be operated only by SYSTEM)
-It can be used as an HDD.

If the computer interface device has two or more PCMCIA card slots, a selector for selectively connecting two or more PCMCIA ports and IDE ports to the PCMCIA card slots is controlled. A configuration in which a register is provided on a system bus can be employed. In the conventional configuration, when two or more PCMCIA card slots are provided, the slot in which the ATA card is inserted is confirmed from the PCMCIA card slots,
Although it was necessary to set the IDE port to be connected to the corresponding PCMCIA card slot, this configuration makes it possible to control the selector by software using a register for controlling the selector. The slot in which the card is inserted is automatically recognized, and the IDE port can be connected to the corresponding PCMCIA card slot.

Further, since four ports can be connected as IDE ports, if two or more IDE ports are provided, the IDE port connected to the HDD is selected from the two or more IDE ports. Second choice
Can be provided. According to this configuration, the IDE port connected to the HDD and the ATA card can be arbitrarily selected.
By operating the DD and the ATA card at the same time, or by writing data for starting the system of the personal computer in the ATA card in advance, it is possible to freely set which one to start.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a CPU, 12 denotes a system controller, and 12A denotes a system bus. The computer interface of the present invention includes a PCMCIA card controller 13, a PCMCIA port 13A, a selector 14, a PCMCIA card slot 15, and an IDE port 17. The CPU 11 executes an operating system and application programs. PC
The MCIA card controller 13 controls the PCMCIA card slot 15 and the PCMCIA card slot 1
5 is operated. HDD
Reference numeral 18 denotes a large-capacity data storage device. The selector 14 can switch the port connected to the PCMCIA card slot 15 to one of the PCMCIA port 13A and the IDE port 17, and at the same time, can allocate the signal of the IDE port to each terminal of the PCMCIA slot.

In this configuration, a boot program and driver software for controlling the PCMCIA card controller 13 are provided in the HDD 18, and the PCMCIA card slot 1 is stored by the driver software stored in the HDD 18.
5 can be used. This HDD 18
If the boot program in the HDD 18 or the driver software for controlling the PCMCIA card controller 13 cannot be read due to a situation such as breakage of the PCMCIA card slot 1 by the selector 14,
By connecting the IDE port 17 to the HDD 5, the ATA card 16 can be handled as an HDD connected to the IDE port 17. Therefore, the HDD connected to the IDE port 17 can be operated only by the BIOS, and no special program is required. At this time, it is necessary that the HDD 18 does not react to reading and writing of data.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that a register 19 for controlling the selector 14 is provided on the system bus. 19 is a control register of the selector 14. 13B is the second PCMCIA port, 15
A is a second PCMCIA card slot.

Since the register 19 enables the selector 14 to be controlled by a program, the slot in which the ATA card is inserted is automatically searched by software, and the ID is assigned to the corresponding PCMCIA card slot.
It becomes possible to connect the E port.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment. The difference from the second embodiment is that a selector 14A for selecting two or more IDE ports and connecting to the HDD 18 is provided, and that the selector 14 has two or more I / O ports.
That is, the DE port is connected. 17A is the second I
DE port. The selector 14 is a selector for selecting and connecting one or more of two or more PCMCIA ports and two or more IDE ports to the PCMCIA card slot 15, and the selector 14A selects one of two or more IDE ports. And a selector connected to the HDD 18.

With this configuration, the HDD 18 and the ATA card 16 can be used at the same time, and the starting program in the HDD and the PCMCIA card controller 1 can be used.
The data in the ATA card can be read even when the driver software for controlling No. 3 cannot be read. Also, by preparing data for system setup in the ATA card, it is possible to restore or reconstruct the system.

[0019]

As described above, in the computer interface device of the present invention, a PCM such as a notebook personal computer is used.
Personal computer with CIA port and HDD
PCMC will not be able to boot from HDD or normal boot due to the situation such as broken PCMC.
By connecting the IDE port to the IA card slot, the ATA card can be used without using any special software, and the data in the ATA card can be read. Further, the system can be started by writing data for starting the system of the personal computer in the ATA card. Further, by copying the setup data to the ATA card, the system can be easily reinstalled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a computer interface device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a computer interface device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a computer interface device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional computer interface device.

[Description of Signs] 11 CPU 12 System Controller 12A System Bus 13 PCMCIA Card Controller 13A PCMCIA Port 13B PCMCIA Port 14 Selector 14A Selector 15 PCMCIA Card Slot 15A PCMCIA Card Slot 16 ATA Card 17 IDE Port 17A IDE Port 18 Magnetic Disk Device 19) Selector control register

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A computer interface for connecting a PCMCIA card to a system bus of a personal computer, comprising: a PCMCIA card controller, a PCMCIA port, an IDE port connected to a system bus, a PCMCIA card slot, and the PCMCIA port. One of the IDE ports connected to the system bus is selected and the PCMC
A computer interface device having a selector connected to an IA card slot. 2. A system bus having two or more PCMCIA card slots, and a register for controlling a selector for selectively connecting two or more PCMCIA ports and the IDE port to the PCMCIA card slot is provided on a system bus. 2. The computer interface device according to claim 1, wherein 3. An information processing apparatus having two or more IDE ports and having two or more IDE ports connected to a magnetic disk drive.
3. The computer interface device according to claim 1, further comprising a second selector that can be selected from ports.