JP2003005971A - Method for transferring program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a program transferring method capable of making it unnecessary to store any program for start in a flash memory before assembling a substrate, and preventing any constraint from being generated to a rewritable memory area in a system. SOLUTION: This program transferring method comprises a processing (STEP1) of arranging a memory card in the start memory area of a flash memory, a processing (STEP2) of starting a program for start, a processing (STEP3) of transferring the program for start to a work area arranged in the area different from the start memory area of the flash memory, a processing (STEP4) of separating the memory card from the start memory area of the flash memory, and a processing (STEP5) of transferring and storing the program for start in the flash memory according to the program in the work area, and the above mentioned processing are successively carried out.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a program transfer method, and more particularly to a program transfer method for transferring a boot program previously stored in a memory card to a flash memory.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a flash memory, it is possible to erase written data in batch or in block units, and to rewrite external data in batch or in block units. Has been adopted in various systems. Normally, in a system that has a system program,
A boot program for starting the system is required, but in a system using a flash memory, the boot program is stored in advance in the flash memory in which the system program input from the outside is stored. Alternatively, it may be stored in advance in a storage means provided separately from the flash memory. 2 and 3 are memory maps showing a configuration example of a conventional memory in a system using a flash memory. In the conventional example shown in FIG.
The work area 10 written in the OM 32, the work area 10 in the RAM, the system program 20 input from the outside and written in the flash memory, and the startup program 32 written in the ROM and controlling the input from the outside of the system program 20. The memory consists of and. In the conventional example shown in FIG. 3, a memory is composed of a flash memory in which a startup program and a system program are written and a work area 10 before board assembly.

[0003]

However, the conventional device described above has the following problems. (1) In the memory space shown in FIG. 2, a ROM for storing a boot program in addition to a flash memory for storing a system program in a system memory space
Must be newly provided, so that an installation space for that is required, and in a system that requires a large-scale memory space, the rewritable memory area is restricted. (2) In the structure shown in FIG. 3, since it is necessary to store the boot program in the flash memory before the board is assembled, it is necessary to newly provide means for writing the program for each processor into the flash memory alone. In addition, it becomes necessary to inventory the flash memory in which the boot program is written. The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the conventional technique as described above, and it is possible to store a startup program in a flash memory before board assembly.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a program transfer method that does not cause a restriction on a rewritable memory area in a system.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a program transfer method for transferring to a flash memory a start-up program which is stored in advance in a memory card and which controls the input of a system program. hand,
A process of arranging the memory card in a boot memory area of the flash memory, a process of booting the boot program, and the boot program in a work area provided in a region different from the boot memory region of the flash memory. A process of transferring, a process of separating the memory card from the boot memory area of the flash memory,
In the program transfer method, a program in the work area transfers the boot program to the flash memory and stores the program sequentially, and the memory card has the flash memory installed. A process of activating the activation program by the activation recognition means of the memory card provided on the flash memory mounting substrate in a state of being connected to each other via the substrate and a card socket, and activating the activation program of the flash memory. By a process of transferring to a work area provided in a region different from the memory region, a process of separating the memory card from the boot memory region of the flash memory when the transfer is completed and arranging it in another region, and a program in the work area. , Flash the boot program This is a program transfer method characterized by sequentially performing a process of transferring and storing in a memory.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a program transfer method of the present invention, (a) is a memory map showing a memory configuration, and (b) is a flowchart showing a processing flow. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a work area 10 in a RAM, a system program 20 written in a flash memory, and a P
The memory is composed of a boot program 30 which is written in a memory card such as a CMCIA memory card and controls input of the system program 20. less than,
A transfer method of the boot program 30 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, an external setting switch (not shown) is used to select a boot program storage mode for the flash memory, thereby selecting a memory card as the flash memory boot memory (STEP 1). Next, the system start-up means (not shown) such as power-on starts the start-up program 30 stored in the memory card (STEP
2) As a result, the boot program 30 stored in the memory card is transferred to the work area 10 in the RAM, and then the program in the work area 10 is executed (STEP 3). Next, the program in the work area 10 arranges the memory card in an area different from the boot memory area (STEP 4) and connects the system flash memory to the memory area. Next, work area 10
The internal program transfers the boot program 30 transferred in the work area 10 to the flash memory and stores it (STEP 5). After the startup program 30 is completely stored in the flash memory, the operator is notified of the completion of the startup program storage completion process, and the system program execution mode is selected by the setting switch provided externally. The system program 20 in the memory is executed. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, first, the power is turned on to start the system, and the memory card in which the boot program 30 is stored is booted by the boot memory card selection switch (not shown). Detects whether it is placed in the area. If it is detected in STEP 1 that the memory card is located in the boot memory area,
The original flash memory for system startup is arranged in a memory area different from the memory card. Next, the boot program 30 stored in the memory card is booted, the boot program is transferred to the work area 10, the program control is transferred to the work area, and the boot program is transferred to the flash memory from the program in the work area. ,Store. Next, the boot memory card selection switch (not shown) is returned to the original state, and the transfer process is terminated. Thereafter, the boot memory card selection switch (not shown) detects that the memory card 30 storing the boot program is not located in the boot memory area, and executes the system program 21 in the flash memory. Here, when changing the contents of the system program 21 stored in the flash memory, after transferring the rewriting program to the work area 10, the program in the work area 10 causes the system program 21 stored in the flash memory to be changed. Rewrite.

[0006]

According to the present invention configured as described above, the boot program, which is stored in advance in the memory card and controls the input of the system program, is transferred to and stored in the flash memory, and then the memory card is loaded into the flash memory. The memory area where the memory card was placed is separated from the boot memory area of and returned to the flash memory, and then the system program transferred to the flash memory is started, so the boot program is stored in the flash memory before board assembly. The system program can be executed without needing to keep it, and without causing a restriction on the rewritable memory area in the system. Therefore, it is possible to effectively use the system memory space, reduce the facility functional cost and the installation space, and reduce the inventory management cost for preparing the flash memory storing the program for each system or each processor. . Also, since a commercially available memory card can be used as the startup memory, it is not necessary to manufacture and prepare special hardware as the startup memory, and the connector for connection can be used as it is as the PCMCIA connector prepared as a product specification. The cost will be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a program transfer method of the present invention, (a) is a memory map showing a memory configuration, and (b) is a flowchart showing a processing flow.

FIG. 2 is a memory map showing a configuration example of a conventional memory in a system using a flash memory.

FIG. 3 is a memory map showing a configuration example of a conventional memory in a system using a flash memory.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 work area 20 flash memory 21 in which system program is stored flash memory 30 in which boot program is stored in boot area 30 memory card 31 in which boot program is stored memory card area 32 boot program ROM stored in advance 33 Flash memory with pre-loaded boot pro program

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A program transfer method for transferring, to a flash memory, a boot program, which is stored in advance in a memory card and controls input of a system program, wherein the memory card is arranged in a boot memory area of the flash memory. Processing, a process of starting the boot program, a process of transferring the boot program to a work area provided in an area different from the boot memory area of the flash memory, and the memory card of the flash memory. A program transfer method comprising: sequentially performing a process of separating from a boot memory area and a process of transferring the boot program into the flash memory and storing the program by a program in the work area. 2. The program transfer method according to claim 1, wherein the memory card is provided on the flash memory mounting substrate in a state of being connected to the flash memory mounting substrate via a card socket. Process for activating the boot program by the boot recognizing means, transferring the boot program to a work area provided in an area different from the boot memory area of the flash memory, and transferring the memory card when the transfer is completed. A process of separating from the boot memory area of the flash memory and arranging the flash memory in a different area, and a process of transferring the boot program into the flash memory and storing the boot program by a program in the work area are sequentially performed. How to transfer the program.