JP5341674B2 - Vending machine control equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device that controls various parts of a vending machine by connecting to a control terminal, various sensors, an operation part, and the like to control the vending machine in an integrated manner.

  Generally, a control device of a vending machine includes a box-shaped casing and a circuit board accommodated in the casing. A microcomputer, a memory storing a control program, various interface circuits, and the like are mounted on the circuit board. In addition, the circuit board is provided with a number of connectors for connecting to a control terminal that controls each part of the vending machine, various sensors such as temperature sensors and door open / close detection, operation parts such as product selection buttons, and the like. In addition, switches for inputting operation settings and indicators such as LEDs for displaying operation states are mounted on the circuit board. As a conventional control device for a vending machine, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.

  In recent years, the functions of vending machines have been diversified, and along with this, the types of control devices have increased in accordance with each vending machine. Therefore, there is a problem that it is necessary to develop various kinds of control devices and the cost is increased. In addition, in the manufacturing / assembly stage, it is necessary to select and assemble a correct control device according to the type of the vending machine, which causes a problem that the work is complicated. On the other hand, there has also been a demand for a more compact control device.

  In order to solve such a problem, it can be considered that the control device is divided into two functions and mounted. Specifically, functions common to general vending machines are mounted on the main circuit board, functions specific to a specific vending machine are mounted on the sub circuit board, and the sub circuit board is mounted on the main circuit board. It is configured to be detachable (see, for example, Patent Document 2). With such a configuration, the control device can be shared by all the vending machines. For a major vending machine, a control device without a sub circuit board may be used, and for a specific vending machine, a control device equipped with a sub circuit board corresponding to the vending machine may be used. In addition, since it is not necessary to mount functions corresponding to all types of vending machines in the control device, it is possible to reduce the size.

JP 2000-57425 A JP-A-9-83148

  However, the control device using the main circuit board and the sub circuit board as described above has the following problems. In the above configuration, it is preferable to connect the system bus of the microcomputer mounted on the main circuit board to the sub circuit board. This is because the microcomputer on the main circuit board can directly access the circuit on the sub circuit board. In other words, in order to use a highly functional sub circuit board on which a microcomputer, a memory, and the like are mounted, it is necessary to connect the system bus on the main circuit board to the sub circuit board. On the other hand, there is a case where it is desired to function the sub circuit board as an interface for connecting, for example, a matrix circuit having product selection buttons and lamps. In this case, in the form in which the system bus on the main circuit board is connected to the sub circuit board, it is necessary to mount an input / output circuit on the sub circuit board. Therefore, there is a problem that the sub circuit board becomes complicated and expensive. The matrix circuit as described above needs to use a connector having several tens of connecting pins and a large size in accordance with the standard of a conventional vending machine. On the other hand, depending on the type of the vending machine, the above-mentioned large connector is not necessarily required because it is connected to the product selection button and the lamp according to other standards. For this reason, the above-mentioned problem is particularly important from the viewpoint of downsizing the control device.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a vending machine that is highly versatile and can be reduced in size and cost.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a main circuit board on which a microcomputer and a memory storing a main control program are mounted, and the microcomputer executes the main control program to execute various types of vending machines. In the control device for controlling the device, the main circuit board is switched to a first connector connected to the microcomputer bus line, and the microcomputer bus line is switched to a function of a bus interface or an input / output port. And a control means.

  According to the present invention, the bus line connected to the first connector from the microcomputer of the main circuit board can be switched to the function of either the bus interface or the input / output port. As a result, various types of sub-circuit boards to be attached to the first connector can be used. Specifically, in the case of using a highly functional sub circuit board equipped with a microcomputer and a memory, the bus line connected to the first connector may function as a bus interface. On the other hand, when the sub circuit board is desired to function as an input / output interface, the circuit configuration on the sub circuit board can be simplified by causing the bus line connected to the first connector to function as an input / output port. can do.

  As an example of a preferred aspect of the present invention, a sub circuit board provided with a second connector can be mounted by fitting the first connector of the main circuit board and the second connector of the sub circuit board. Are listed. Thus, size reduction can be achieved by directly fitting the first connector and the second connector. Further, it is preferable from the viewpoint of miniaturization to arrange the sub circuit board so as to be parallel to the main circuit board.

  In addition, as an example of a preferable aspect of the present invention, the control unit may identify a type of the sub circuit board mounted on the first connector and switch the function of the bus line based on the identification result. Thereby, appropriate control processing according to the type of the sub circuit board can be performed.

  Furthermore, as an example of a preferred aspect of the present invention, the sub circuit board includes a memory for storing a sub control program for its own executed by the microcomputer of the main circuit board or control data necessary for its control, Examples of the main circuit board include reading a sub control program or control data from the memory of the sub circuit board into the memory of the main circuit board when the sub circuit board is attached to the first connector. Thereby, appropriate control processing according to the type of the sub circuit board can be performed.

  Furthermore, as an example of a preferred aspect of the present invention, the microcomputer of the main circuit board includes arbitration means for arbitrating the access speed between the bus line functioning as a bus interface and the internal system bus. Are listed. As a result, even if the sub circuit board is mounted, it is possible to prevent an adverse effect such as a decrease in access speed on the main circuit board.

  As described above, according to the present invention, as the connection form between the sub circuit board and the main circuit board, both the form connected by the bus interface and the form connected by the input / output port can be appropriately selected. Accordingly, various types of sub circuit boards can be used. Thereby, versatility becomes high. In addition, since the sub circuit board and the main circuit board can be connected via the input / output port, the sub circuit board can be configured with a simple configuration at a low cost if the sub circuit board is to function as an input / output interface. . For functions that are not highly versatile but require relatively large parts, the size of the main circuit board can be reduced by mounting the function on the sub circuit board.

Disassembled perspective view of control device of vending machine The figure explaining the connection form of a main circuit board and a sub circuit board Functional block diagram of main circuit board Flowchart explaining operation of control device

  A control device for a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a control device of a vending machine, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a connection form of a main circuit board and a sub circuit board, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the main circuit board, and FIG. 4 is an operation of the control device. It is a flowchart explaining these.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control device for the vending machine according to the present embodiment includes a box-shaped housing 10 having an opening on the lower surface (the upper surface in FIG. 1), and a main circuit board accommodated in the housing 10. 100 and the sub circuit board 200. An attachment piece 11 for attaching to the vending machine protrudes from the opening edge of the housing 10. The main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board 200 are arranged so as to overlap in the thickness direction. A female first connector 110 is provided on the surface of the main circuit board 100 facing the sub circuit board 200. On the other hand, a male second connector 210 is provided on the surface of the sub circuit board 200 facing the main circuit board 100. The main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board 200 are electrically connected to each other by fitting the second connector 210 to the fitting portion of the first connector 110 without using a connection cable or the like. Are held in a state of being held. Further, at the time of coupling, the main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board are arranged so as to be parallel to each other. It should be noted that common and general-purpose functions are mounted on the main circuit board 100 in main vending machines, and functions unique to a specific vending machine are preferably mounted on the sub-circuit board 200. Therefore, it should be noted that the sub circuit board 200 may be mounted according to the type / function of the vending machine, and is not necessarily required.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a system LSI 120 is mounted on the main circuit board 100. The system LSI 120 is a kind of microcomputer in which functions such as a CPU, a memory, a timer, and an I / O are integrated. In this embodiment, a gate array IC is used. Some bus lines 121 of the system LSI 120 are connected to the first connector 110. Some I / O ports 122 of the system LSI 120 are also connected to the first connector 110. Details of the main circuit board 100 will be described later.

  A control circuit 220 is mounted on the sub circuit board 200, and the control circuit 220 is connected to the bus line 120 of the system LSI 120 via the second connector 210 and the first connector 110. Here, the control circuit 220 is mounted in accordance with the function of the sub circuit board 200, and various circuit configurations are possible. Specifically, the bus line connecting the second connector 210 and the control circuit 220 may be mounted as a system bus, or may be mounted as an input / output port. Further, in the former case, it is preferable to store the sub control program 235 for the sub circuit board 200 in the flash memory 230 which is a non-volatile storage unit connected to the system bus as necessary. The sub control program 235 is executed by the system LSI 120 of the main circuit board 100 as will be described later. In addition, the sub circuit board 200 includes an identifier holding unit 240 that holds an identifier for identifying its own type. The identifier holding unit 240 is connected to the I / O port 122 of the system LSI 120 via the second connector 210 and the first connector 110. The identifier holding unit 240 may be configured to change the value of the identifier by using, for example, a non-volatile memory that holds the identifier, a DIP switch that can set the identifier, or the like. May be configured to indicate a fixed value.

  Details of the main circuit board 100 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. Only those related to the gist of the present invention will be described here. As shown in FIG. 3, the system LSI 120 includes a main arithmetic unit 301, a bus interface unit 302, a bus function switching unit 303, a sub circuit board determination unit 304, and an input / output port unit 305. Yes. A system bus 310 in the system LSI 120 connects a main arithmetic unit 301, a bus interface unit 302, and an input / output port unit 305. The main circuit board 100 is mounted with SRAM 320 and SDRAM 330 which are volatile storage means and a flash memory 340 which is a nonvolatile storage means. Each memory 320 to 340 is connected to the system bus 310 of the system LSI 120. The flash memory 340 stores an initial processing program 341 and a main control program 342 that are executed during the initial operation of the control device. The SRAM 320 is for holding various data during operation of the control device, and is backed up by a battery (not shown). The SDRAM 330 stores a main control program 342 transferred from the flash memory 340 and a sub control program 235 transferred from the sub circuit board 200 by an initial processing program 341 as will be described later.

  The bus interface unit 302 is connected to the control circuit 220 on the sub circuit board 200 which is an external circuit when the sub circuit board 200 is mounted and the sub circuit board 200 is connected via the system bus. The access speed between each function unit in the system LSI 120 and each of the memories 320 to 340 is adjusted. That is, the access speed to the control circuit 220 on the sub circuit board 200 that is an external circuit is often slower than the access speed to each functional unit in the system LSI 120 and each of the memories 320 to 340. Therefore, the bus interface unit 302 performs clock wait control for an external circuit to control the access speed in the system bus 310 to be slow. As a result, access to the control circuit 220 on the sub circuit board 200 does not adversely affect the operation of the system bus 310 (mainly decrease in access speed).

  The sub circuit board discriminating unit 304 discriminates the type of the sub circuit board 200 by detecting that the sub circuit board 200 is attached to the first connector 110 and detecting the identifier from the identifier holding unit 240 of the sub circuit board 200. . Here, the sub circuit board determination unit 304 determines at least whether the connection form with the sub circuit board 200 is a system bus or an input / output port.

  When the connection form determined by the sub circuit board determination unit 304 is a system bus, the bus function switching unit 303 performs a switching process so that the bus line 121 of the system LSI 120 is connected to the system bus 310. On the other hand, the bus function switching unit 303 connects the line 311 connected to the input / output port unit 305 to the bus line 121 of the system LSI 120 when the connection form determined by the sub circuit board determination unit 304 is an input / output port. The switching process is performed as follows.

  Next, the operation of the control device of the vending machine according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the control device, the main processing unit 301 executes the initial processing program 341 stored in the flash memory 340 by power-on or reset operation. In the processing of the initial processing program 341, first, the main control program 342 stored in the flash memory 340 is transferred to the SDRAM 330 (step S1). Next, when the sub circuit board discriminating unit 304 detects that the sub circuit board 200 is attached to the first connector 110 (step S2), when the connection form of the sub circuit board 200 is an input / output port, (Step S3), the bus function switching unit 303 performs a switching process so as to connect the line 311 connected to the input / output port unit 305 and the bus line 121 of the system LSI 120 (Step S4). On the other hand, when the connection form of the sub circuit board 200 is a system bus (step S3), the bus function switching unit 303 performs a switching process so that the bus line 121 of the system LSI 120 and the system bus 310 are connected. (Step S5). Further, when the sub control program 235 is stored in the sub circuit board 200 (step S6), the sub control program 235 is transferred to the SDRAM 330 (step S7). After the above processing, the main arithmetic unit 301 shifts the processing to the main control program 342 stored in the SDRAM 330 (step S8). Note that the main control program 342 can cause the sub circuit board 200 to function by calling the program as necessary when the sub control program 235 exists.

  As described above in detail, according to the control device of the vending machine according to the present embodiment, the main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board 200 are provided, and the sub circuit board 200 may be mounted as necessary. Therefore, versatility is improved and miniaturization is facilitated. Further, the main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board 200 are directly fitted into the first connector 110 and the second connector 210, and the main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board 200 are arranged in parallel to each other. Therefore, downsizing becomes easy. In addition, the bus line 121 of the system LSI 120 of the main circuit board 100 is connected to the first connector 110, and the function of the bus line 121 can be switched as a system bus or an input / output port. As a result, various sub circuit boards 200 can be used, and the circuit can be simplified. Furthermore, since the switching of the bus line 121 is automatically performed, it is possible to prevent an erroneous setting at the time of assembling and reduce the labor of assembling. Further, even when a sub control program for the sub circuit board 200 is necessary, the sub control program is automatically read into the main circuit board 100, so that it is possible to prevent erroneous settings and reduce the time and effort of assembly.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above embodiment, the main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board 200 are arranged so as to overlap each other, but a connection form may be used. In the above embodiment, the main circuit board 100 and the sub circuit board 200 are directly connected by the connector, but may be connected via a cable. In the above embodiment, the gate array IC is used as the microcomputer, but other types of ICs may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Main circuit board, 110 ... 1st connector, 120 ... System LSI, 121 ... Bus line, 303 ... Bus function switching part, 304 ... Sub circuit board discrimination | determination part, 306 ... Input / output port part, 310 ... System bus, 200 ... sub circuit board, 210 ... second connector.

Claims (6)

In a control device comprising a main circuit board on which a microcomputer and a memory storing a main control program are mounted, and the microcomputer controls various devices of the vending machine by executing the main control program,
The main circuit board is provided with a first connector connected to a bus line of the microcomputer, and a control means for switching the microcomputer bus line to a function of a bus interface or an input / output port. Vending machine control device. The sub circuit board provided with the second connector can be mounted by fitting the first connector of the main circuit board and the second connector of the sub circuit board. Vending machine control device as described. The control device for a vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the sub circuit board is arranged so as to be parallel to the main circuit board. The control device for a vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the control means identifies the type of the sub circuit board mounted on the first connector, and switches the function of the bus line based on the identification result. The sub circuit board is provided with a memory for storing a sub control program for its own executed by the microcomputer of the main circuit board or control data necessary for its own control,
The automatic circuit board according to claim 2, wherein the main circuit board reads the sub control program or the control data from the memory of the sub circuit board into the memory of the main circuit board when the sub circuit board is mounted on the first connector. Vending machine control device. 2. The vending machine control according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer of the main circuit board comprises arbitration means for arbitrating the access speed between the bus line functioning as a bus interface and the internal system bus. apparatus.

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