JP5348813B2 - Boot ROM mounted board - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a boot ROM mounting board capable of using a device connected to the board as a boot device even when a board on which any extended ROM for boot is not mounted or a board on which the extended ROM is mounted without any boot function is connected to a computer. SOLUTION: A boot ROM PCI board 50 connected to a PCI bus 21 is provided with a flash ROM 51 stored with a 'BIOS for boot' having a function for retrieving and initializing the board address of a PCI/USB interface board 40 as a boot board address. At the time of starting the PC, a USB hard disk 41 connected to the PCI/USB interface board 40 without any boot function is used as a boot device based on the 'BISO for boot'.

Description

  The present invention relates to a boot ROM mounted board connected to a computer bus, particularly a personal computer PCI bus or ISA bus.

  The BIOS mounted on the flash ROM or the like of the computer main body sets a specific external storage device that can be booted when the computer starts up. For example, an internal hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive (FDD) ) And CD-ROM are set as bootable storage devices. Therefore, as long as one of these is connected to the computer main body and at least the IPL (Initial Program Loader: OS boot program) is correctly stored in the storage device, the OS is turned on by turning on the computer main body. Can be launched normally.

  FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a schematic operation of the computer main body when the power is turned on. When the computer body is turned on or the reset button is operated, the BIOS is activated (ST20), and self-diagnosis and initialization processing of peripheral LSIs and peripheral devices are performed (ST21). Further, the bootable external storage device (boot device) is searched (ST22), and the IPL (OS boot program) from the external storage device with the highest priority among the devices obtained as a result of the search is read into the memory. At the same time, after the reading is completed, control is passed to the IPL (ST23). Further, the OS body is loaded by this IPL (ST24), and control is passed to the OS after the loading is completed (ST25).

  In general, since the HDD built in the computer is set as a bootable external storage device, unless the floppy disk is inserted in a higher priority FDD device, in ST24, the internal HDD The IPL is read.

Problems to be solved by the invention

  However, the BIOS has certain restrictions on the external storage device that is set to be bootable when the computer starts. In many cases, there are three types of external storage devices that can be booted: FDD, internal HDD, and CD-ROM, and other external storage devices such as external HDDs are not set as bootable devices. For this reason, there are some inconvenient aspects in using the computer.

  First, when it is desired to start an OS different from the OS stored in the internal HDD or CD-ROM, the OS cannot be started only by installing the different OS on the external HDD. In this case, a method of setting a partition in the built-in HDD and storing two OSs in each partition area is conceivable. However, when the capacity of the built-in HDD is insufficient, it is necessary to replace the built-in HDD itself with a large-capacity one. Also, it is possible to load the IPL from the FDD at the start of computer startup and then load the OS main unit from the external HDD by utility software. In this case, the above procedure is written. In addition, it is necessary to separately prepare utility software and to prepare a floppy disk storing the IPL separately.

  Further, an external memory for boot (extension ROM) is mounted on the interface board to which the external HDD is connected, and the external BIOS is activated as a boot device by storing the boot BIOS in the expansion ROM. However, if an expansion ROM having this function is not mounted, the external HDD cannot be used as a boot device.

  The object of the present invention is to boot a device connected to a board, even if an expansion ROM for booting is not mounted, or even if an expansion ROM is mounted and a board without a boot function is connected to a computer An object of the present invention is to provide a boot ROM mounted board that can be used as a device.

Means for solving the problem

  The present invention is configured as follows to solve the above-described problems.

(1) In a board that can be mounted on a computer, having an expansion memory that maps to a memory area on the computer at the start of computer startup, and having a predetermined function that operates after the start of startup in the expansion memory,
In the expansion memory, a boot BIOS having a function of searching for and initializing another board address to which a boot device that cannot be recognized as bootable by the BIOS on the computer is connected as a boot board address. Is remembered,
The board includes a bridge circuit that forms a bus in the board;
By connecting to the bus, the controller of the other board address to which the boot device that the BIOS on the computer cannot recognize as bootable is connected, and the expansion memory in which the boot BIOS is stored. The other board and the expansion memory are configured on one board .

  An expansion ROM that can be mounted on a PCI bus used for a personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as a PC), for example, is provided on a board that can be mounted on a computer and includes an expansion memory that maps to a memory area on the computer when the computer starts. There is a PCI board with an extension, and an ISA board with an expansion ROM that can be mounted on a PC ISA bus. Since the expansion memory mounted on these boards is mapped to the memory area of the PC at the start of startup, if the boot program is written in this expansion memory and the boot function is provided, the expansion ROM Allows booting. Normally, when a board with this boot function is used, the device connected to the board itself is used as the boot device in the expansion memory so that the device connected to the board can be used as a boot device. As a search program is written. For example, in a SCSI PCI board with an expansion memory (extension ROM), a program for searching for a SCSI device connected to the board as a boot device is written in the expansion memory (extension ROM).

When the board with the boot ROM of the present invention is not equipped with such an extended memory or has a board with no boot function even though the extended memory is installed, the device connected to this board is not It can be used as a boot device. That is, the boot ROM board of the present invention is
(1) While searching and initializing the address of another board to which an external HDD or the like as a boot device is connected as a boot address,
(2) Has a function to search for the boot device.
An extended memory storing a boot BIOS is mounted as a boot ROM.

As a result, for example, even when a USB interface board not mounted with an expansion ROM is connected to a PCI bus or ISA bus, the board of the present invention is separately mounted on these buses, and the other BIOS in the boot BIOS By setting a board (board to be booted) as a USB interface board, a USB device connected to the USB interface board can be used as a boot device.
In the present invention, the boot device is connected to the controller, and the boot BIOS that enables the boot device to be booted is stored in the expansion memory, so that the other board and the boot ROM to which the boot device is connected There is no need to mount each board separately.

(2) pre-Symbol boot BIOS, without using the boot ROM mounted board address, searches the boot device is initialized to search for other boards address connected boot device as the boot board address It is characterized by having a function.

Standard Windows 95 as O S, 98, 2000 When using (manufactured by Microsoft Corporation), a specific register (AX register) the connected board address (the other boards address) of the boot device in the P C Normally, the board corresponding to this address information is recognized as a board to which the boot device is connected. In the present invention, the address information is set in this AX register. The other board address to which the boot device is connected is searched and initialized as a boot board address without using the existing board address, and the boot device is searched.

(3) the board, the second edge terminal connected to the first edge terminals and said different types of second bus slot from the first bus slot coupled to the first bus slot of the computer When, but it is made form the opposite sides, respectively.

The present invention, in 2 opposite sides of the boot ROM mounting board is respectively a second terminal that can be implemented to a first terminal and a second bus that can be implemented on the first bus that respectively. As a result, it can be mounted on either bus.

  FIG. 2 shows a typical functional block diagram of an x86 processor (including an Intel Pentium processor, etc.) and a PC with a similar processor.

  As shown in the figure, the PC is a CPU 1 composed of an x86 processor, a memory / PCI control chip set 2, a cache memory 3, a main memory 4, a hard disk 5, a graphics display mechanism 6, a bridge circuit 7, a floppy disk. 8, a keyboard / mouse 9, a serial / parallel interface 10, and the like.

  The memory / PCI control chip set 2, the cache memory 3, and the main memory 4 are connected to an ultra high speed processor bus 20, and the hard disk 5, the graphics display mechanism 6, and the bridge circuit 7 are connected to a high speed PCI bus 21. Yes. The floppy disk 8, the keyboard / mouse 9, and the serial / parallel interface 10 are connected to a low-speed ISA bus (or C bus) 22. The bridge circuit 7 interfaces the PCI bus 21 and the ISA bus 22. The memory / PCI control chip set 2 has a function of controlling devices directly under the CPU such as the main memory 4, the cache memory 3, and the bus.

FIG. 3 shows a boot ROM ISA board according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The boot ROM ISA board 30 is mounted on the ISA bus 22,
(1) A flash ROM 31 corresponding to the expansion memory (expansion ROM) of the present invention and storing a boot BIOS;
(2) An interface circuit 32 for interfacing the ISA bus 22 and the flash ROM 31;
(3) An address decoder 33 for determining an address for memory mapping the memory area of the flash ROM 31 to the expansion ROM area of the PC memory;
It has.

  A PCI / USB interface board 40 is mounted on the PCI bus 21, and a USB hard disk 41 to be used as a boot device is connected to the board 40. Since the expansion memory (expansion ROM) is not mounted on the PCI-USB interface board 40, the USB hard disk 41 cannot be used as a boot device as it is. However, the flash ROM 31 of the boot ROM ISA board 30 stores a boot BIOS having a function of searching for and initializing the board address of the PCI-USB interface board 40 as a boot address and searching for the USB hard disk 41 as a boot device. In addition, the address decoder 33 executes the boot BIOS stored in the flash ROM 31 at the start of the PC startup in order to perform address decoding for memory mapping the area of the flash ROM 31 to the extended ROM area of the PC. Thus, the USB hard disk 41 is set as a boot device.

  In this way, even if the PCI-USB interface board 40 is a board that does not include an expansion memory (expansion ROM), the USB hard disk 41 is used as a boot device by mounting the boot ROM ISA board 30 on the ISA bus 22. can do. In this embodiment, there is no PCI bus slot or there is a shortage. However, when there is an ISA bus slot, this slot can be used effectively.

  FIG. 4 shows how the memory area of the flash ROM 31 is memory-mapped to the extended ROM area of the PC. The expansion ROM area of the main memory 4 of the PC is set in advance to a specific address (for example, after C0000 or D0000 address). In this embodiment, the expansion ROM image is a boot BIOS image, and the memory mapped contents are executed when the PC is started up.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when the PC starts to be started by operating the power-on key or the reset key of the PC.

  When the power-on key or the reset key is operated, the BIOS of the PC (referred to as “PC-BIOS”) is activated (ST1), and processes such as self-diagnosis and initialization are performed (ST2). Next, “PC-BIOS” searches for a ROM image that is memory-mapped in the expansion ROM area. When a specific value (55h, AAh) is found, it recognizes it as an expansion ROM, and controls “PC-BIOS” from “PC-BIOS” to “ Move to “Boot BIOS” and execute the program (ST3). The specific value (55h, AAh) is a value corresponding to “Signature” representing BIOS in the AT compatible machine.

  In ST4, “Boot BIOS” searches for a PCI-USB interface board 40 set in advance as a board to be booted. As a result, the PCI-USB interface board 40 mounted on the PCI bus 21 is found, and the board 40 is initialized. Also, the USB hard disk 41 connected to the board 40 is searched as a boot device, and a connection confirmation is notified to “PC-BIOS” (ST5). Subsequently, in response to the IPL load request from “PC-BIOS”, the “boot BIOS” processes this request, reads the IPL program from the USB hard disk 41, and transfers it to the PC. Through the above process, the boot process from the USB hard disk 41 is performed. Thereafter, the OS main body is loaded from the set device by executing the IPL program. When the USB hard disk 41 is written in the IPL program as the load source of the OS main body, the OS main body is loaded from the USB hard disk 41 following the IPL load process. In the above operation, it is assumed that the USB hard disk 41 is assigned as a boot device in “PC-BIOS”. Normally, this assignment can be performed by calling a setting screen while “PC-BIOS” is activated.

  FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of the boot ROM PCI board 50 according to the second embodiment of this invention.

The boot ROM PCI board 50 is connected to the PCI bus 21 and includes (1) a flash ROM 51 equipped with “boot BIOS”;
(2) Interface circuit 52 between the PCI bus 21 and the flash ROM 51;
(3) A PCI controller 53 which is provided with a “Configuration” register necessary for the PCI board and indicates that the flash ROM 51 is mounted by setting the extended ROM base address;
It has.

  The PCI controller 53 is connected to the PCI bus 21.

  By using this board 50, the USB hard disk 41 can be used as a boot device. That is, the “PC-BIOS” recognizes that the boot ROM PCI board 50 is mounted with the flash ROM 51 which is the expansion ROM, and the boot BIOS image of the flash ROM 51 is stored in the expansion ROM area of the main memory of the PC. Memory map and start boot entry execution. In the boot entry, when the control is transferred to the “boot BIOS”, the USB interface board (PCI-USB interface board) 40 having no boot function is searched on the PCI bus 21 by itself, and when found, the board 40 is found. And the USB hard disk 41 is searched as a boot device, and a connection confirmation is notified to “PC-BIOS”.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation when the PC starts to be started by operating the power-on key or the reset key of the PC.

  When the PC power-on key or reset key is operated to start the PC, “PC-BIOS” is started (ST10), and processes such as self-diagnosis and initialization are performed (ST11). Next, “PC-BIOS” reads the contents of the “Configuration” register provided in the PCI controller 53 in the boot ROM PCI board 50. This “Configuration” register stores information indicating that the expansion ROM is provided on the board 50. By reading this information, “PC-BIOS” recognizes that the expansion ROM is mounted on the boot ROM PCI board 50 (ST13). “PC-BIOS” writes the memory address to be mapped to the “Expand ROM ADDRESS” section in the “Configuration” register, and memory maps the expansion ROM of the board 50 to the PC side (ST14). Next, “PC-BIOS” looks at the header portion “PCI Expand ROM Header” of the ROM image mapped to the memory, confirms that the value of (55h, AAh) is set, and uses the correct expansion ROM. Recognize that it exists (ST15). “PC-BIOS” reads the “PCI Data Structure” part shown in the header part, confirms “PCIR” with the ASCII character string, and then sets “Vender ID” and “Device ID” set there. "Is matched with" Vender ID "and" Device ID "of the board 50 (ST16). After the above processing, “PC-BIOS” copies the ROM image of the memory-mapped board 50 to the expansion ROM area of the PC, and executes the program (“boot BIOS”). Thereafter, the boot entry is executed after ST18, and control is transferred to the “boot BIOS”.

  “Boot BIOS” searches for the PCI-USB interface board 40 set in advance as a board to be booted without using the board address value set in the PC register (AX register). . Normally, since a boot device is connected to a board on which “boot BIOS” is mounted, a board on which the expansion ROM of “boot BIOS” is mounted in the AX register, that is, in FIG. The address information of the board 50 is set, and the board address of the board 50 is searched and initialized as the boot board address based on the information of the AX register. In the board 50 of this embodiment, the address information of the AX register is used. Without searching, a board other than the board 50 set in advance as a board to be booted, for example, a USB interface board having no boot function (in FIG. 6, PCI-USB interface board 40) is searched for (ST18). Then, the “boot BIOS” initializes the PCI-USB interface board 40 found by the above search, searches the USB hard disk 41 connected to the board 40 as a boot device, and connects to the “PC-BIOS”. Confirmation is notified (ST19). Thereafter, in ST20, the IPL loading from the USB hard disk 41 and the OS main body loading processing are performed as in ST6.

  As described above, by connecting the boot ROM PCI board 50 of this embodiment to the PCI bus 21, the USB hard disk 41 connected to the PCI-USB interface board 40 having no expansion ROM is used as a boot device. be able to.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration of a boot ROM PCI board according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This boot ROM PCI board 60 is
(1) A flash ROM 61 storing “boot BIOS”;
(2) Interface circuit 62 between the PCI bus and the flash ROM 61;
(3) PCI controller 63 including a “Configuration” register in which information on “extended ROM is present” is stored;
(4) Controller chip 64 having no boot function;
(5) PCI-PCI bridge chip 65;
It has. The controller chip 64 includes, for example, a controller for a PCI-USB interface, a controller for a PCI-IEEE1394 interface, and the like. The PCI bridge chip 65 bridges the PCI bus 21 and the internal PCI bus. used. Further, the interface circuit 62 and the PCI target controller 63 are constituted by one chip.

  The board 60 of this embodiment is configured by configuring the board 50 and the PCI-USB interface board 40 shown in FIG. 6 on one board. This has the advantage that only one PCI slot is required.

  FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a boot ROM PCI board according to the fourth embodiment of this invention.

The boot ROM PCI board 70 of this embodiment is
(1) A flash ROM 71 on which a boot BIOS is mounted;
(2) A controller chip 73 similar to the controller chip 64 of FIG.
(3) a PCI-PCI bridge chip 72 having an interface circuit between the flash ROM 71 and the PCI bus 21;
Consists of. Compared with the board 60 shown in FIG. 8, the board 70 may be reduced by one chip and may be three, which is slightly advantageous in terms of mounting area. Similarly to the board 60 shown in FIG. 8, the boot ROM PCI board 70 has an advantage that only one PCI slot is required.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the outer shape of the boot ROM mounted board according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In this boot ROM mounting board, ISA edge terminals 81 and PCI edge terminals 82 are formed on both side surfaces of a rectangular substrate 80. The board configuration is a combination of the board 30 of FIG. 3 and the board 50 of FIG. 6 (or the board 60 of FIG. 8 or the board 70 of FIG. 9), which is an interface circuit for the ISA bus and a PCI bus. Each interface circuit is provided, and each interface circuit is connected to an ISA edge terminal 81 and a PCI edge terminal 82. With such a configuration, it can be mounted in either the ISA bus slot or the PCI bus slot.

Effect of the invention

  According to the present invention, even when a device to be booted is connected to a board without a boot function, the device to be booted can be used as a boot device by mounting the board according to the present invention. For this reason, by installing another OS different from the OS stored in the hard disk built in the PC in the boot device, it is possible to easily start this other OS. Can be better.

Flow chart showing the operation of the personal computer OS Typical functional block diagram of a personal computer The figure which shows the structure of the boot ROM ISA board of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. Diagram showing the memory map of the extended ROM area Flowchart showing the operation at the start of PC startup when the boot ROM ISA board is used The figure which shows the structure of the booed ROM PCI board of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of the PC starting start at the time of using the said boot ROM PCI board Configuration diagram of boot ROM PCI board of third embodiment of the present invention Configuration diagram of boot ROM PCI board of the fourth embodiment of the present invention Plane outline drawing of boot ROM mounting board of fifth embodiment of the present invention

Claims (3)

In a board that can be mounted on a computer, having an expansion memory that maps to a memory area on the computer at the start of the computer start, and having a predetermined function that operates after the start of the expansion memory,
In the expansion memory, a boot BIOS having a function of searching for and initializing another board address to which a boot device that cannot be recognized as bootable by the BIOS on the computer is connected as a boot board address. Is remembered,
The board includes a bridge circuit that forms a bus in the board;
By connecting to the bus, the controller of the other board address to which the boot device that the BIOS on the computer cannot recognize as bootable is connected, and the expansion memory in which the boot BIOS is stored. A boot ROM mounting board , wherein the other board and the expansion memory are configured on one board.
Before Symbol boot BIOS, without using the boot ROM mounted board address, with the ability to search the boot device is initialized to search for other boards address connected boot device as the boot board address The boot ROM mounting board according to claim 1, wherein:
The board includes a second edge terminal in which the first edge terminal connected to the first bus slot of the computer, and the first bus slot are connected to different types of second bus slot, but They are respectively made form on opposite sides, according to claim 1 or boot ROM mounting board according to claim 2, wherein.

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