JPH01145774A - Network system for personal computer cad - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To take out data from the memory of a large capacity at high speed by connecting respective personal computers CAD by a LAN (Local area network), connecting the memory of the large capacity to the LAN and unitary managing the CAD data. CONSTITUTION:The personal computers CAD (Computer Aided Design) 1a, 1b, 1c, the large capacity memory device 4 for storing a graphic used therefor or symbol data are connected to the LAN 3 and a LAN communication control program operating while a DOS is idle or at the time interrupting a timer, is incorporated in the DOS (disk operating system) of the respective personal computers. Thereby, even during the execution of the program of the personal computers CAD 1a, 1b, 1c, the data from the large capacity memory device 4 can be dynamically taken out to improve a design efficiency.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a personal computer CAD system that connects a personal computer CAD and a large-capacity memory to a LAN to centrally manage CAD data. The present invention relates to a personal computer CAD network system suitable for performing similar design work.

[Conventional technology]

In the field of drafting, large-scale CAD (Compute
Decentralization is progressing from computer CAD (rAided Design) to PC CAD, which has realized multiple functions, high performance, and low cost.

This is due to the high cost performance of PC CAD, and the secret of its rapid growth is thought to be the fact that some of the functions that were monopolized by minicomputer CAD and above were realized on inexpensive PCs.

Because of this ease of purchase, the user base is expanding, and CAD is becoming widespread and established in all fields such as architecture, engineering, machinery, electronics, and apparel.

Although the general-purpose CAD systems supplied on the market have excellent functions, their versatility is limited when the target of CAD is work other than drawings, such as basic design, performance evaluation, and estimation. It's coming. For this reason, even if the object is drawing, systems are being developed for each purpose and by adding new functions and customizing them to suit the user's specifications.

In other words, PC CAD is a stand-alone system in each field where each designer independently uses one PC C
It is now my turn to design using AD.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional computer CAD system, design drawings were saved and created using a hard disk drive of the personal computer. Therefore, when a plurality of these personal computer CADs are used to perform the same design work, the following problems occur.

(1) When drawing using a stand-alone PC CAD, for example, you may want to improve design and development efficiency by creating a unified database in the design department and accumulating the drawing data, but due to storage capacity. I don't have all the data from. Therefore, there are cases where data held by other computers is retrieved and used for design work. In such a case, since data is received and transferred via a floppy disk, the design work using the personal computer CAD is temporarily interrupted, which reduces the efficiency of the design work.

(2) Also, when drawing using a computer CAD,
A master drawing that meets the company's specifications or the customer's specifications is pulled out and the design work is carried out on that drawing. If there are many master drawings, they are all registered in the disk drive of each computer. This is unreasonable, and if such drawings were required, they were registered in the disk device each time a design was made. Furthermore, when a new customer is acquired and a new master drawing is to be registered for that customer, the same registration is required for each personal computer.

Furthermore, new symbols and the like are sometimes registered in order to efficiently carry out design work, and the same thing has happened in such cases as well.

In this way, if you manage computer CAD data individually, you will have to check which version of symbol data, part data, or master drawings are included, and what types of things are included in the design work. This made the design work complicated when multiple people worked together to design the same system.

(3) Also, the multi-tasking and multi-window functions are
This is done while comparing several types of data and while proceeding with drafting work, but the storage capacity of the personal computer CAD is limited, and it has not been possible to achieve sufficient functionality.

As described above, the present invention addresses the above-mentioned drawbacks, and centralizes the CAD data by connecting each personal computer CAD with a local area network (LAN) and connecting a large capacity memory to the LAN. A computer C that realizes management and can quickly retrieve data from large-capacity memory even while the computer's CAD program is running.
The purpose is to provide an AD network system.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides C
The AD system incorporates a large-capacity memory device for storing data such as part data, figure data, drawing data, or symbol data used in the CAD system, and a LAN communication control program that can be started in parallel with the CAD program. A personal computer equipped with a CAD program that stores an index for indexing data stored in a large-capacity memory device and retrieves the data using the index, and data communication between these individual computers and the large-capacity memory device. It consists of a LAN that performs
A personal computer C characterized in that data such as symbols, etc., instructed during execution of a personal computer CAD program is retrieved from a large capacity memory device without interrupting the CAD program.
It consists of an AD network system.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 shows a network system for personal computer CAD according to the present invention, in which (1) is a personal computer in which a LAN communication control program is incorporated into a conventional stand-alone personal computer CAD, (2) is a LAN communication control device, and (3) indicates a local area network.

The local area network (hereinafter referred to as LAN) represents a loop type embodiment. (4) is the computer CAD
This figure shows an optical disk device that centrally manages data.

Next, Figure 2 is a software configuration diagram of this personal computer CAD system. (5) is a DOS (disk operating system) that centrally manages and controls the personal computer CAD, and is activated by an interrupt signal in the resident area of the D08 (5). A LAN control program (6) and a file transfer control program (7) are incorporated.

This LAN control program (6) is LAN +3
) is a program that performs data network service between PCs (1a) connected to Ike.
It is activated by an interrupt from a node device (not shown) branching from (3), has a multitasking function, and is configured to be able to perform parallel processing with the CAD program (9a). In addition, the file transfer program (7a) also has a multitasking function as described above, and the DOS
(5a), it has the function of taking charge of transmission and reception with the LAN control program (6). The functional outline is the LAN control program (6) and this program (08 of I80 from ζ).
It implements the lower three layers of the I reference model, and at level 1 it implements Internet datagrams, and its function is to send and receive standard Internet packets. Level 1 exchanges packets with the corresponding level 2 process. Correspondence with level 2 is determined by packet type.

The packet type is set in the level 1 header.

(8) is a file transfer program that starts the LAN, and performs file transfer using the following series of transfer commands.

(LANFIL: Frame 7 to start file transfer
F) - (Other party I Dl'h) ・(T R1/ 1
1. Distinction (■): Sent text is a received statement) (drive specification + transfer source file name) (drive specification + destination file name).

A flow diagram of this program (8) is shown in FIG.

In Figure 3, when transferring a file onto LAN+3), first open the source data file (81).
After L/, open the line (82) and declare a call to the L/file transfer control program (7). Then, in order to input a flag for identification at the beginning of the data, a packet type entry (83) is performed. Next, the transfer destination file name is transmitted (84) L/, and the received data, which is an answer signal indicating completion of reception, is confirmed (S5). If the reception status is OK, the necessary file data is transmitted (86). When the other party completes receiving the data (S7), it closes the line and stops receiving the data (S7).
88). Then, delete the packet type registration and use LA.
N (3) Detach the above packet (89) and close the transfer source file (STO) to complete a series of file transfer processing.

Next, returning to Figure 2, in the figure (9) is a CAD program. In this CAD program (9), in order to leave the design procedure to the method that engineers are accustomed to, the procedure of drawing using a compass and ruler is thoroughly analyzed, and the corresponding menu is neglected. The selection of this menu and target elements is at the user's discretion, and it has a high level of conversational nature that allows any order of operations to be performed as long as there is no self-contradiction. For example, in the case of inputting coordinate axes, there is not only a method for inputting a complete set of We are prepared. At first glance, this method requires a large number of operations and seems complicated, but the total number of key operations is not wasted, and when combined with the function to cancel operations using the YN key, it allows engineers to freely respond to their flow of thought. This enables easy drawing procedures. In operation, multiple basic functions are assigned to function keys, and by selecting one, a menu with more detailed functions is displayed at the bottom of the screen. At the same time, a message appears at the bottom of the screen to guide you through the next possible action. This makes it possible to use it with only a little learning. (2)
The above-mentioned programs and data are stored in the magnetic disk device.

αη is a tablet, and the symbol on the tablet αυ,
This is an input panel for inputting characters, etc. using an input device such as a mouse. QO is a graphic display.

In addition, (1b) shows an example in which an optical disc (4) is connected to a personal computer, and the optical disc control program Qa
b). This optical disk control program (18b) has a function that allows parallel processing under QO8 (5b), and even if the personal computer (1b) is in operation or unattended, the computer (]b) is powered on. As long as the optical disk is installed, other computers can retrieve the data on the optical disk.

Next, the communication procedure when a symbol request is made from the personal computer (1) to the optical disk device (4) connected to the LAN (3) will be explained with reference to FIG.

In this figure, a case will be explained in which an optical disk device (4) is directly connected to a LAN (3) without going through a personal computer (1).

In the figure, when a symbol input request is received from a tablet connected to a personal computer (1) through a mouse (not shown), a file transfer request is issued from a CAD program or the like, and a LAN control program (6) is activated. The LAN control program (6) opens the line and transmits the requested symbol name from the user program CAI). The symbol name is made into a certain transmission statement by the program (6) and is transmitted as a packet on the LAN (3). This packet is sent to the corresponding optical disk device (4
) accepts the message, activates the LAN control program (6), and receives the symbol name. When the LAN control program (6) receives this symbol name, it starts the optical disk control program 04 and searches for the symbol name stored in the optical disk device (April). When the search is completed, the LAN control program (6)
confirms this and places it on the OK double signal L A N (3).

When the personal computer that issued the symbol request receives this packet, it is found that there is data corresponding to the symbol name, so the LAN control program (6) of the personal computer (1)
issues the data transmission request.

When the optical disk device side receives this request, the LAN control program (6) is activated, starts the optical disk control program α→, reads the data, and when the data reading is completed, requests the LAN control program (6) to send data. and send the data to L A N (3)
Place on top.

When the T and AN control program (6) of the relevant personal computer (1) receives this data, it checks that there are no errors in the data and then closes the line. Then, the symbol name is displayed on the graphic display o1, and the symbol figure is displayed at the position specified by the operator, thereby completing a series of processes.

The reading process of symbol data from the optical disk device (4) described above is performed in parallel with the CAD program (7), so the operator can design without being aware of these background processes. I can proceed.

Next, in Figure 5, the optical disk device (4) is connected to the computer (1).
The processing procedure for background processing when connected to is explained below.

In the figure, when there is a symbol request from another computer (1) connected to the LAN (3), as mentioned above,
The file transfer program (8), file transfer control program (7), and LAN control program (6) of the personal computer (1) are activated to issue a symbol request on the LAN (3).

The personal computer (1) to which the optical disk device (4) is connected receives this request, starts the LAN control program (6) of the personal computer (1), and issues a symbol request interrupt to DOS (5). generate.

When DOS (5) receives this interrupt request, DOS
If (5) is not servicing C's program, D
08 (5) issues an R, E A D request to the optical disk control program (to) and starts the program. The optical disc control program 03 then performs a search process for the requested symbol name, temporarily stores the data in a buffer, and completes data reading from the optical disc. When this reading process is completed, DOS (5)
starts the file transfer control program (7) and notifies the calling computer (1) that the process has been completed.As mentioned above, the calling computer (1) receives this signal and transfers the data. issue a transmission request and receive the data read into the buffer earlier.

Next, if D08 (5) is in service when the calling PC (1) issues a symbol request, the file transfer program (7) temporarily saves the request data and sends it to DOS (5). Cancels interrupt processing.

Meanwhile, DOS (5) continues servicing the program and completes the process. During this time, the file transfer control program (7) constantly checks the service status of D08 (5), and if DOS (5) is in service of another program, the file transfer control program (7) transfers B, E A I) It is configured to issue requests and quickly process requests from the calling PC (1). Then, the 1'tEAD request is
When issued from (5), the symbol data on the optical disk is read out and transmitted to the calling PC as described above.

As described above, the file transfer control program (7) is configured with only the minimum necessary functions in order to increase the display response to the graphic display 01 connected to the calling side personal computer (1).

In addition, in the embodiment, a loop type L is used as the LAN system.
As mentioned above, AN is not limited to this, but a star network configuration in which a large-capacity memory device is placed in the center and connected to each computer, or a common bus is provided for the communication line of each computer and connected to this. It may also be in the form of a bus. Further, the communication medium may be optical fiber or metal.

Further, in the network system shown in FIG. 1, a line server may be provided on the LAN loop to collectively manage communication data on the LAN.

Further, in the embodiment, an optical disk device is used as the large-capacity memory device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any device such as an optical memory device may be used as long as it is capable of high-speed reading. Furthermore, a subsystem may be incorporated to provide approval for entries to the database to prevent the database from being changed or rewritten without knowledge.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention connects a personal computer CAD and a large-capacity memory device that stores graphic or symbol data used therein to a LAN, and also stores 1) O8 in the DOS of each personal computer that operates while idle or when a timer interrupt occurs. L to do
Since the AN communication control program is installed, PC CA
Even while the D program is being executed, data can be dynamically retrieved from the large capacity memory device. Therefore, unlike in the past, when the required graphic data, etc. was not stored on the disk device connected to the computer, the design work was temporarily interrupted to import the data, but this is no longer the case. Efficiency improved.

In addition, by storing graphic data, symbol data, etc. in a large-capacity memory device and centrally managing the data, disk space within each computer can be saved, and symbol data, etc. can be updated and deleted in one place. Now I can do things easily.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, @114 is a network system diagram of a PC CAD according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a software configuration diagram of a PC CAD connected to a LAN, and Figure 3 is a file transfer diagram. A processing flow diagram of the control program. Figure 4 shows the communication procedure between the personal computer and the optical disk device when the optical disk device is directly connected to the LAN. Figure 5 shows the optical disk device connected to the computer to form a network. The communication procedures between computers in each case are shown below. (1aX1b)Qc)--・PC0AD1(28X
2bX2C) ・LAN communication disaster 11 (3)...
Local area network, 4... Optical disk device, (5aX5b)-D OS. (6a) (6b) ・LAN control program, (7
a) (7b)...File transfer control program, (8
a) (8b)...File transfer program, (98X
9b)-CAD. (10aX10b)...Graphic display,
(11aX11b)=・#F L/7), (12a
)(12b)...Magnetic disk, (tab)...Optical disk control program. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure Hama 4 Figure

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a CAD system using a computer, CAD
A large-capacity memory device for storing data such as parts data, figure data, drawing data, or symbol data used in the system, and a LAN communication control program that can be started in parallel with the CAD program are incorporated, and the system is stored in the large-capacity memory device. The computer consists of a personal computer equipped with a CAD program that stores an index for indexing data and retrieves the data using the index, and a LAN that performs data communication between these individual computers and a large-capacity memory device. A personal computer CAD network system characterized in that data such as symbols specified during execution of a CAD program is retrieved from a large-capacity memory device without interrupting the CAD program. (2) LAN communication control program controls CAD
Personal computer C according to claim 1, characterized in that it is activated during idle time of the OS (disk operating system) or at the time of a timer interrupt.
AD network system. (3) A personal computer CAD network system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the large capacity memory device is connected to a personal computer connected to a LAN. (4) A personal computer CAD network system according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the large-capacity memory device is an optical disk device. (5) The personal computer CAD according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the LAN is a bus-type, star-type, or loop-type local area network. network system.