JPH01255051A - Software developing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily perform the development and debug of software using high- level language by performing the deliveryof a load module by connecting a memory device to a host side at the time of developing the software and to a target side at the time of debugging. CONSTITUTION:A change-over switch 7 connects the memory device 6 selectively to a host computer system 1 via an interface 8, or connects it to a target computer 2 selectively via an interface 9. The host 1 develops the software to be supplied to the target 2 by using the memory device 6 used as a secondary memory device, and stores a generated load module in the memory device 6. And the target 2 reads in the load module stored in the memory device 6, and executes a prescribed processing according to the program. Therefore, it is possible to correct and change a source program easily even when the program is developed by using the high-level language by the host 1, and the perform the substitution and correction of the load module to be supplied to the target 2.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention is directed to the development of software provided to a target computer system, such as a medium-capacity electronic exchange, which does not have a software development environment, on a host computer system; The present invention relates to a software development system that can effectively provide this to the target computer system.

(Prior Art) With the rapid development of information processing technology, various computer systems have been developed. The technical field of telephone exchanges is no exception, and electronic exchanges have been developed that use computers in their switching control units.

However, in such computer systems (such as the above-mentioned electronic exchanges), the processing functions are generally dedicated depending on the purpose of use, and it is difficult to have a development environment for the software used there. Often there isn't. Or they often only have a simple software development environment.

Conventionally, therefore, a dedicated host computer system for software development is prepared, and the software developed on this host computer system is provided to the computer system (target computer system).

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a host computer system 1 performs detailed design, coding, and compilation of software to be provided to a target computer 2.

Assembling and linking are performed to develop the software as a load module, and this software (load module) is provided to the target computer 2 in the following manner.

That is, the emulator 3 used for debugging the target computer 2 is connected to the host computer system 1 via a communication line, and the load module is connected to the emulator 3.
It is given to the target computer 2 via .

Also, the load module developed on the host computer system 1 is formatted/converted into the format of the floppy disk 4 used by the target computer 2, and the load module is given to the target computer 2 using this floppy disk 4 as a medium. I have to.

Furthermore, the load module developed in the host computer system 1 is written into the ROM 5, and this ROM 5 is installed in the target computer 2 to provide the load module.

However, when communicating with the load module via the emulator 3, there is a limit to the information transmission speed unless special communication equipment is used, and as the amount of software increases, the time required to transmit the load module becomes extremely long. There is a problem. Moreover, if it becomes necessary to frequently change the software due to debugging, problems arise such as making the software impractical.

Moreover, if the target computer 2 has a multi-CPU configuration,
Since it is necessary to connect an emulator 3 to each CPU whose program needs to be changed and to communicate with each emulator 3 individually, problems such as the communication procedure for transmitting the target module become considerably complicated. There is.

In addition, when using floppy disks 4 as a medium, as the amount of software increases, a large number of floppy disks 4 are used.
, and it takes a lot of time to write and read it. Another problem is that the procedure for changing the software becomes quite complicated.

Furthermore, although transferring the load module using ROM5 is very effective when the amount of software is small, it takes time and effort to write the load module to ROM5 and implement the ROM5 on the target computer 2. The problem is undeniable.

As described above, in the past, providing a load module developed in the host computer system 1 to the target computer 2 required a considerable amount of processing time and effort.

Therefore, after a load module is given to the target computer 2, when the bug is to be corrected, the object is directly rewritten on the target computer 2 at the machine language level.

For this reason, the processing efficiency was extremely poor.

Furthermore, if the source program is written in a high-level language, it is extremely difficult to modify or change it at the assembler/machine language level. For this reason, it is also a factor that hinders software development using high-level languages.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Conventionally, the processing procedure for providing a load module created in a host computer system to a target computer is very difficult and requires a lot of processing time. It was also very difficult to modify the load module given to the computer.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to enable software development in a high-level language on a host computer system, and to easily create load modules created on this host computer system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly practical software development system that can efficiently load a load module to a target computer, and furthermore, can easily modify a load module that has been loaded to a target computer.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a load module for software used in a target computer by performing detailed design, coding, compiling, assembling, and linking of target machine software. A host computer system to be created and developed as a host computer system and a target computer system that is given a load module developed on this host computer system and executes the software are connected via an interface to a storage device consisting of, for example, high-speed, large-capacity memory. When developing software, connect the above storage device to the above host computer system using a switch device.
The present invention is characterized in that it is connected to the target computer system during software debugging, and load modules are transferred via the storage device.

(Operation) According to the present invention, a storage device shared between a host computer system and a target computer is used, and target machine software is developed and edited by the host computer system using the storage device.

Necessary processing such as compiling, assembling, and linking is performed, and the created object load module is stored on the storage device as a secondary storage device of the host computer system.

Then, the object load module stored in the storage device as a secondary storage device of the target computer is expanded to the target computer by, for example, IPL.

In other words, the storage device is used as a medium shared between the host computer system and the target computer, and the load module created in the host computer system can be easily and efficiently provided to the target computer.

Furthermore, if necessary, the load module given to the target computer can be read out from the storage device, modified, and then effectively given to the target computer again.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the system of the embodiment, where 2 is a host computer system, and 2 is a target computer such as a medium-capacity telephone exchange (PBX). The host computer system 1 stores software programs (source programs; object programs) necessary for the operation of the target computer 2.
load module), edit, compile, and assemble.

It performs processing such as linking. Also, in this host computer system 1, a simulation of the created program is performed.

The present system is characterized by providing a high-speed, large-capacity storage device 6 that is shared by the host computer system 1 and the target computer 2, and connecting this storage device 6 to the host computer system via a changeover switch 7. 1 and the target computer 2, respectively.

The changeover switch 7 selectively connects the storage device 6 to the host computer system 1 via the interface 8 or to the target computer 2 via the interface 9. By selectively connecting the selector switch 7, the storage device 6 is used as a secondary storage device of the host computer system 1 or a secondary storage device of the target computer 2, respectively.

The host computer system 1 uses such a storage device 6 to develop software to be provided to the target computer 2, and stores the created load module in the storage device 6. The target computer 2 reads the load module stored in the storage device 6 and executes a predetermined processing operation according to the program. In particular, if the target computer 2 has a multi-CPU configuration, the IPL (initial -l
The latest program is loaded from the storage device 6 within the IPL time.

According to this system configured in this manner, the storage medium of the object module is the storage device 6 shared by the host computer system 1 and the target computer 2, so that the following functions and effects can be achieved. It will be done.

That is, the host computer system 1 only needs to create an object module without being aware of giving it to another computer and store it in its own storage device 6. Therefore, the processing procedures from editing the software to compiling, assembling, and linking, and further providing the object module to the target computer 2 can be performed very easily.

Also, for the target computer 2, the procedure for loading the program is simple because it simply loads the program from its own storage device 6, and the program can be easily and efficiently loaded even to multiple CPUs. It is. Further, there are effects such as no need for procedures for replacing disk devices.

Furthermore, since the transfer of the object module from the host computer system 1 to the target computer 2 is basically realized only by switching the changeover switch 7, the time required for conventional program transfer can be saved. It becomes possible to easily perform processing procedures from changing the source program to replacing the load module.

Therefore, for example, even if a program is developed using a high-level language on the host computer system 1, the source program can be easily modified on the host computer 1, and the load module given to the target computer 2 can be replaced and modified. Therefore, for example, it is possible to basically eliminate development and debugging using conventional assembler/machine language, and to develop and debug software using a high-level language, thereby facilitating the debugging process and improving debugging efficiency.

Therefore, the development of software to be used in the target computer by the host computer system can be carried out very efficiently.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the changeover switch may be omitted and the host computer system and target computer may be directly connected to each other. In this case, an arbiter circuit may be incorporated in order to avoid conflicts in access to the storage device.

In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist thereof.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, a storage device shared by both a host computer system and a target computer is provided, and the storage device used as a medium is used to store data created in the host computer system. This makes it possible to develop software using, for example, a high-level language, facilitates debugging, and greatly simplifies the procedure for transferring (supplying) the developed software to the target computer. Great practical effects such as simplification can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a configuration diagram of a conventional system. ■...Host computer system, 2...Target computer, 6...High speed/large capacity storage device, 7...Select switch, 8.9...Interface. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Storage consisting of a host computer system that develops software used on the target computer and a target computer system that executes the software developed on this host computer system, and that is connected to each of these computer systems via an interface. 1. A software development system comprising: a storage device; and a switch device that connects the storage device to the host computer system during software development and to the target computer system during software debugging. (2) The software development system according to claim 1, wherein the host computer performs detailed design, coding, compiling, assembling, and linking of target machine software development to create a load module.