JPH0244429A - Information processing terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the number of tasks or the execution start address of a program loaded from an external equipment to be changed and to easily perform the development and the change of a multitask program by providing a means to change each parameter value stored in a system parameter storage part. CONSTITUTION:A system parameter reading part 3 reads out each system parameter preserved in the system parameter storage part 7, and decides the amplitude of the parameter, and the number of tasks can be changed arbitrarily by changing the internal value of the system parameter storage part 7 at a system parameter generating part 2 at the time of starting up a multitask operating system. Therefore, it is possible to change the number of tasks or the execution start address of the program loaded from the external equipment, and to execute each task under multitask OS environment. In such a way, the development of the multitask program and the change of the program in an information processing terminal 10 can be performed easily.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 1. Name of the invention Information processing terminal 2. Claims (1) A program code for a multi-task operating system having a function of executing a plurality of tasks, which are work units of information processing. a system parameter storage unit having a function of storing a stored ROM and startup condition parameters of the multitasking operating system;
The activation condition information (a system parameter reading unit having a function of reading parameters and the activation condition) from the system parameter storage unit (using the parameters to secure a system area required for the multitasking operating system) Information processing comprising: a system table creation unit having a function; and an execution unit that arbitrarily changes the number of tasks by changing an internal value of the system parameter storage unit when the multitasking operating system is started. , Industrial Application Field The present invention is an information processing terminal installed in a store, etc., equipped with a multitasking operating system that runs multiple programs simultaneously, and capable of multiplexing multiple input/output devices connected to it. It is related to.

Conventional technology In recent years, due to the diversification of service operations, there are portable and stationary information processing terminals, and these terminals can control multiple devices that are built-in or externally connected. , provides various services requested by users. Conventionally, this type of information processing terminal has had a configuration as shown in FIG. 9 in order to realize control of each device. In FIG. 9, 6o is the information processing terminal described here, 67 is a system parameter storage section in which parameters required for starting the operation of the terminal device system are stored, and 63 is the system parameter storage section 57 for storing parameters. a system parameter reading unit having a reading function;
Reference numeral 66 denotes a task program execution unit having a function of starting the system and executing a task program using the read system parameters.

Here, a task is a processing unit of a program that is processed in parallel, and is a work that is divided into relatively small processing units as a whole. Further, a task is a processing unit that can operate completely independently of other tasks.

The operation of the information processing terminal 60 shown in FIG. 9 will be explained below. After the power is turned on, the information processing terminal 60 starts up the system and executes a function called system initialization, which initializes the built-in devices and connected device ports.

Next, the system parameters stored in the system parameter storage section 67 are read out. For example, if the information processing terminal 60 incorporates a multitask operating system (hereinafter abbreviated as multitask O8) that has the function of multiplexing multiple task processing, the number of tasks is usually two or more. A user program (user task) is created by writing this information into the system parameter storage unit 67, and reading this information at the time of starting use. Start execution.

There are the following three types of methods for configuring the multitask O8, system initialization program, and user task.

First, there is a system in which a multitasking O81 system initialization program and all user tasks are stored in ROM. When developing a program for such a system, the program developed by the development device is usually converted into object code that can be executed by the microcomputer inside the information processing terminal 60, and the data is stored in the form of a ROM. Often stored. At this time, not only the user's program but also the program code of the multitasking O8 is converted into object code. System parameters such as the number of internal tasks and the starting address of the user's program are also stored in the ROM.

The second is a system in which only the multitasking O8 and the system initialization program are stored in ROM. The system initialization program performs the initialization operation as described above, reads a task program from an external device as necessary, generates the task within the information processing terminal 60, and transfers control to the multitasking OS. The first task to run is the system task for system startup, which creates a user task, transfers control to the user task, and deletes itself from the system. (The system configuration of the present invention corresponds to this second configuration.) Thirdly, if neither the multitasking O8 nor the system initialization program nor the user task is stored in ROM (this applies to O8 for personal computers), ,
A simple boot program is stored in ROM on the system side. This put program reads the multitasking OS, system initialization program, etc. from an external device, stores it internally, and then performs the same operations as the second system.

Since the first system is all ROMized, in order to change the system for either or both of the multitasking O81 user tasks, it is necessary to use all ROMs.
accompanied by the exchange of In the case of information processing terminals 60 that are installed one at a time in each store, in order to change the system, all the ROMs for the number of terminals must be replaced, so this is not suitable for systems where the system program is frequently changed. Not suitable.

The third system always requires an external device at startup, making the entire system large-scale (in order to start the service program, an external device such as a floppy disk device is required, but after startup There is also the disadvantage that it takes a lot of time to start up the system (the device becomes unnecessary), so it is unsuitable for the information processing terminal 6o that is installed in a store.

Therefore, it is appropriate to have a second system that has a function to read a program (user task) from the outside only when necessary, and can be configured to store the loaded program internally and execute the program at other times. It is. Program development using this second system is performed as follows.

A program called an assembler or compiler is executed on the program development device side in order to convert the tasks to be executed inside the terminal device into program code.

An assembler is a program that converts source programs written in assembly language into machine language. A compiler is a program that converts a source program written in a high-level language such as RASIC or C into machine language. Converting a source program into machine language using an assembler is called assembling.
Similarly, the process of converting a program written in a high-level language into machine language using a compiler is called compilation. After assembling and compiling, a process called linking is performed to determine the execution start address of the program. Linking is performed by a program called a linker. Since the program that has been linked has been converted into a data string of object code that can be executed immediately, it is possible to operate the information processing terminal device 60 by writing that data string into memory. becomes. In other words, after creating a program on the development equipment side,
It must be assembled or compiled and then linked to convert it into a data string that can be executed within the information processing terminal 60.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the configuration of an information processing terminal using the second system described in the prior art section has the following problems.

When it is desired to change an existing application task program, the information used during development, such as the number of tasks, the code size of the application task program, and the execution start address, must be externally supplied. However, in the data string information of the executable object code after linking, the A address only has the information B data, so the start address of the task program and the number of tasks cannot be stored in the information processing terminal. The problem arises of not being able to know. Furthermore, when it is desired to change the current application task program, there is no means to change the number of tasks or the start address of the task program. In other words, since there is no means to change the internal values of the system parameter storage unit, it is difficult to deal with changes in the size of the task program code due to version upgrades or the like.

The present invention is intended to solve such problems, and allows the information processing terminal equipped with the multitasking O8 to be accessed from the external device side.
When loading the app cage gin task program,
It has a means for inputting the task program code, a means for inputting the number of tasks, and a means for inputting the execution start address of the task program, and the multitasking program can be changed arbitrarily by reconfiguring the internal system variables in the terminal device. It has functions that can be used.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the problems described above, the present invention provides a ROM that stores program codes for a multitasking operating system that has the function of executing a plurality of tasks, which are work units of information processing; A system parameter storage section that has a function of storing the startup condition parameter of the task operating system, a system parameter reading section that has a function of reading the startup condition parameter from the system parameter storage section, and a multi-function system using the startup condition parameter. The system table creation part has the function of securing the system area required for the task operating system, and the number of tasks can be set arbitrarily by changing the internal values of the system parameter storage part when starting the multitasking operating system. and an execution means for changing the information.

Effect This configuration allows the number of tasks and execution start address of a program loaded from an external device to be changed, and each task can be executed in a multitasking O8 environment, so multitasking of an information processing terminal is possible. Program development and program changes can be easily performed.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes an information processing terminal to be described herein, and 1 denotes a ROM storing a multitasking operating system program code in which O8, which controls the inside of the information processing terminal 10, is stored. 7 is a system parameter storage section in which the number of tasks, the execution start address of the task program, etc. are stored, and 3 is a system having a function of reading out each system parameter stored in the system parameter storage section 7 and determining its suitability. The parameter reading unit 6 is a system table creation unit that uses the read system parameters to create a system table prepared for actually starting the operation of the multitasking operating system.

In order to show the internal processing procedure of this information processing terminal device 10 in detail, it will be explained with reference to FIG. 2, which shows the information processing terminal device 1° of FIG. 1 in detail. 2, 8 is a task number storage area for storing the number of tasks which is information in the system parameter storage unit 7; 9 is a task program start address storage area for storing information such as the execution start address of the user's task program; Reference numeral 2 denotes a system parameter generation unit having a function of changing or inputting system parameters, and 6 a task program execution unit having a function of executing a task program after creating a system table.

First, when the information processing terminal 10 is started, the system initialization program described in the conventional example runs.

As shown in FIG. 3, the system parameter reading unit 3 reads out each of the plurality of system parameters and determines whether all the parameters that can be used to start the multitasking O8 have been written. If the information has been written, it is determined whether a request to change the system parameters has been issued from an input device such as a keyboard of the information processing terminal 1o. If there is no request, the validity of each parameter is determined. After the determination of each individual parameter is completed, a composite determination process in which a plurality of parameters are mutually related is performed. If the result is not determined to be normal, the system parameter generation unit 2 is activated and inputs each parameter. This input means will be described later. If the determination result is determined to be normal, the system table creation unit 6 creates a system table necessary for operating the multitasking O8. In reality, there are system tables that manage and save information when a multitasking system is operating, such as securing a place to save the state of each task, determining the stack position in the system, and securing the stack area. generated. Next, the task program execution unit 6 starts executing the task program under the multitasking O8 environment.

If the system parameters have not been written, or if there is a request to change the system parameters, or if the parameter determination results are not determined to be normal, the system parameter generation unit 2 is activated and each parameter is input. Execute. A case will be explained in which the parameters in the system parameter storage section 7 are composed of information shown in FIG. 4 in addition to the number of tasks and the task program execution start address described above. 14 is a stack size storage area that stores the stack size common to each task or all tasks. 16 and 16 are the mailbox number storage area and mailbox size, which store the number and size of mailboxes (the definition of mailboxes will be described later), which are used to synchronize tasks that operate simultaneously and independently. This is a storage area. Reference numeral 17 is a memory size storage area indicating the size of memory installed in the information processing terminal 10. 18 is a communication port setting value area that stores information such as interface specifications with external devices that can be connected to the information processing terminal 1Q.

Since a plurality of tasks are processed simultaneously and in parallel, not only the number of tasks but also the stack for each task, task program start address information, etc. are required.

Also, the mailbox is used when synchronizing multiple tasks that are each running in parallel (for example, starting task C processing when processing B in task B finishes with the processor in task B). used. When a configuration in which a stack size storage area 14 is provided for each task is adopted, the stack size storage area 14 also increases in proportion to the number of tasks. Since the information shown in FIG. 4 differs depending on the application used, it is required that this information be configured to be changeable from the outside. Furthermore, it is necessary to adopt a structure in which the internal information is not changed unless a change request is issued for the stored information. This information is non-volatile memory that can be rewritten many times. It is written and saved in EEFROM, battery-backed RAM, etc. Furthermore, task programs that have been input repeatedly are also stored using the same memory structure.

The reason why multitasking O8 is provided in ROM is that
This is the protection of the S code. The code is changed by the developer to prevent system malfunctions. If a terminal installed in a store malfunctions, if the user uses an OS that has been arbitrarily modified, it will be difficult to find the fix. It also leads to copyright protection of the OS code. If it is provided on a floppy disk, it will be difficult to manage and it will be easy to copy without permission. By supplying the data in ROM, the user only has to manage the ROM inserted into the information processing terminal 10. To prevent ROM copying, ROM
There is a method of configuring a device by including a specific number in the code so that the terminal cannot be installed unless that number is verified during installation. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the system is distributed to installers in pairs with a security box, etc., so that installation cannot be performed without the security box, and the security box is returned after the installation is completed.

Second, even if an O8 version upgrade occurs, it is only necessary to replace the ROM containing the O8, and there is no need to replace the memory containing the task program or to load the program anew from the development device.

Furthermore, the information stored in the communication port setting area 18 that can be connected to the information processing terminal 1o also differs depending on the application. It also depends on how the information processing terminal 1o is used. For example, considering the number of users in a store, the price of equipment, etc., when using a low-speed printer and when using a high-speed printer, the usage may be quite different even if they are connected to the same input/output port. It's coming. It is necessary to adopt a configuration that can appropriately accommodate the different specifications of each store.

Next, an example of the configuration of the system parameter reading section 3 is shown in FIG. Reference numerals 301 and 309 indicate relevant parameter determining units having a function of individually determining relevant parameters. 3
Reference numeral 10 denotes a system parameter change request reception unit having a function of accepting and accepting system parameter change requests issued from an input device included in the information processing terminal 10. 311
is a system parameter generation unit that judges the processing results of the corresponding parameter judgment units 301 and 309 and the request of the system parameter change request reception unit, approves the system parameter generation means, and decides whether or not to start the system parameter generation unit 2. be. Reference numeral 312 is a parameter composite determination unit having a function of making a composite determination based on a plurality of parameters after the determination of each individual system parameter is certified as normal. For example, when the number of tasks increases and a stack is allocated to each task, the parameter composite determination unit 312 determines whether the total area of each stack exceeds the size of the built-in memory. The system parameter reading unit 3 performs a composite judgment of the validity of each system parameter and mutually related system parameters, and when the multitasking OS is normally activated and the processing of each task is being executed. Each system parameter is determined to prevent system abnormalities such as memory shortages.

An example of the configuration of the system table generation section 5 is shown in FIG. In Fig. 6, 602 indicates a place where information is stored when the multitasking system is operating, such as securing a place to save the state of each task, determining the position of the stack in the system, and securing the stack area. This is a system work area acquisition unit that has the function of acquiring. A system variable setting unit 503 has a function of setting variables (number, priority, etc. of each task) necessary for each task to start its operation.

By securing a system work area and initializing system variables, all the conditions for starting the operation of each task under the multitasking O8 environment are completed.

The reason for reconfiguring the system table each time is to remove unnecessary information from previously used memory and to use memory as effectively as possible.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of changing system parameters. 31 is a keyboard which is an input device of the information processing terminal 10, 33 is a display which is an output device, 44 is an external device connected to the information processing terminal 10 and is a personal computer which is also a device for developing programs etc., 43 is an information These are connection cables such as R, S-232, GP-IB, I, and AM that connect the processing terminal device 1o and the burner computer 44. By inputting a specific key on the keyboard 31, input of system parameters is started.

As shown in FIG. 8, a menu of parameters to be input is first output to the display 33 or the personal computer 44. Next, when it is desired to input from the keyboard 31, the relevant parameters are input according to the menu. When an input is made from the keyboard 31, communication with the personal computer 44 is interrupted, and only input from the keyboard 31 is accepted until data input is completed. On the other hand, personal computer 4
If the relevant parameter is sent from PC 4, the keyboard 31 input is disabled and the personal computer 44
Enable the communication port with. The reason why only one input is valid is that if different values are input for the same parameter at the same time,
This is because it is difficult to determine which one is valid, and the configuration is such that the one inputted first is determined to be valid. As another example, if input devices are prioritized, parameters from multiple input devices can be accepted and the value of the device with a higher priority can be adopted.

However, it is necessary to limit the input devices that can change system parameter values. For example, it is necessary to adopt a configuration that prevents unauthorized users from accessing the information processing terminal 1Q from outside. When configuring an input device registered in the information processing terminal 10 in advance so that it cannot be changed without inquiring the registration number, or when connecting to an external device,
As mentioned in the reason for supplying O8 in ROM, there is a method of using a security box or the like.

The configuration may be such that system parameters cannot be changed unless this security box is inserted and connected to an external device.

After inputting the system parameters is completed, the data string of the object code of the program developed by the development device, which is an external device, is loaded into the information processing terminal 10. If the loading is completed normally, the loaded task program is activated and processing begins.

The loading method to determine whether the program has been loaded normally is to determine whether the task program code has been loaded into the memory pointing to the input task program start address and whether or not the internal data code has been changed. Accordingly, various error detection and correction codes may be added to the program code, and the information processing terminal 10 may be configured to calculate whether or not there is an error.

When an abnormal process is detected, in order to prevent the information processing terminal 10 from going out of control and destroying internal data as much as possible, for example, a message indicating that an abnormal process has been detected is displayed on the display, but no further processing is executed. You can configure it like this. If detailed information about the abnormality processing is also displayed at that time, it will be easier to take countermeasures for each store, and it will be easier to determine which part of the bug is occurring during development.

Furthermore, once the system parameters and programs have been stored, they will not be changed unless the installer of the information processing terminal issues a change request. As mentioned above, these system parameters and task programs are stored in the backed up RAM or ICEFROM, and when the information processing terminal 10 starts operating, the system parameter reading section 3
When it is determined that the system parameters have been written, the process automatically proceeds as shown in FIG. 3, the task program is started, and the process can be started.

To summarize the effects of this embodiment, firstly, the number of tasks and execution start address required to load and execute multiple task programs developed on the development device side into the information processing terminal 10 are input. have the means. Second, when O8 is started, the system table is re-created each time depending on the contents of system parameters such as the number of tasks, so it has the ability to re-configure the system table to enable processing of each task program. thing. Thirdly, it has a plurality of input means for system parameters.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention has means for changing each parameter value stored in the system parameter storage unit, so that the number of tasks and the execution start address of a program loaded from an external device can be changed. Since each task can be executed in a multitasking O8 environment, it is possible to provide an information processing terminal that can easily develop multitasking programs and change programs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an information processing terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the information processing terminal shown in Figure 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the processing contents of the information processing terminal of this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the system parameter storage unit of this embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a block diagram of the system parameter reading unit of this embodiment, Fig. 6 is a block diagram of the system table creation unit of this embodiment, and Fig. 7 is a block diagram of the system parameter reading unit of this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the program development procedure in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional information processing terminal. 1...ROM, 3...System parameter reading unit, 6°°°°°゛° system table creation unit, 7...System parameter storage unit, 10.
...Information processing terminal. Name of agent Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and 1 other person Figure 10 Information processing Figure Figure Keyboard 43 layer castle γ-ral Figure Figure System table creation Iku

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) A ROM that stores the program code of a multitasking operating system that has the function of executing a plurality of tasks that are work units of information processing, and stores startup condition parameters of the multitasking operating system. a system parameter storage unit having the function of
a system parameter reading section having a function of reading out the startup condition parameters from the system parameter storage section; and creating a system table having a function of securing a system area required for the multitasking operating system using the startup condition parameters. and execution means for arbitrarily changing the number of tasks by changing an internal value of the system parameter storage when the multitasking operating system is started. (2) The information processing terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a system parameter generation section having a function of changing the value of the system parameter storage section from a built-in input device or an external device. (3) The system parameter storage unit is configured with a task number storage area that has a function of storing the number of tasks, and a user program start address storage area that has a function of storing the program start address of the task, and 2. The information processing terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an execution means for executing an arbitrary task program. (4) means for loading programs for a plurality of tasks from an external device connected to an information processing terminal; and storing the start addresses of the loaded programs for the plurality of tasks in the user program start address storage area, the number of tasks; 4. The information processing terminal according to claim 3, further comprising means for storing each of the task number storage areas in the task number storage area.