JPH0244949A - Communication protocol conversion system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To relieve the load of a main CPU by using each sub CPU integrated to each data communication section of plug-in structure so as to apply decentralized processing to each data communication. CONSTITUTION:Data communication sections 1-k provided with CPU i1 ((i) is an integer of 1-k) and a common memory i2 are respectively formed as units of plug-in structure. The CPU 11-k1 are personal computers 50 connecting to the data communication sections through the communication line or sub CPUs making data communication with each controller to be monitored, have a program in compliance with a communication protocol of each communication opposite party and apply data transmission/reception with a CPU 401 being the main CPU of a main processing section 40 via common memories 12-k2 acting like buffer memories. Thus, the load of the main CPU is relieved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a communication protocol conversion method, and more particularly to a communication protocol conversion method for a relatively small-scale system that monitors and controls various devices.

[Conventional technology]

In such a system, for example, a supervisory control system for a small satellite communication earth station, data processing for supervisory control is performed by one main central processing unit (main CPU). This main CPU performs data communication to exchange necessary data with each device to be monitored and controlled. This data communication uses a start-stop synchronization type and HDLC.

Various communication protocols such as GP-IE and ESC are employed, and are not necessarily the same for each device.

Therefore, conventionally, a data communication LSI compatible with the communication protocol of each communication partner device is used for each communication partner device, and in addition, a main CPU intervenes to perform communication protocol conversion. Further, the main CPU and each data communication LSI were mounted on the same printed wiring board.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional communication protocol conversion method described above has the drawback that the main CPU is involved in each communication protocol conversion, so the load on the main CPU is large, and it cannot cope with the increase in the number of devices to be monitored and controlled. If the combination of devices changes and the communication protocol changes, the data communication LSI also changes and the printed wiring board needs to be redesigned, resulting in a lack of flexibility.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the load on the main CPU, and
The objective is to provide a highly flexible communication protocol conversion method.

[Means to solve the problem]

The communication protocol conversion method of the present invention includes one or more data communication units each having a sub-central processing unit and performing data communication using a predetermined communication protocol, a common storage device corresponding to each of the data communication units, and a common storage device corresponding to each of the data communication units. A main processing unit including a main central processing unit that exchanges data with each of the data communication units via each of the common storage devices, and each of the data communication units is configured as a plug-in structure. .

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment shown in FIG.
Switch drive circuit 10, input circuit 20, and output circuit 30
, a data communication section 1 to which includes a CPU 401, and a switch drive circuit 10. The main processing section 40 is connected to the input circuit 20 and the output circuit 30, and a personal computer 50 is connected to the data communication section 1 through a communication line.

Each of the data communication sections 1 to 1 is formed into a unit and has a plug-in structure.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is for monitoring and controlling various devices constituting a small satellite communication earth station, and data communication sections 2 to k are provided corresponding to each device to be monitored and controlled.

The CPU 401 (1 is a sub-CPU that performs data communication with the data communication units 1 to 1, the personal computer 50 connected via communication lines, or each monitored control device, and executes a program compatible with the communication protocol of each communication partner). The main processing unit 40 is built-in.
It exchanges data with the CPU 401, which is the main CPU of the CPU.

The switch drive circuit 10 is a circuit that is controlled by the main processing section 40 and generates a switching drive current for a waveguide switch or the like. Input circuit 20. The output circuit 3o is inserted into a transmission line for monitoring signals and control signals which are directly transmitted and received from each monitored control device to the main processing unit 40 without using data communication, and each of the output circuits 3o is configured with a photocoupler. The personal computer 5° is used for inputting control instructions and displaying monitoring results.

The main processing unit 40 collects monitoring signals from each monitored control device via the data communication unit 2 or the input circuit 20,
Each collected monitoring signal is data-processed by the CPU 401, and the processing results are displayed on the personal computer 50 via the data communication section 1. Further, each control signal generated by the CPU 401 based on the processing results and control instructions inputted from the personal computer 5o through the data communication section 1 is transmitted to each monitored control device via the data communication section 2 or the output circuit 30. The signal is also transmitted to the switch drive circuit 10 to switch and drive the waveguide switch and the like.

Since data communication with the personal computer 50 or each monitored control is processed in a distributed manner by one CPU 401, the CPU 401 only needs to perform data processing for monitoring control.

Although the formats of data exchanged with the outside by the CPU 11 vary, the format of data written to the common memory 12 is all the same, so even if the data communication section is changed, there is no need to change the program of the CPU 401.

When the monitored control device is replaced with another one and even the communication protocol is changed, the corresponding data communication section 1 is converted to another one. For example, if the communication protocol of the monitored control connected to the data communication unit 2 is an asynchronous type, and this monitored control device is replaced with another monitored control whose communication protocol is HDLC, the data communication unit 2 Remove the H
Replace with DLC communication protocol communication unit. Since each data communication section is unitized into a plug-in structure, this replacement is extremely easy. Even if the monitored control device is changed, there is no major change in the communication protocol.
For example, if there is only a slight change in a parameter such as a change in data rate, it can be handled by changing the dip switch of the corresponding data communication unit i or the table data on the ROM.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the common memories 12 to 2 are built into the data communication units 1 to k, but these common memories can also be built into the main processing unit 40.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention has the effect of reducing the load on the main CPU by distributing processing of each data communication by each side CPU incorporated in each data communication unit having a plug-in structure. Even when the communication protocol for communication is changed, this can be handled by simply replacing the data communication unit that performs the data communication, which has the effect of increasing the flexibility of communication protocol conversion.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. 1~k...Data communication department, 11~kl...
・CPU, 2 to 12...Common memory, 4o・
...Main processing unit, 401 ...CPU0

Claims (1)

[Claims] one or more data communication units that are equipped with a sub-central processing unit and perform data communication using a predetermined communication protocol; and a common storage device that corresponds to each of the data communication units;
A main processing unit including a main central processing unit that exchanges data with each of the data communication units via each of the common storage devices, and each of the data communication units has a plug-in structure. Characteristic communication protocol conversion method.