JPH0277847A - Emulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To write data directly without extracting a user program at each time by providing an EPROM writer which reads and writes data out of and in the EPROM at a socket part and constituting the emulator. CONSTITUTION:An emulation pod 11 is equipped with an emulation processor 14 exclusively for evaluation which has the same control function with a target microcomputer. This processor 14 is so constituted as to perform substitution control over the target while sending and receiving signals to and from the emulator main body 10. An EPROM-incorporated microcomputer 15 is a one-chip microcomputer which has an EPROM for storing a program and other peripheral circuits formed on one semiconductor base plate in addition to a central processor. Information that the system 12 and processor 14 send and receive is supplied to the emulator main body 10 through a cable 19.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a technology for making an emulator compatible with a built-in microcomputer (EPROM erasable and programmable read-only memory). The present invention relates to a technique that is effective when applied to storing a program in an EPROM built into a computer or loading a program stored in an EPROM built into a microcomputer into an emulator for system debugging.

[Prior art]

In the development of microcomputer application equipment (hereinafter simply referred to as target system), an emulator for system debugging and system evaluation is used to perform the functions of a microcomputer or microprocessor (target microcomputer) for the target system. This enables software debugging while

The emulator has a microcomputer or processor (emulation processor) equivalent to the target microcomputer in its interface with the target system, and controls the target system on its behalf by causing the target processor to execute a program to be software debugged. At this time, the contents of the program to be debugged are arbitrarily changed, its control state is traced, and the trace results can be checked at predetermined breakpoints to support software debugging of the target system.

By the way, the target microcomputer is EPRO.
In the case of a microcomputer with a built-in microcomputer, when writing a software-debugged user program to the EPROM in the microcomputer and actually controlling the execution of the target system with the microcomputer, the user program must be written by some means. Extract the user program externally and store it in EPRO.
Built-in EPR via external writing device like M writer
Must be written to OM.

An example of literature describing emulators is "Nikkei Data Pro Microcomputer JMC2-310-001~012 r" published by Nikkei McGraw-Hill in June 1987.
There is a system A for microcomputer development.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, if a software debugged user program is used as a target microcomputer
When writing to a microcomputer with a built-in ROM, it is necessary to take out the user program externally and use an external writing device such as an EPROM writer. As shown in the figure, its EPR
A dedicated pin conversion socket 3 (hereinafter also simply referred to as a socket adapter) is prepared each time the OM built-in microcomputer 1 is expanded, especially for each package development, in order to connect the EPROM writer 2 and the EPROM built-in microcomputer 1. This increases the burden on the user and reduces system debugging efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to
The object of the present invention is to provide an emulator that can directly access PROM.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention include:
It will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[Means to solve the problem]

A brief overview of typical inventions disclosed in this application is as follows.

That is, the emulator is constructed by providing a socket for mounting a microcomputer with a built-in EPROM, and an EPROM writer that performs read/write control for the EPROM built in the microcomputer mounted in this socket. be.

At this time, in order to cope with product development, particularly package development, of the EPROM built-in microcomputer, it is desirable to arrange a plurality of types of socket parts according to the package specifications to be developed for the EPROM built-in microcomputer.

In addition, in order to make the EPROM contained in a microcomputer with a built-in EPROM usable as part of the emulation memory for storing user programs, the EPROM writer is connected to an emulation processor that acts on behalf of the target system and a computer that controls the emulator. It is preferable to enable selective control from both of the roll processors 1 to 1.

[For production]

According to the above means, the EPROM writer writes and verifies a user program to a microcomputer with a built-in EPROM for program storage, and writes and verifies an EPROM.
The program stored in the microcomputer with a built-in ROM can be read out to the emulation memory.
This makes it possible to directly write to a microcomputer with a built-in ROM without taking out the user program, and furthermore, it is possible to connect an EPROM writer and a microcomputer with a built-in EPROM each time the microcomputer with a built-in EPROM is packaged. This eliminates the need to prepare a dedicated socket adapter for the system, thereby reducing the burden on the user and improving system debugging efficiency.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows an emulator that is an embodiment of the present invention. The emulator shown in FIG. 2 includes, but is not particularly limited to, an emulator body 10, an emulation pod 11 coupled to the emulator body 10, and a target system 12 of the emulator 11.
It is configured by an interface cable 13 for connecting to a target microcomputer mounting area (not shown).

The emulation pod 11 includes, although not particularly limited to, an emulation processor 14 dedicated to evaluation that has a control function equivalent to that of the target microcomputer. The emulation processor 14 is configured by adding and changing the logic of the target processor as desired so that it can sample various input/output bus information and control information with the target system 12. 12
is configured to allow proxy control.

Here, the emulator of this embodiment is configured to be able to support a target system whose target microcomputer is a microcomputer having a built-in EPROM for program storage (hereinafter simply referred to as a microcomputer with built-in EPROM). A microcomputer with a built-in EPROM is configured as a so-called single-chip microcomputer in which a central processing unit, an EPROM for storing programs, and other peripheral circuits are formed on a single semiconductor substrate. Therefore, the emulation processor 14 as an evaluation-only chip
is equipped with at least the peripheral functions of a microcomputer with built-in EPROM as a target microcomputer.

The emulation board 11 of such an emulator includes:
A socket portion in which the microcomputer with built-in EPROM can be mounted, for example, a D according to the package specifications to be developed for the microcomputer with built-in EPROM.
A socket section 16 corresponding to an IL (dual in line) package and a socket section 17 corresponding to a flat package are provided. In Figure 2, DI
One microcomputer 15 with a built-in EPROM is mounted in the socket part 16 for the L package. The state when the microcomputer 15 with a built-in EPROM is mounted in the socket part 16 is shown in FIG. 1, and the microcomputer 15 with a built-in EPROM is directly inserted and mounted in the socket part 16. The above socket part 1
6.17 is connected to an EPROM 545 section 18 which performs read/write control for the EPROM of the microcomputer with a built-in EPROM mounted therein.

The emulator main body 10 includes a target system 1
Information exchanged between the emulator 2 and the emulation processor 14 and information corresponding to the internal state of the emulation processor 14 are provided via the cable 19.
is provided with various control signals and information for emulation.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a circuit block diagram of the emulator.

The emulator has an emulation data bus EDB.
US, emulation address bus EABUS, emulation control bus ECBUS, system data bus 5DBUS, system address bus 5
ABUS and system - control bus 5CBU
Contains S.

The above emulation buses EDBUS, EABUS, E
CBUS is selected by the selectors 20 and 21 as the emulation interface section of the emulation processor 14 or the system buses 5DBUS, 5ABUS, and 5CB.
It is selectively interfaceable with a control processor 23 coupled to the US. The control processor 23 is a processor that controls the emulator, and is connected to system buses 5DBUS, 5ABUS, and 5CB.
Based on instructions from a system development device (not shown) via a host interface circuit 24 coupled to the US, selection control of the selectors 20 and 21, internal initial settings, and basic instructions for emulation operations are given.

The above emulation buses EDBUS, EABUS, E
The CBUS includes, but is not particularly limited to, an emulation memory 25 consisting of a RAM for acting as data memory and program memory in the target system 12;
The EPROM writer unit 18, the break control circuit 26 for monitoring the control state of the emulation processor 14 and the state of the target system 12 and breaking the emulation operation when the state reaches a preset state, and the emulation bus ED
A trace circuit 27 that sequentially traces and stores data, addresses, and control information given to the BUS, EABUS, and ECBUS, and the like are respectively coupled.

The EPROM writer section 18 has a socket section 16.17.
The microcomputer 15 with a built-in EPROM mounted thereon performs data write and verify control as well as data read control for the EPROM.

The microcomputer 15 with a built-in EPROM has a built-in E
An external terminal is provided for specifying an operating mode that allows direct external access to the PROM. When accessing the EPROM, the EPROM writer section 18 asserts a signal specifying the operation mode to the predetermined external terminal described above, and also gives a write or read instruction, and in the case of writing, writes the write address and write data. is supplied to the EPROM built-in microcomputer 15, and in the case of reading, a read address is designated.

A control processor 23 controls selectors 20 and 21 to provide an emulation bus EDBUS.

When interfacing EABUS and ECBUS with the control processor 23, the control processor 23 instructs the EPROM writer section 18 to perform the access control operations described above. For example, EPRO
When the operating system stored in the EPROM of the microcomputer 15 with M built-in is transferred to the emulation memory 25 to perform software debugging of the user program, the EPROM writer section 1
8 to perform a read access operation of the EPROM.

The program thus stored in the emulation memory 25 is used for emulation operations by the emulation processor 14. In addition, by emulation operation, the software debugged user program is transferred to the EPROM built-in microcomputer 15.
When storing data in the EPROM, the control processor 23 causes the EPROM writer section 18 to store the data in the EPROM.
Instructs write access control and verify operation of M. E where the user program was written in this way
The microcomputer 15 with a built-in PROM is used, for example, to verify whether or not the target system 12 actually performs the intended control function, and also to check the mask ROM regarding the user program stored in the EPROM. Used for creating etc.

When the emulation processor 14 performs emulation operation by proxy controlling the target system 12, the control processor 23 controls the selector 20.21.
to control emulation buses EDBUS and EABU.
S, ECBUS is interfaced to the emulation processor 14. The emulation memory 25 is mapped in the user memory space in advance under the control of the control processor 23, and the emulation memory 25 is under access control of the emulation processor 14 during emulation operation. By mapping the address space of the built-in EPROM into the user memory space, the emulation processor 14 can directly read the corresponding EP of the EPROM built-in microcomputer 15 while controlling the EPROM writer 18 section.
It becomes possible to access the ROM and perform emulation operations.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The EPROM945 section 18 is an E
Writing and verifying the user program to the microcomputer 15 with built-in PROM, and EPROM
Since the program held by the built-in microcomputer 15 can be read to the emulation memory 25, it is possible to write a software-debugged user program to the t71+EPROM built-in microcomputer 15 without taking out the user program externally. It can be done directly.

(2) Although multiple types of socket parts 16 and 17 are provided depending on the package specifications to be developed for microcomputers with a built-in EPROM, the EPROM 9
45 part 18 and EPROM built-in microcomputer 15
There is no need to separately prepare a dedicated socket adapter to enable connection.

(3) As a result of the above-mentioned effects, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user during emulation, and to improve system debugging efficiency.

(4,) Since the EPROM 945 unit 18 can be selectively controlled by both the emulation processor 14 and the control processor 23 that controls the emulator, the EPROM included in the microcomputer with built-in EPROM stores the knee program. can be used directly as part of the emulation memory for

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described above based on examples, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, the plurality of types of socket sections provided in accordance with the package specifications to be developed for the microcomputer with built-in EPROM are not limited to two types, and can be changed as appropriate.

Further, the EPROM writer section is not limited to being mounted on the emulation board, but may be mounted on the emulator main body. In particular, for the emulation of various microcomputers with the same central processing unit, the emulator body is used for general purposes, and the emulation board is replaced for each target microcomputer whose type is developed within the same range of central processing units. In the emulator, it is desirable to place it on the main body side of the emulator 16 from the viewpoint of effective use of the EPROM writer section or cost reduction.

In the above explanation, the invention made by the present inventor was mainly applied to an emulator having a structure separated into an emulator main body and an emulation pod, which is the field of application that formed the background of the invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Instead, it can be applied to various emulators that can perform proxy control of the target system.

〔Effect of the invention〕

A brief explanation of the effects obtained by typical inventions disclosed in this application is as follows.

That is, by configuring an emulator with a socket for mounting a microcomputer with built-in EPROM and an EPROM writer that performs read/write control for the built-in EPROM of the microcomputer mounted in this socket, software debugging is possible. This has the advantage that the written user program can be directly written into the EPROM built-in microcomputer 15 without having to take out the user program to the outside.

In addition, by providing multiple types of socket parts according to the package specifications to be developed for microcomputers with built-in EPROM, it is possible to
There is no need to prepare a dedicated socket adapter to connect the microcomputer with a built-in ROM.

Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user during emulation, and also to improve system debugging efficiency.

By making the EPROM writer selectively controllable from both an emulation processor that acts as a proxy controller for the target system and a control processor that controls the emulator, the EPROM included in the microcomputer with built-in EPROM is used to store a user program. can be made available as part of emulation memory for

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of a socket section connected to an EPROM writer section, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an emulator that is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an emulator shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a conventional write operation using a dedicated socket adapter for a microcomputer with a built-in EPROM. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Emulator body, 11...Emulation board, 12...Target system, 14...
Emulation processor, 15-EPROM built-in microcomputer, 16... socket section, 17... socket section, 18... EPROM writer section, 20.21
...Selector, 23...Control processor, 2
5... Emulation memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an emulator for debugging a system while performing proxy control of a target system, there is provided a socket section for mounting a microcomputer having a built-in EPROM for storing programs, and a socket section mounted on the socket section. EPRO built into the above microcomputer
An emulator equipped with an EPROM writer that performs read/write control for M. 2. The emulator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of types of socket parts are arranged according to package specifications to be developed for a microcomputer with a built-in EPROM. 3. The emulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the EPROM writer is selectively controllable by both an emulation processor that performs proxy control of the target system and a control processor that controls the emulator.