JPH04195354A - Personal computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the personal computer system whose function can be altered even after equipment shipment by composing an extended input/output unit of a reprogrammable logic element. CONSTITUTION:The extended input/output unit 6 of the personal computer system is composed of the reprogrammable logic element 6, the function is coded and stored in a program device (ROM or auxiliary storage device) 62, and a function definition code is transferred to the reprogrammable logic element 61 at the time of initialization right after power-ON operation, so that the unit can operate as a target extended input/output unit 6. Consequently, the system can easily be structured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a personal computer system that takes flexibility and expandability into consideration.

(Prior Art) In the field of personal computers, laptop-type computers, which are small, lightweight, and convenient to carry, have become popular in place of conventional desktop-type computers. Due to the nature of this type of personal computer, it is difficult to support a number of functions as standard, but these functions are provided as options at the user's selection.An expansion input/output unit is a typical example.

By the way, expansion input/output units have a structure in which commercially available general-purpose LSIs or random logic circuits are realized by combining logic elements, and they have poor expandability even in the case of a single function or multiple functions. It was something.
′ (Problem to be solved by the invention) As mentioned above, in the conventional example, even if the expansion input/output unit has a single function or multiple functions, it exceeds the range that considered future expandability at the time of design. It was not possible to use it for this purpose.

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a personal computer system whose functions can be changed even after the device is shipped by configuring the expansion input/output unit with reprogrammable logic elements. do.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The personal computer system of the present invention has an interface for connecting an expansion input/output unit, and connects at least an input unit, a processor unit, a memory unit, and an output unit via the A personal computer main body is connected to the personal computer main body, and an expansion input/output unit is detachably connected to the personal computer main body. The function definition code is encoded and stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device, and the function definition code is transferred to the reprogrammable logic element at the time of initialization immediately after the power is turned on, thereby creating the intended expansion input/output unit. shall be.

(Function) The extended human output unit of a personal computer is configured with reprogrammable logic elements, and the functions are coded and stored in the POM or auxiliary storage device in advance, and the functions are coded and stored in the POM or auxiliary storage device, and the corresponding functions are set at the time of initialization immediately after the power is turned on. By transferring the function definition code to the reprogrammable logic element, it becomes possible to operate as the intended expansion input/output unit. Furthermore, new function definitions are redesigned and coded within constraints such as the maximum logical scale and maximum operating speed of reprogrammable logic elements, and the number of signals of external connectors, and then re-stored in ROM or auxiliary memory. By additionally registering it to the device, it can operate as an expansion input/output unit with new functions.

This makes it possible to construct a personal computer system with high expandability and flexibility.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings. Figure N1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the personal computer system of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a processor unit, 2 is a memory unit, 3 is an input unit such as a keyboard, 4 is an output unit such as a CRT display, and 6 is an expansion input/output unit directly related to the present invention.

These units are commonly connected via a system bus 5.

Before explaining the internal configuration of the expansion input/output unit 6 in the system of FIG. 1, a conventional expansion input/output unit will be described with reference to FIG. 2. First, conventional laptop personal computers are inevitably limited in the number of external device ports (external device interfaces) due to miniaturization, and by switching one device port with firmware or hardware switches, two different The method was to use it as a type of device port. The expansion input/output unit is no exception; as shown in FIG. 2, a printer interface 21 and an external FDD (floppy disk drive) interface 22 share one device port, and a multiplexer 2
4 was used for switching.

In contrast, the expansion input/output unit 6 in this embodiment
The structure is as follows. In the expansion input/output unit 6 in the system of FIG. 1, 61 is a reprogrammable logic element, 62 is a program device, 63 is a connector, and includes a printer interface 21, an external FDD interface 22, and a switch 23 shown in FIG.
, the multiplexer 24 is all replaced with this programmable logic element 61. The programmable logic element 61 is similar to a gate array, and includes a logic block arranged in a matrix in the center and input/output interfaces on the periphery. There are internal connection elements between the input and output interfaces. This is a logic IC that is driven by a program, and the functions and connections of each logic block and input/output interface are configurable, and the logic circuit is formed according to the program stored in the built-in memory. It has become. This is a well-known programmable gate array.

The expansion input/output unit 6 of the personal computer system is configured by the reprogrammable logic element 61 as described above, and the functions are programmed in advance by a programming device (RO).
(M or auxiliary storage device) 62, and transfers the function definition code to the reprogrammable logic element 61 at the time of initialization immediately after power is turned on.
It becomes possible to operate as the intended expansion input/output unit 6. Furthermore, a new function definition is redesigned and coded within the constraints such as the maximum logical scale and maximum operating speed of the reprogrammable logic element 61 and the number of signals of the external connection connector,
Although it is stored again in the ROM, by additionally registering it in the auxiliary storage device, it becomes possible to operate as an extended human output unit 6 with new functions.

Now, in conventional laptop personal computers, for example, there is an expansion input/output unit that can be used to switch between a printer and an additional FDD due to the size limitations of the device. It is configured with a separate circuit and uses a multiplexer just before the connector to select the function indicated by the changeover switch, so that the function specified at the time of design cannot be changed afterwards (see Figure 2). However, in the present invention, two types of function definition codes that code these two types of functions are
The same functions as the conventional method can be achieved by storing them in advance in the built-in ROM or auxiliary storage device, and transferring either one to the reprogrammable logic element 61 by selection using a changeover switch or firmware at the time of shipment. At the same time, as mentioned above, it can also be operated as an expansion input/output unit with new functions.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a personal computer system with high flexibility and expandability can be constructed, and the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Hardware changes after product shipment can be easily implemented by loading function definition data stored on a floppy disk or the like into a personal computer.

(2) When providing multiple functions to the same expansion input/output unit at the time of product shipment, it can be handled by storing multiple types of function definition data only in ROM or auxiliary storage, simplifying the hardware compared to before. can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a personal computer system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an expansion input/output unit applied to a conventional personal computer system. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Processor unit, 2... Memory unit, 3... Input unit, 4... Output unit, 5...
...System bus, 6...Expansion input/output unit, 61
. . . Reprogrammable logic element, 62 . . . Programming device, 63 . . . Connector. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue #ll11 Removal-prevention input/output unit No. 20'

Claims (1)

[Claims] A personal computer main body having an interface for connecting an expansion input/output unit and having at least an input unit, a processor unit, a memory unit, and an output unit connected via a bus is detachably connected to the personal computer main body. The expansion input/output unit is configured with reprogrammable logic elements, and its functions are coded and stored in the built-in ROM or auxiliary storage device in advance, and the functions are stored in the built-in ROM or auxiliary storage device in the initial stage immediately after the power is turned on. A personal computer system characterized in that a function definition code is transferred to the reprogrammable logic element at the time of conversion to make it a target expansion input/output unit.