JPH04205079A - Memory card converter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a memory card converter to use memory cards having different specifications without accompanying change or remodelling of devices of the memory card converter by using a memory card converting unit that can connect memory cards having different specifications to a memory card loading unit. CONSTITUTION:When loading a 68-pin card loading unit 4a with a 20-pin memory card 3b, the connecting section 5P of memory card converting unit 5b is mounted to the card loading unit 4a, and the connecting section 3P of memory card 3b is mounted on the connector 10b of memory card converting unit 5b. Thus, a memory card 3b having 20-pin 1-line I/O bus specification is mounted on a card loading unit 4a having 68-pin 2-line direct coupling specification by including the memory card converting unit 5b. With this, the present memory card converter does not need to provide loading unit for each various memory card with different specification.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention provides a memory card that allows a memory card configured according to certain specifications to be installed in a card mounting device of an information processing device configured according to other specifications. This invention relates to a conversion device.

"Prior Art" This type of memory card consists of a ROM card, a RAM card, etc., and due to the increase in storage capacity with the recent development of semiconductor technology, it is being used as a general-purpose memory medium.

Various applications are being considered for this memory card, including use as an external memory medium for information processing devices such as personal computers, and connection methods are adopted depending on each application.

The connection method uses either a direct bus method or a 110 bus method, and a card loading device consisting of 68 bins, 40 bins, 34 bins, or 20 bins to connect memory cards and information. It is designed to connect to a processing device.

In this way, when using a memory card, it is necessary to consider the existence of memory cards with various specifications.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a conventional method of using the memory card.

In FIG. 7, the personal computer 100 includes a display device +10, a keyboard device 120, and 68
A bin card mounting device 130 and a 20-bin card mounting device 140 are connected to the main body of the personal computer.

With this configuration, it is possible to use a 68-bin memory card 230 or a 20-bin memory card 240.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] Conventional memory cards have differences in physical specifications such as the number of bins and shapes, as well as electrical differences such as control signal logic and data width. When the main body is provided with a card mounting device having a certain specification, there is a drawback that memory cards other than those that can be mounted on the card mounting device cannot be used.

In addition, in order to be able to use all kinds of memory cards, it is necessary to provide a card mounting device outside the main body of the information processing device according to the specifications of each memory card, as shown in Figure 7. This not only forces the user to perform special loading operations, but also increases the number of points required for the card loading device.
This has the disadvantage of increasing costs and requiring storage space for the card loading device, which limits portability, especially for portable information processing devices. Ta.

Furthermore, the above memory card has the disadvantage that it is necessary to install a new card loading device every time its specifications are changed, which increases the number of devices, making it inconvenient to use, and requiring installation costs. be.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a memory card conversion device that can use memory cards of all specifications.

"Means for Solving the Problem" In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a device for connecting a cart mounting device provided on the main body side of an information processing device and a memory card having a different specification. The device mechanism is provided with a connecting portion whose physical specifications match the card mounting device and a connector means whose physical specifications match the memory card, and the device mechanism is provided with a connecting portion whose physical specifications match the memory card, and the device mechanism has electrical specifications and compatibility with the electrical specifications of the connecting portion. A memory card conversion device is proposed, which is characterized by being provided with a conversion circuit that matches the electrical specifications of the connector means.

1. With the above configuration, memory cards of the same specifications can be freely inserted into the card mounting device provided in the main body of the information processing device.

On the other hand, when installing a memory card with specifications different from those of the above-mentioned card installation device into this card installation device, the device mechanism of the memory card conversion device is provided with a connection portion that matches the physical specifications. Attach it to the attachment device,
Further, since the device mechanism is provided with a connector means whose physical specifications match the memory card, the connecting portion of the memory card can be attached to this connector means.

When installed in this way, the conversion circuit provided in the device mechanism electrically matches the connecting portion and the connector means, so that the information processing device can write data to the memory card or read data from the memory card. can do.

``Example'' Next, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a memory card with 110 bus specifications and one row of 20 bins is used.
An example of a memory card conversion device used when attached to a mounting light having a direct connection bus specification of two rows of 68 bins is shown.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a first embodiment of a memory card conversion device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing the same embodiment.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a personal computer,
The main body 2 of the information processing device 1, such as a word processor or an electronic still camera, includes, for example, a 68-bin memory card 3a.
A card mounting device 4a to which a card can be mounted is provided. This card loading device 4a has 68 bins 6a arranged in two vertical rows.
This connector configuration is such that a memory card 3a of the same specifications can be attached.

This memory card 3a has 68 bins and has a direct bus specification, and has a connecting portion 3Pa having a bottle receiving hole structure that accommodates and makes contact with the bin 6a.

A memory card conversion device 5b, which is an embodiment of the present invention, can be mounted on the card mounting device 4a.

This memory card conversion device 5b has six
It is designed to accommodate and make contact with eight of the above-mentioned bottles 6a, and has a connecting portion 5Pa having a bottle receiving hole structure to be inserted into the card loading device 4a, and has a connecting portion 5Pa having a bottle receiving hole structure, and a bottle 9 at the end portion 8b of the external force.
The connector has 20 connector lobs planted in one row.

The end portion 8b is U-shaped, and the lower arm piece r shown in the figure is longer than the upper arm piece S shown in the figure.
It can support the memory card 3a. The connector [Ob] of this memory card converter 5b has a connection part 3Pb for a memory card 3b with [10 bus specifications] of 20 bins in one row.
can be installed.

The connecting portion 3Pb has a bottle receiving hole structure for receiving and contacting the bottle 9b.

That is, in this embodiment, a connection part 5Pa whose physical specifications match the card mounting device 4a is provided at one end 7b of the device mechanism of the memory card conversion device 5b, and a connection portion 5Pa whose physical specifications match the device mechanism is provided at the other end 8b of the device mechanism. The configuration includes a connector 10b whose physical specifications match those of connector 3b.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a conversion circuit of the memory card conversion device of the present invention.

The memory card conversion device 5b has a 68-bin connection section 5Pa.
Inversion of CE1. Inverted GE2, inverted OE, inverted WE, 2
In order to connect to CE, RD, and WR of the connector 10b of the 0-bin, a NOR circuit Ul and inverting circuits U2 to U4 are provided to perform logic matching.

Here, ○E and RD indicate output permission signals of the storage circuit in the memory card 3b, and WE and WR indicate write permission signals of the same storage circuit, respectively. In addition, the R of the connection part of 68 bins is 5 Pa.
DY, AO, Al, and DO-D7 are directly connected to RDY, Ao, A, I, and DO-D7, respectively, of the 20-bin connector 10b.

VBAT, WP, Vcc, V of 68-bin connection part 5Pa
pp, GND are V BA of 20-bin connector 10b
T, W P, Vcc, vll) p, (directly connected to JND, respectively).

In addition, A2-A23 and D8~ of the 68-bin connection part 5Pa
D15 is not connected to the 20-bin connector Ob. Note that in the above connection, the signal lines that are directly connected may be connected via a buffer element. Also,
The symbols of the above terminals will be explained later.

The operation of the embodiment configured in this way will be explained below.

When a 68-bin memory card 3a is inserted into a 68-bin card mounting device 4a, it can be directly inserted since they have the same specifications.

Also, when trying to install a 20-bin memory card 3b into the 68-bin card installation device 4a, since the specifications are different, the connecting portion 5P of the memory card conversion device 5b
A is mounted on the card mounting device 4a, and the connecting portion 3Pb of the memory card 3b is mounted on the connector 10b of the memory card conversion device 5b.

In this case, the connector 10 of the memory card conversion device fi5b
After attaching the connection part 3Pb of the memory card 3b to b,
The connecting portion 5Pa of the memory card conversion device 5b may be attached to the card mounting device 4a.

In this installed state, the inverted CEI, which is a permission signal for accessing the lower 8 bits and upper 8 bits of data, is activated.
, inverted CE2 are supplied to the inverted circuit U2 and the NOR circuit U1, but only the inverted CEI is supplied to the memory card 3b as the enable signal CE of the connector Ob. When this permission signal CE is supplied to the memory card 3b, data can be read from DO-D7 by specifying an address using AO and Al for reading.

Further, when this permission signal CE is being supplied to the memory card 3b, for writing, an address is specified using AO and AI, and data is written via DO-D7.

In this way, in the first embodiment, I10 of one column of 20 bins
A bus specification memory card 3b can be mounted in a direct bus specification card mounting device 4a having two rows of 68 bins by interposing a memory card converting device 5b. Therefore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to provide a mounting device for each memory card used.

4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a memory card with two rows of 68 bins and a direct bus specification is used.
An example of a memory card converting device used when the memory card is installed in a device having a 110 bus specification with one row of 20 bins is shown.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a second embodiment of the memory card conversion device of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, the main body 2 of the information processing device 1 is provided with a card mounting device 4b into which, for example, a 20-bin memory card 3b can be mounted.

This card mounting device 4b has a connector configuration in which 20 bins 6b are installed in one row, and a memory card 3b can be mounted therein.

The second memory card 3b has 20 bins and an I10 bus specification, and has a connecting portion 3Pb having a bottle receiving hole structure for receiving and contacting the bin 6b.

A memory card converting device 5a, which is an embodiment of the present invention, can be mounted on the card mounting device 4b.

This memory card conversion device 5a has two
It has a connecting part 5Pb with a bottle receiving hole structure that accommodates and contacts 0 bottles 6b, and the other end 8a has a bottle 9a.
The connector has two rows of 68 connectors] Oa.

The connector 10a of this memory card conversion device 5a includes
A connecting portion 3Pa of a memory card 3a with two rows of 68 bins and a direct bus specification can be attached.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a conversion circuit of a memory card conversion device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

First, the symbols on the 20th bin side will be explained. There are terminals CE, RD, WE, RDY, AO on the connection part 5Pb (or card mounting device 4b) side of the memory card conversion device 5a.
, AI, Do~D7, VBAT.

The symbols Wp, Vcc, Vpp, and GND are attached.

The code GE is a card enable signal, and this signal is "1"
You can read and write to the memory card when . The code RD is a read signal, and when this signal is 1, the data at the specified address in the memory card is output. The code WE is a write signal, and when this signal is rlJ, the data at the specified address in the memory card is output. Data is written to the address.

Symbol RDY is a ready signal, and when this signal is "1", writing and reading operations to and from the memory card are possible. Symbols AO and AI are address signals for control registers of the memory card. The symbol Do''-D7 is a data bus. The symbol VBAT is a signal indicating the voltage value of the data protection battery in the memory card, and the symbol Wp is a write inhibit signal. The symbol Vcc is a normal power supply terminal. The symbol VpI
) is a write power supply terminal for electrically writable read-only memory. GND indicates a ground terminal.

Also, the symbols on the 68-bin side will be explained. The symbols of the terminals of the connector 10a of the memory card converter 5a (or the connection part 3Pa of the memory card 3a) are inverted CEI, C
E2, inverted OE, inverted wE, RDY, AO~A23, D
O~D15, VBAT, WP, Vcc, Vpp, GND
It becomes.

Here, only the terminal numbers different from the above 20 bins will be explained. Inverted CE2 is the card enable signal, and this signal is
1, it is possible to read and write to the memory card. The data order at the time of reading and writing can be specified using the inverted CEI and this signal, but since the 20-bin interface has an 8-bit data bus, CE] is pulled up to the power supply voltage VCC.

Inverted ○E is an output enable signal, and when this signal is "1", data at a designated address in the memory card is output. Inverted WE is a write signal, and when this signal is [1], data is written to a designated address in the memory card.

Note that AO to A23 are address signals indicating the memory address within the memory card. Although Do-D15 is a data bus, D8 to D15 are not used in this example.

Connecting portions 5Pb with such symbols and connectors 1
0a refers to address generation latch circuits U]3 to U15 operated by a control circuit Ull consisting of a latch circuit LC and inversion circuits IV, ~IV, and data to the address generation latch circuits U13 to U15, and , connector 1
It is connected by a bus buffer U12 that transmits data from 0a to the connection part SPb side, and a logic matching circuit U16 consisting of a NAND circuit NAND, .about.NAND, which changes the signal on the connection part SPb side to the connector 10a side.

The control circuit Ull decodes the addresses AO and Al,
Latch circuits U13-U via inverting circuits IV, ~IV,
]5. The path buffer U12 transmits data bidirectionally, and the transmission direction is set by the terminal DIR, and whether or not it is in the output state is set by the terminal G. Latch circuit U13
~L]I5 is AO-A7, A8~A of connector 10a
15. Distribute addresses to A16 to A23.

The operation of the second embodiment configured in this way will be explained.

For example, a fixed address in a 68-bin direct bus type memory card 3a, for example, 402200)1 (here, H is 1
If you want to read the data (indicated in hexadecimal), connect the memory card 3a to the connector 10 of the memory card conversion device 5a.
a, and the connection part 5Pb of the memory card conversion device 5a.
is mounted on the card mounting device 4b.

Next, the information processing device 1 first sets the lower address OOH to the address OOH and the middle address 22 to the address OIH.
Write H and upper address 40H to address 02H. As a result, 408 is applied to the latch circuit U13, 408 is applied to the latch circuit U14, 22H is applied to the latch circuit U15, and O is applied to the latch circuit U15.
Since OH will be latched, 4022 is applied to AO~A7, A8~A]5, A16~A23 of connector 10a.
001-( is output. Note that latch circuit U] 3 to U
15 can be set not only in the above order but also in any desired manner. Then, when the address specification is completed, by inputting a predetermined signal to the inverted CE2 and the inverted ○E via the logic matching circuit U16, the data at the address is read out, and the data bus Do-D7 is The information is inputted to the information processing device 1 via the information processing device 1.

The same goes for writing, but the path buffer 01
The input to the DIR terminal No. 2 is different from the above reading, and in this case, the data input from the 20th bin side through the data bus Do-D7 is output to the data bus Do-D7 of the connector 10a on the 68th bin side.

In this way, in the second embodiment, the memory card converting device 5a is interposed between the memory card 3a having two rows of 68 bins and a direct bus specification, and the mounting light installed in the card mounting device 4b having a 110 bus specification and one row of 20 bins. It can be installed by Therefore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to provide a mounting device for each memory card used.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention. 6th
The third embodiment shown in the figure is a modification of the second embodiment, and there is no change in the mechanical configuration of the memory card conversion device 5a, and the circuits corresponding to the latch circuits U13 to tJ15 of the second embodiment are replaced with counters. Circuit (U23n, U23m) ~ (U25n
, IJ25m), and these counter circuits (U23
There is a major difference in that a combinational logic circuit U30 for driving the circuits n, 1J23m) to (L125n, tJ25m) is provided, and a circuit corresponding to the control circuit Ull of the second embodiment is configured as the control circuit U2]. The other circuit configurations are the same as those in the second embodiment, and are given the same reference numerals and descriptions of the configuration, operation, etc. will be omitted.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, all or part of the address is written in advance to the latch circuits U13 to U]5 each time data in the memory card is read or written.

However, when looking at the actual usage of memory cards, continuous data is often read and written in sequence, so writing addresses each time as in the second embodiment described above is time consuming. There will be waste.

Therefore, in the third embodiment, after the initial address is set, the address is sequentially changed at a constant clock. According to this third embodiment, access time can be shortened.

Now, the operation of the third embodiment will be briefly explained.

When sequentially reading out a plurality of pieces of data at consecutive addresses starting from address 402200H in the 68-bin direct bus type memory card 3a, the information processing device first inputs the lower address OOH to the address OOI( Set middle address 22H to OIH, address 0
Write upper address 40H to 2H. As a result, the counter circuits (LJ23n, U23m) ~ (U25n,
The address is preloaded to U25m), and the address is 402200 from AO to A23 of 68-bin side connector] Oa)
4 is output.

The settings of the addresses do not necessarily have to be in the order of the settings. Furthermore, when using all or part of the address value that has already been set, it is only necessary to set the number by 8 bits of the counter corresponding to the digit to be changed.

When the settings are completed in this way, connect the control circuit U1 to each of the inverted CE2, ○E, and WE terminals of the connector 10a.
6 provides the output signal from 6.

As a result, for example, the data in the storage circuit designated by the address value 402200H of the memory card 3a and the platform to which the read signal has been applied is input to the information processing device 1 through the data buses Do to D7.

At this time, the path buffer U12 can send data from the memory card 3a to the information processing device 1 side.

Immediately after this, the counter circuit (U23n, U23m)
Since a signal for counting is supplied to ~([125n, LJ25m), the address value held in the counter circuit increases by the first digit.

Subsequently, when a read signal is supplied to the memory card conversion device 5a, the address value increased by one address is specified, and the data of the memory card at the specified address is read out. By repeating this, data will be sequentially read from the memory card 3a starting from address 4o2200H.

The write operation is also similar to the read operation described above. In this case, the input to the DIR terminal of the path buffer 012 is different from that at the time of reading, and in this case, the data input from the 20-bin side terminal side through the data buses Do to D7 is transferred to the connector via the path buffer UI2. 1
It is output to terminal DO-D7 on the 0a side.

This third embodiment also provides the same effects as the second embodiment. Further, in the third embodiment, since the address is sequentially changed when reading or writing is performed continuously, the access time can be shortened.

In each of the above embodiments, a 20-bin memory card and a 6-bin memory card are used.
Although an example of connection to a card loading device with 8 bins or vice versa has been described, the present invention is not limited to this number of bins and can be applied to connections between memory cards of different specifications and card loading devices. "Effects of the Invention" As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to connect a memory card with different specifications and a card mounting device using a memory card conversion device, so that the device into which the memory card is mounted can be converted. Various types of memory cards can be connected to card mounting devices with different specifications without having to be modified or modified.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a compact memory card conversion device that allows
Since it is possible to connect memory cards with different specifications to the card loading device, the loading process is simple and easy to use, and the small size saves storage space, making it especially convenient for use in portable information processing devices. .

Furthermore, with the present invention, it is only necessary to create a new memory card conversion device each time the specifications are changed, so there is no large-scale increase in the number of devices due to a change in the specifications, and the installation cost is reduced. There is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a memory card conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the memory card conversion device, and FIG. 3 is a conversion circuit provided in the memory card conversion device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention.
A side view of a memory card conversion device showing an embodiment, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a conversion circuit provided in the memory card conversion device of the second embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a conversion circuit of the third embodiment. , FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a conventional method of using the above-mentioned memory card. 1... Information processing device 2... Main body 3a, 3b... Memory card 4a, 4b... Card mounting device 5a, 5b... Memory card conversion device 10a, job Connector 3Pa, 3Pb, 5Pa, 5Pb/Memory card Connection part U]...NOR circuit U2-U4...Inversion circuit tJ]l...Control circuit tJ]2...Pass buffer U]3-Ij15...Latch circuit Li16/Logic matching circuit U2]... Control circuit (U23n, U23m) ~ (U25n, Ij25m)
...Counter circuit U30...Associative logic circuit Patent applicant Kyocera Corporation 1:-- Representative patent attorney Hiroshi Koike Ninijit +4-1- 2nd drawing 3rd 11!4 3Pb 3b 7th Figure +20

Claims (1)

[Claims] a card mounting device provided on the main body side of the information processing device;
A device for connecting a memory card with a different specification, the device mechanism comprising a connecting portion whose physical specifications match the card mounting device and a connector means whose physical specifications match the memory card. A memory card converting device comprising: a converting circuit for matching the electrical specifications of the connecting portion and the electrical specifications of the connector means in the device mechanism.