JPH05199298A - Firmware revision system for i interface test equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the revision of the firmware of an I interface test equipment without the need of replacement of a ROM. CONSTITUTION:A transfer function 21 reads a firmware in a floppy disk 1 and writes and stores the firmware to an external storage device 23. An expansion command function 22 reads the firmware stored in the external storage device 23 and writes the firmware to the buffer 31. Furthermore, the expansion command function 22 gives a command of expanding the firmware in the buffer 31 to a RAM 33. An expansion function 32 based on the command from the expansion command function 22 expands the firmware in the buffer 31 onto the RAM 33.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a firmware update system for an I interface tester, and more particularly to an I interface tester which is maintained and monitored by a switch maintenance monitor test system.
The present invention relates to a firmware update method for an I-interface tester that updates firmware when the firmware is revised to add a function of the firmware or correct a bug in the interface tester (I-interface tester with built-in firmware).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a medium for supplying firmware in an I interface tester having a built-in firmware has been a ROM (Read Only Memory). Therefore, in the conventional I interface tester firmware update method, when the firmware is updated to update the firmware, the ROM attached to the hardware package of the I interface tester is replaced (ROM replacement work). ) Is done,
The updated firmware stored in the ROM has been developed on the RAM in the I-interface tester based on an instruction from the exchange maintenance monitoring test system. The above-mentioned ROM replacement work was performed by an operator having specialized knowledge and skill.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional firmware updating method for the I interface tester requires a ROM replacement operation by a worker having specialized knowledge and skill when updating the firmware. There is a drawback in that the cost for replacing the firmware (the cost for dispatching such a worker, etc.), the work amount, and the work time increase.

In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is a ROM.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a firmware update method for an I interface tester that can implement a firmware update for the I interface tester without requiring replacement work.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A firmware updating method for an I interface tester according to the present invention is a floppy disk for supplying updated firmware, and the firmware in the floppy disk is read in to an external storage in a switch maintenance monitoring test system. A transfer function in the exchange maintenance monitoring test system that writes and stores the firmware in the device, and the firmware stored in the external storage device is read by this transfer function and the firmware is written in the buffer in the I-interface tester. A deployment instruction function in the exchange maintenance monitoring test system for instructing to deploy the firmware on the RAM in the I interface tester, and the firmware in the buffer on the RAM based on the instruction from the deployment instruction function. And a development function of the I interface tester to open.

[0006]

In the firmware update method for the I-interface tester of the present invention, the floppy disk supplies the updated firmware, and the transfer function in the exchange maintenance / monitoring test system reads the firmware in the floppy disk and in the exchange maintenance / monitoring test system. The firmware is written and stored in the external storage device, and the expansion instruction function in the exchange maintenance monitoring test system reads the firmware stored in the external storage device by the transfer function and writes the firmware in the buffer in the I interface tester Is instructed to be expanded on the RAM in the I interface tester, and the expansion function in the I interface tester expands the firmware in the buffer on the RAM based on the instruction from the expansion instruction function.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a firmware updating system for an I interface tester according to the present invention. The firmware updating method of the I interface tester according to the present embodiment includes a floppy disk 1, a switch maintenance monitoring test system 2, and an I interface tester 3.

The exchange maintenance monitoring test system 2 comprises a transfer control program 20 having a transfer function 21 and an expansion instruction function 22, and an external storage device 23.

The I interface tester 3 has a buffer 3
1, a development function 32, and a RAM (Random Acc
Ess Memory) 33 and the like.

Next, the I of this embodiment constructed as described above.
The operation of the firmware update method of the interface tester will be described.

The floppy disk 1 is a medium for supplying firmware, and supplies the updated firmware when the firmware of the I interface tester 3 is updated.

The transfer function 21 in the transfer control program 20 in the exchange maintenance monitoring / testing system 2 is activated based on the input of a copy command.

The activated transfer function 21 sequentially reads the updated firmware from the floppy disk 1 (see the arrow line of "read operation" in FIG. 1), and the firmware is used for the exchange maintenance monitoring test system 2. It is written and stored in the external storage device 23 (see the arrow line of “read / write operation” in FIG. 1). It should be noted that this accumulation processing is performed in the RAM after the power of the I interface tester 3 is stopped
This is done for the purpose of eliminating the need to read the firmware from the floppy disk 1 when the firmware is redistributed into the 33.

The expansion instruction function 22 in the transfer control program 20 in the exchange maintenance monitoring test system 2 is activated based on the input of a download command.

The activated expansion instruction function 22 sequentially reads out the firmware stored in the external storage device 23 (see the arrow of "read / write operation" in FIG. 1),
The firmware is written in the buffer 31 in the I interface tester 3 (see the arrow line of "write operation" in FIG. 1).

Further, the expansion instruction function 22 instructs the I interface tester 3 to expand the firmware in the buffer 31 on the RAM 33.

Development function 3 in the I interface tester 3
2 is activated based on an instruction from the expansion instruction function 22.

The expanded function 32 that has been activated is the buffer 31.
The internal firmware is expanded on the RAM 33.

The loading of the floppy disk 1 and the input of various commands in the above series of operations are simple operations and can be processed by the operator of the exchange maintenance monitoring test system 2.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, by updating the firmware of the I interface tester which is maintained and monitored by the exchange maintenance monitoring test system without requiring the ROM replacement work, The work by an operator having specialized knowledge and technology becomes unnecessary (the firmware of the switch maintenance monitoring test system can be updated by an operator or the like). Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost for dispatching a worker to a location where I-interface testers related to the exchange maintenance / monitoring systems scattered all over the country are saved, and the complicated ROM exchange work is required. There is an effect that the work for updating the firmware can be performed simply and quickly due to the unnecessary work.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Floppy disk 2 Exchanger maintenance monitoring test system 3 I interface tester 20 Transfer control program 21 Transfer function 22 Expansion instruction function 31 Buffer 32 Expansion function 33 RAM

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A floppy disk for supplying the updated firmware, and a transfer in the exchange maintenance monitoring test system for reading the firmware in the floppy disk and writing the firmware to an external storage device in the exchange maintenance monitoring test system for storage. Function, and by this transfer function, the firmware stored in the external storage device is read, the firmware is written to a buffer in the I interface tester, and the firmware in this buffer is stored in the RAM in the I interface tester.
A development instruction function in the exchange maintenance monitoring test system for instructing the expansion and an expansion function in the I interface tester for expanding the firmware in the buffer on the RAM based on the instruction from the expansion instruction function. An I interface tester firmware update method comprising: