JPH0664464B2 - Electronic musical instrument network system - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a network system for electronic devices, and more particularly to the use of a controller for automatically recognizing, registering, setting, etc., a slave unit connected to a network. The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument network system capable of connecting any type of device to a network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, since a plurality of electronic musical instruments are connected to each other to form an electronic musical instrument network system, so-called MIDI (Musica
Instrument Digital Interface) was known. This MIDI interface is a common standard for transmitting automatic performance data, etc., and makes it possible to transmit performance data such as key codes from one of multiple musical instruments distributed on the network to another. It was something to do.

However, in such a conventional system using MIDI, computers, printers,
In order to connect operations other than musical instruments such as a disc device, there is a disadvantage that special control software and a computer system for executing this software are required for each device.

[Object and Summary of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional art.
In an electronic musical instrument network system, it is to allow a user to install and use a completely new device in a network simply by physically connecting a cable.

In order to achieve this object, the electronic musical instrument network system of the present invention has at least a controller having a memory and a processor for an expansion device, a network bus connected to the controller, and each connected to the network bus and necessary for its own control. A single or a plurality of slave units storing a control program, and the control programs are collectively loaded from the slave unit to the expansion device memory of the controller via the network bus at the initial operation of the slave unit. Further, by executing the control program in the controller, after the control program is loaded, it is not necessary to access the control program stored in the slave unit, and the control program stored in each slave unit and the controller is connected via the network bus. What made it possible to control the transfer of information A.

[Description of Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an electronic musical instrument network system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system shown in the figure includes a controller 1 that also serves as an electronic musical instrument, another electronic musical instrument 2, a floppy disk 3, a printer 4, and these controllers 1,
A network bus 5 is provided for connecting the electronic musical instrument 2, the floppy disk 3, the printer 4, etc. to each other. The controller 1 includes a processor (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) 6 and a read-only memory for a basic system (hereinafter referred to as a ROM)
7. Random access memory for basic system (hereinafter RA
8), expansion device RAM 9-1, 9-2, 9-3, ..., Sound source circuit 10, output amplifier 11, speaker 12, panel interface 13, console panel 14, bus interface
15, control interface 16, instruction panel 17, start information input section 18, and internal bus connecting these circuits
Equipped with 19.

In the circuit of FIG. 1, the controller 1 also serves as an electronic musical instrument, for example, and when a performance is performed by operating the console panel 14 or the like, the performance data is input to the basic RAM 8 and the tone generator circuit 10 or the like via the panel interface 13. To be done. Then, a predetermined sound signal is generated by the sound source circuit 10, amplified by the output amplifier 11, and output from the speaker 12. At this time, the performance data input from the control panel 14 is input to the tone generator circuit 10 after being subjected to various processes such as waveform operation by the CPU 6 as necessary. In addition,
The CPU 6 performs processing operations based on the operating system (OS) stored in the basic system ROM 7. Also,
The basic system RAM 8 is used for temporary storage of performance data and other various work areas.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the controller 1 in FIG.
A procedure for exchanging information between the device and each device connected by the network bus 5 will be described. In the system according to the present invention, various devices can be arbitrarily connected to the network bus 5, and the controller 1 automatically recognizes the existence of these devices to exchange information. Therefore, the control program stored in the printer 4 is transmitted to the controller 1 via the network bus 5 from one child device in FIG. 1, for example, the printer 4. This control program is stored in, for example, the expansion device RAM 9-1 via the bus interface 15 and the internal bus 19 in the controller 1. Then, in the controller 1, the CPU 6 executes the control program stored in the expansion device RAM 9-1 to automatically cause the controller 1 to recognize the existence of the printer 4, register the slave unit, that is, the printer 4, and perform various controls. Information is set. When the control parameters and other initial settings for the slave unit are required, the CPU 6 displays a message indicating that a predetermined instruction is required on the instruction panel 17 via the control interface 16, and the operator responds accordingly. It is possible to input desired setting information from the same instruction panel 17. This manual setting is also used, for example, when instructing the assignment of devices when there are a plurality of slaves of the same type. The start information unit 18 stores initial setting data necessary for operating in a specific system configuration and supplies it to the controller. For example, initial registration when only the same slave unit is always connected. It is possible to omit the setting and the like. By such operation of the controller, the user physically connects the controller and each slave unit by a cable, and a completely new device is incorporated in the network to exchange complete information between each device with an arbitrary system configuration. be able to. This makes it possible to perform various functions such as storing performance data from a certain electronic musical instrument on a floppy disk or printing a score corresponding to the performance data by a printer.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, an operation for exchanging information in the above-mentioned controller, that is, the master unit and each expansion device, that is, the slave unit will be described. When the power of the child device is turned on or when the operator of the child device is manually operated, the processing shown in the flowchart on the child device side is executed. That is, for example, when the power of the child device is turned on, it is determined whether or not it is possible to transmit to the network. For example, when another child device is transmitting, etc. When it becomes possible, a registration request signal is transmitted to the master unit. When there is a registration request from the slave unit on the master unit side, the slave unit sends a transmission request to the slave unit, and the slave unit transmits the identification number such as the address of the slave unit, that is, the ID and the control program accordingly. This ID and control program are loaded into the expansion device memory on the master side. At this time, the new side checks whether there is a reception error, and if there is a reception error, displays an error and cancels the registration of the slave unit. If there is no reception error, the control program of the slave unit loaded is executed and predetermined parameter setting and other registration operations are executed. The slave unit receives various instruction information from the master unit in response to the execution of the control program on the master unit, stores it in a predetermined memory, and finishes the setting.
By the above registration operation, information can be exchanged between the master unit and the slave unit, and thereafter performance data and other various information are transmitted via the network bus.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it becomes possible for a user to incorporate various new devices into a network by only physically connecting cables, and to use any new device including an electronic musical instrument. The system can be easily realized. Further, after the control program is loaded during the initial operation of the child device, it is not necessary to access the control program stored in the child device at any time, so that the device configuration is simple.
In addition, a special interface software and a processor for executing this software are not required each time a new device is connected, so that a network system having a simplified system configuration and rich in flexibility and flexibility is realized. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram showing an outline of an electronic musical instrument network system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an operation of the system of FIG. 1: Controller, 2: Electronic musical instrument, 3: Floppy disk, 4: Printer, 5: Network bus, 6: Processor, 7: Basic system ROM, 8: Basic system RAM, 9-1, 9-2, 9 -3,…: RAM for expansion device, 10: Sound source circuit, 11: Output amplifier, 12: Speaker, 13: Panel interface, 14: Console panel, 15: Bus interface, 16: Control interface, 17: Instruction panel, 18 : Start information section, 19: Internal bus.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A controller having at least a memory for an expansion device and a processor, a network bus connected to the controller, and a single or a plurality of devices connected to the network bus, each of which stores a control program necessary for its own control. And a control program is collectively loaded from the slave unit to the expansion device memory of the controller via the network bus at the initial operation of the slave unit, and the control program is stored in the controller. An electronic musical instrument network system, characterized in that the electronic musical instrument network system executes control to exchange information between the slaves and the controller via the network bus.