JPH067394Y2 - Programmable small electronic calculator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a programmable compact electronic computer.

[Prior Art and its Problems] Conventionally, in a programmable small-sized electronic computer called a pocket computer, a dedicated program (for scientific calculation, for example) suitable for a customer's business before shipping a product.
A program for financial calculation was transferred from an external memory (ROM) to an internal memory (RAM) and shipped as a dedicated machine. In this case, even when there is an error in the dedicated program stored in the external memory, or when part of it is changed or improved in response to changes in business development,
Since the stored contents cannot be rewritten in the external memory, it was necessary to create a new program and prepare a separate external memory.

[Purpose of Invention] This invention was made in the background of the above-mentioned circumstances. The purpose of this invention is to
It is an object of the present invention to provide a programmable small-sized electronic computer that can write a corrected program newly to a correct program later and can read a correctly corrected program while ignoring an erroneous program.

[Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention is configured such that a program memory for storing a program is composed of a writable nonvolatile memory, and an empty area in which a correction program and the like can be written is provided. The gist is that the correction program and the like newly written therein is read out prior to the already stored program.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

Structure FIG. 1 is an external view of a pocket computer to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a computer main body, and a spread part 2 is formed on the computer main body 1 so as to be openable and closable via a connecting portion JT. Further, alphabet keys AK, substitution keys BK, etc. are arranged on the upper surface of the computer main body 1, and a dot matrix type liquid crystal display panel DP is provided on the inner surface of the spread part 2, and
A program key PK for designating the execution of the corresponding program among the 0 kinds of programs P (0) to P (9) is provided. The ten types of programs are supplied from the outside of the computer body 1 by the ROM card 3.

FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing the basic configuration of this pocket computer. When this computer is shipped as a dedicated machine, the ROM card 3 is electrically connected to an external connection terminal (not shown) of the computer body 1, and the program stored in this ROM card 3 is stored in the CPU.
Under the control of 11, the data is transferred to the RAM 12 which is an internal memory. The plurality of programs stored in the RAM 12 are R in response to the program execution command output from the key input unit 13 when the corresponding program key PK is operated.
It is selectively read from the AM 12 and executed. The program execution result and the like are displayed on the liquid crystal display panel DP.
Is sent to and displayed on the display unit 14 provided with. The RAM 12 is always packed up by a backup power supply (not shown), and the contents of the memory are retained even when the power switch of the computer main body 1 is turned off.

Next, the configuration of the ROM card 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The ROM card 3 is a writable non-volatile memory, specifically, an OTP R that can be written only once.
It is composed of OM (One Time Programmable ROM). A program area PGM in which a plurality of programs are stored in the ROM card 3 and a program management area (directory area) DIR in which program designation data for designating each program in the program area PGM are stored Is provided.
Further, the program area PGM is provided with a program empty area PSA in which a correction program and the like are written,
In the directory area DIR, the directory empty area D in which program designating data such as the correction program written in the program empty area PSA is stored.
SA is provided. The program area PG
M, directory area DIR and empty areas PS
The sizes of A and DSA are relative and can be changed according to the number of programs stored in the ROM card 3.

FIG. 4 shows the program designation data stored in the directory area DIR. The program designation data is composed of the file name of the corresponding program, the file top address indicating the start address of the area where the program corresponding to the program area PGM is stored, and the file end address indicating the end address of the area. ing.

Operation Now, in the program area PGM of the ROM card 3, there are six types of programs P (0), P (1),
It is assumed that P (4), P (7), P (5), and P (8) are written in this order. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the program designation data is written in the directory area DIR of the ROM card 3 in order from after the directory area DIR (DIR END). That is, each program is sequentially written in the ROM card 3 in the forward direction, and the program designation data is sequentially written in the reverse direction.

Here, for example, when the program P (5) has an error and the correction program P (5 ″) is written in the ROM card 3, the correction program P (5 ″) is used for the program as shown in FIG. It is written from the beginning of the empty area PSA. As a result, the correction program P (5 ″) is written next to the already written program P (8). At this time, the correction program P (5 ″) written in the program empty area PSA is written. File top address P (5 ″) TOP and file end address P
(5 ″) END is written at the end of the directory empty area DSA as the program designation data together with the file name (see FIG. 5).

In this state, when transferring the program in the ROM card 3 to the RAM 12 in the computer main body 1,
The ROM card 3 is connected to the computer main body 1 and the program key PK is operated. Then, every time the program key PK is operated, the operation according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is executed.

Now, from the ROM card 3, the programs P (0) -P
(8) is transferred to the RAM 12, and the programs P (0) to P (P)
(8) of the program key PK Shall be set according to. Here, first When the program key PK of is operated, a process for searching the directory area DIR for the program designation data corresponding to the program P (0) is executed (step S
1). In this case, the CPU 11 uses the directory area DI
In the R direction from the beginning (DIR TOP), that is,
Program P (5 ″), 9 (8), ... P (1), P
The designated data is sequentially searched in the order of (0) (steps S2 and S3), and when the corresponding program designated data is searched by this, the program delia PGM is designated by the file top address, and from this file top address The program P (0) up to the file end address is sequentially read from the program area PGM and transferred to the RMA 12 (step S4).

Then, Even when the program key PK is operated, the above-described operation is executed and the directory area DIR is searched from the top (DIR TOP). As a result, the correction program P (5 ″) has an error in the program P (5 ), The correction program P (5 ″) is read from the ROM card 3 and transferred to the RAM 12. That is, the erroneous program P (5) is ignored,
The correctly modified program P (5 ″) is transferred.

Although the program transfer in the case where the pocket computer is shipped as a dedicated machine has been described in the above embodiment, the ROM card 3 prepared as an option on the user side is connected to the computer main body 1 and the ROM card 3 is stored in the ROM card 3. The same applies when executing the program.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the OTP ROM described above is used as the writable nonvolatile memory, but a fuse ROM or the like may be used.

[Advantage of the Invention] As described in detail above, the present invention is configured such that a program memory for storing a program is composed of a writable non-volatile memory and an empty area in which a correction program and the like can be written is provided. Since the newly written correction program is read prior to the already stored program, even if the program stored in the memory is wrong, it is corrected to the correct program later. It is possible to write a correction program, and it is possible to always read a correct program while ignoring an erroneous program.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an external view of a pocket computer to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing the basic structure, and FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the ROM card 3, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining program designation data stored in the directory area DIR of the ROM card 3, and FIG. 5 is a state in which the correction program is written in the ROM card 3. FIG. 6 and FIG. 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of this embodiment. 1 ... Computer body, 3 ... ROM card, 11 ...
... CPU, 12 ... RAM, PGM ... program area, DIR ... directory area, PSA ... program empty area, DSA ... directory empty area.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A non-volatile program memory having a program area for storing program data of each of a plurality of programs and a program management area for storing program designation data for designating program data corresponding to each of the plurality of programs. A program writing means for writing program data in the program area and sequentially writing corresponding program designation data from one end side of the program management area; and one of a plurality of programs written in the program memory. A program selecting means for selecting the program selection data, a searching means for sequentially searching the program designation data of the program selected by the program selecting means from the other end side of the program management area, and a searching means for selecting the program selecting data by the program selecting means. Read control means for reading out the corresponding program data from the program area when the program designation data of the stored program is retrieved, and the newly written program is read in preference to the already stored program. A programmable compact electronic computer characterized by the above.