JPH0716233U - Memory device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] R for regular use without using a backup power supply.
Data required for monitoring and control of the AM section (RAM board) is backed up by a power failure to save labor and reduce running costs, and also improve mounting efficiency. [Structure] A RAM board 9 that rewritably holds various data for monitoring and control, and a rewritable semiconductor non-volatile memory configuration backup unit 10 that backs up and stores required data of the board 9 in the event of an abnormality.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a memory device provided in a control device (master station device) or a controlled device (slave station device) for various remote monitoring controls.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, a control device and a controlled device for remote monitoring control are formed by using a microcomputer as shown in FIG. Then, the CPU 1 as the control unit accesses the ROM board 4 of the memory device 3 via the bus 2 and executes the supervisory control program stored in the board 4 in advance to execute the monitoring control program of each of the input / output interface boards 5a to 5n. Collects and processes input data such as monitoring data.

This collection and processing is executed by using the RAM board 6 as a regular RAM section, and various monitoring control data generated during this collection and processing process is rewritten and retained in the RAM board 6 for temporary storage. To be done. Further, the data of the RAM board 6 is output to the outside from each of the input / output interface boards 5a to 5n as needed. The supervisory control data held on the RAM board 6 includes input data such as supervisory data, control data, and management data indicating the current supervisory control state.

By the way, during the operation of this type of remote monitoring control device, a situation (power failure) occurs in which the power supplies of the control device and the controlled device are turned off due to some accident or site modification. At this time, in order to prevent the data of the RAM board 6, particularly important monitoring data, management data, etc. from being lost due to a power failure, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, the RAM board 6 has a backup power supply 7 of battery or supercapacitor configuration. Is connected, and each data of the RAM board 6 is backed up by a power failure by the power supply 7.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The conventional memory device shown in FIG. 3 requires a backup power supply 7 for backing up the data of the RAM board 6, which is a commonly used RAM unit, in case of power failure, and the power supply 7 is formed by a battery or a supercapacitor.

Since the battery is consumed in a relatively short time, it is difficult to back up the power for a long time, and it is necessary to monitor and replace the battery, which requires frequent maintenance work, which saves labor. Also, there is a problem that the running cost cannot be reduced. In addition, although a supercapacitor can perform a power outage backup for a longer period of time than a battery, the backup time is also limited, and there is the problem that a long power outage backup cannot be performed.

Moreover, even if either a battery or a supercapacitor is used, the power supply 7 is large and formed separately from the RAM board 6, so that so-called mounting efficiency cannot be improved. An object of the present invention is to back up the data in the RAM section for a long time without using a backup power source such as a battery to save labor and improve the lining cost, and also to improve the mounting efficiency.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the memory device of the present invention, a regular RAM section that rewritably holds various data for supervisory control, and a rewritable section that backs up and stores the required data in this RAM section in the event of an abnormality And a backup unit having a semiconductor nonvolatile memory configuration.

[0009]

[Action]

 In the case of the memory device of the present invention configured as described above, the data required for the supervisory control of the RAM section is backed up to the backup section of the semiconductor non-volatile memory when a power failure occurs.

Since the backup unit is formed by a semiconductor non-volatile memory such as a rewritable flash memory that does not require a backup power supply, the RAM does not have to use a large backup power supply such as a conventional battery or supercapacitor. It is possible to back up long-term power outages of important data in some parts. In addition, the backup part does not need to be replaced due to wear, etc., eliminating the maintenance work required in the past, and it can be made smaller and younger than conventional batteries and supercapacitors.

[0011]

【Example】

 One embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. 1, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3 denote the same or corresponding ones, 8 is a memory device provided in place of the memory device 3 in FIG. 3, and 9 is a RAM provided in place of the RAM board 6 in FIG. It is a board and forms a regular RAM part. Reference numeral 10 is a backup unit mounted on a part of the RAM board 9 and is formed by a flash memory as a rewritable non-volatile memory.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed configuration of the RAM board 9. In FIG. 2, 11a, 11b, ..., 11n are first, second, ..., Nth memory blocks having an S-RAM configuration, and 1n. 2 is a flash memory of the backup unit 10, 13 is a switch circuit for writing / reading and selecting backup data provided between the memory blocks 11a to 11n and the flash memory 12, and 14 is a control for writing / reading control. It is a register and operates based on a software route command via the bus 2 and a hardware route command such as a signal indicating a power failure at the terminal 15 {PF (PowerFile) signal}.

The PF signal is based on the monitoring of the power supply voltage applied to the memory device 8 and the like, and when this voltage drops to the operation limit voltage (set voltage) of the memory device 8, a power supply monitoring device (not shown) It is given to the terminal 15. In addition, the software route command is used when an accident or a site modification is performed or when the backed up data in the flash memory 12 is read out by an abnormal process of a program stored in the ROM 4 or an operation of a keyboard (not shown). Occur.

Further, the data written in each of the memory blocks 11a to 11n is preset based on its address, etc., and various data of the supervisory control generated by the execution of the supervisory control program is controlled by the CPU 1 at all times, Each memory block 11a-11n is selectively written and read. Next, required data such as monitoring data and management data that need to be backed up after a power failure and a memory block in which they are held are preset and notified to the CPU 1.

When the required data is held in the first to fifth memory blocks 11a to 11e, some abnormality occurs, and when the control register 14 is instructed to back up by the software route or the hardware route, The register 14 controls the switch circuit 13 to transfer required data of the first to fifth memory blocks 11a to 11e to the flash memory 12. At this time, the flash memory 12 executes the store operation based on the notification from the register 14 and the like, writes and holds the transferred data, and saves the required data from the memory blocks 11a to 11e.

During a power failure, the flash memory 12 retains data without power supply, and the saved data is backed up during a power failure, similar to a general flash memory. This backup period is significantly longer than that of conventional batteries and supercapacitors, which is tens of days, years or longer, based on the characteristics of flash memory.

Next, upon normal recovery, the software route instructs the control register 14 to restore data. Based on this instruction, the flash memory 12 executes a recall operation and the control register 14 controls the switch circuit 13. The required data, which has been backed up by the power failure in the flash memory 12, is read and returned to the first to fifth memory blocks 11a to 11e.

Therefore, power failure backup can be stably performed for a long time without power supply, maintenance work can be omitted, labor can be saved, and running cost can be reduced. Moreover, the backup unit 10 is small, and the backup unit 10 is mounted on a part of the RAM board 9, and the regular RAM unit and the backup unit are provided together on a single board, which improves the mounting efficiency. Can be achieved.

In the above-described embodiment, the required data is the data of some of the memory blocks 11a to 11e, but the data of all the memory blocks 11a to 11n is the required data, and all the data of the supervisory control is set. You may back up after a power failure. The rewritable non-volatile memory may be a memory other than the flash memory, such as a ferroelectric non-volatile memory.

[0020]

[Effect of device]

 Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. Data required for monitoring and control of the RAM section (RAM board 9) is stopped and backed up in a backup section 10 having a semiconductor nonvolatile memory (flash memory 12) in the event of an abnormality accompanying a power failure.

The semiconductor non-volatile memory does not need power supply and can be backed up for a significantly longer time than batteries and super capacitors.

Therefore, the maintenance work can be omitted to save labor and reduce the running cost, and the required data required for the monitoring control can be backed up for a significantly longer period of time than before, and reliability and economy can be improved. It is possible to provide a high distant supervisory control memory device. Further, since the semiconductor nonvolatile memory is small and does not require a large power source such as a battery supercapacitor, for example, the RAM part and the nonvolatile memory can be mounted on one board to significantly improve the mounting efficiency. Can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a memory device according to the present invention.

2 is a detailed block diagram of a portion of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 memory device 9 RAM board forming RAM part 10 backup part

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A normal RA for rewritably holding various data of supervisory control in a memory device provided in a control device or a controlled device for remote supervisory control.
A memory device comprising an M section and a backup section having a rewritable semiconductor non-volatile memory structure for backing up and storing required data in the RAM section in the event of an abnormality.