JPH07234802A - Module switching control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for a control line for a switching signal which switches over modules. CONSTITUTION:A module 2i outputs a switching request signal SWi if a fault occurs and a switching control part 12 outputs module switching information. A control part 11 once inputting the module switching information outputs switching data to a bus control part 10. The bus control part 10 stores the number of a module to be polled next and interrupts polling. The bus control part 10 sends out switching data informing that a system is a stand-by system, to the module 2i and switching data Dj showing that a system is an in-operation system to a module 2j. Thus, the modules are switched over. After the switching, the bus control part 10 restarts polling modules from the module with the stored number.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to module control in an apparatus provided with a plurality of modules and a control module for controlling them, and more particularly to a protection configuration.
The present invention relates to a module switching control method for switching two modules.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a device for centrally controlling a plurality of modules connected to a common serial bus by a control module having a CPU. The control module in this device individually calls each module and calls the called module. Each module is controlled by receiving the status sent from. In such a module control, a protection configuration having the same structure (2
If there are modules with a redundant configuration, one is an active system and the other is a standby system, so module switching control for switching between the active system and the standby system is required.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a device using a conventional module switching control system, 21 is a control module,
22a to 22n are modules, 23 is a control module 2
1 is a common serial bus that connects 1 and the modules 22a to 22n. In this device, the module 22i,
22j has a protection structure. Also, SW
i and SWj are modules 22 when a failure or the like occurs.
Switching request signals output from i and 22j, and Si and Sj are switching signals output from the control module 21 for switching modules.

Next, the operation of switching modules in such an apparatus will be described. When a failure occurs in the module 22i currently in operation, the module 22i outputs the switching request signal SWi. The control module 21 which has detected the switching request signal SWi outputs a switching signal Si notifying that it is a standby system to the module 22i, and subsequently a switching signal S notifying that it is an active system.
j to the module 22j. In this way, module switching is performed in which the module 22i is the standby system and the module 22j is the active system.

[0005]

In the conventional module switching control, as the number of modules in the protection structure increases, the number of control signal lines for switching signals increases in proportion to the increase in the number of modules. There is also a problem in that the number of interface circuits for switching signals provided in the control module also increases. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a module switching control system that does not require a control line for switching signals in order to solve the above problems.

[0006]

A control module of the present invention performs a polling process for sequentially calling each module, and interrupts the polling process when a switching request signal is input from one of two modules having a protection structure, Switching data for module switching is sent to two modules via a common serial bus, and polling processing is restarted after the modules are switched by the switching data.

Further, the control module is connected to the common serial bus, performs a polling process for sequentially sending a polling signal to each module and receiving the returned status, and when the switching data for module switching is input, The number of the module to be processed is stored, the polling process is interrupted, the switching data is sent to the two modules of the protection configuration via the common serial bus, and the module with the number stored after switching the module by this switching data A bus control unit that resumes polling processing, and a control unit that processes the status received by this bus control unit and outputs switching data to the bus control unit when a switching request signal is input from one of the two modules. And have.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the control module sequentially calls each module by polling to perform module control. Then, when the switching request signal is input from one of the two modules having the protection configuration, the polling process is interrupted, the switching data is sent to the two modules via the common serial bus, and the polling process is restarted after the module switching. .

Further, the bus control unit sequentially sends a polling signal to each module to receive the returned status, and the control unit processes the received status. Then, the control unit outputs the switching data when the switching request signal is input from one of the two modules having the protection configuration, and the bus control unit stores the number of the module to be processed next by the switching data. The polling process is interrupted, the switching data is sent to the two modules via the common serial bus, and the polling process is restarted from the module having the stored number.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus using a module switching control system showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the normal operation of this apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a module. It is a timing chart figure for demonstrating operation at the time of switching. In FIG. 1, 1 is a control module, 2a to 2n are modules, 3 is a common serial bus, and modules 2i and 2j have a protection configuration.

A bus control unit 10 normally performs a polling process for sequentially sending a polling signal to each module and receiving a returned status, and performs a polling process when switching data for module switching is input. And the switching data is sent to the modules 2i and 2j, and then the polling process is restarted. Reference numeral 11 denotes a control unit that processes the status received by the bus control unit 10 and outputs switching data when module switching information, which will be described later, is input. When input, the switching control unit outputs the states of the switching request signals SWi and SWj as module switching information to the control unit 11.

In FIG. 2, Pa to Pn are modules 2
The polling signals STa to STn sent from the control module 1 to collect the statuses from a to 2n are the modules 2a to 2 for the polling signals Pa to Pn.
status sent from n, or D in FIG.
i and Dj are the switching data sent from the control module 1 to switch the modules 2i and 2j, Ai and Aj.
Is the module 2i, 2j for the switching data Di, Dj
It is a response signal sent from the.

Next, as an operation of such an apparatus, a normal operation in which the control module 1 centrally controls each module will be described. When the control unit 11 makes a status collection request to the bus control unit 10, the bus control unit 10 sequentially starts polling the modules 2a to 2n.

That is, the bus controller 10 sends the polling signal Pa to the module 2a as shown in FIG. 2 (a).
The module 2a which has received the polling signal Pa via the common serial bus 3 sends out the status STa as shown in FIG. 2B.

The bus control unit 10 which has received this status STa via the common serial bus 3 then operates as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
The same polling that sends b is performed. By repeating such polling, the status STn of the module 2n
When the polling has been completed, the statuses collected from the respective modules are output to the control unit 11 and the next status collection request is waited for from the control unit 11. When the processing of the status received from the bus control unit 10 is completed, the control unit 11 outputs the next status collection request to the bus control unit 10.

In this way, the control module 1 can collect the status of each module. Also,
When transmitting data for setting a state to each module, for example, the same method via the common serial bus 3 can be used.

Next, the module switching operation for switching the modules 2i and 2j in the protection configuration will be described. When a failure occurs in the module 2i currently in operation, the module 2i outputs a switching request signal SWi as shown in FIG. 3 (c). The switching control unit 12 in the control module 1 that has detected the switching request signal SWi
Indicates to the control unit 11 the state of the switching request signals SWi and SWj as the module switching information (here, the switching request signal SWj
Is not output, so it remains at the “L” level) and a module switching request is made.

When the module switching information is input, the control unit 11 gives the highest priority to the switching processing between the active system and the standby system. That is, although the module 2i is the active system and the module 2j is the standby system at the present time, it is necessary to change the module 2i to the standby system and the module 2j to the active system according to the determination result based on the input module switching information. Therefore, the switching data for issuing such a switching instruction is output to the bus control unit 10.

When this switching data is received, FIG.
As shown in (a), the bus control unit 10, which has been polling the module 2a, stores the number of the module to be polled next (module 2b here) after receiving the status STa from the module 2a. Interrupt polling. Then, the bus control unit 10 operates as shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the module 2 which has sent the switching data Di notifying that it is the standby system to the module 2i and has received this switching data Di via the common serial bus 3
i corresponds to the response signal Ai as shown in FIG.
Is sent.

Next, the bus control unit 10 having received the response signal Ai sends the switching data Dj notifying that it is the active system to the module 2j as shown in FIG. 3 (a),
The module 2j that has received the switching data Dj sends a response signal Aj to the module 2j as shown in FIG. In this way, module switching is performed in which the module 2i is the standby system and the module 2j is the active system.

The bus control unit 10 which has received the response signal Aj
Notifies the control unit 11 of the completion of switching, and sends a polling signal Pb to the module with the stored number, that is, the module 2b as shown in FIG. 3A to restart polling.

[0022]

According to the present invention, since the control module sends the switching data via the common serial bus to switch between the two modules having the protection structure, the control line for the switching signal becomes unnecessary, Even if the number of modules in the protection configuration increases, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of connection points of connectors provided in the control module, and it is possible to eliminate the need for an interface circuit for switching signals provided in the control module.

Further, by providing the bus control unit and the control unit, the polling process is interrupted when the switching request signal is input from one of the protection-configured modules, and the switching data is sent to the two modules so that the modules can be operated. A control module that restarts the polling process after switching can be realized with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus using a module switching control system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart diagram for explaining a normal operation of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart diagram for explaining an operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 when switching modules.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an apparatus using a conventional module switching control system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control module 2a-2n module 3 Common serial bus 10 Bus control part 11 Control part 12 Switching control part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of modules, a control module for controlling these modules, and a common serial bus connecting the control module and the plurality of modules, and a protection structure is provided in the plurality of modules. In the module switching control method that controls switching between two modules, the control module performs polling processing that sequentially calls each module, and performs polling processing when a switching request signal is input from one of the two modules with protection configuration. A module switching control method characterized by interrupting, sending switching data for module switching to the two modules via a common serial bus, and restarting the polling processing after module switching by the switching data. . 2. A plurality of modules, a control module for controlling them, and a common serial bus connecting the control module and the plurality of modules, and a protection configuration is provided in the plurality of modules. In the module switching control method that controls switching between two modules, the control module is connected to a common serial bus, performs polling processing to sequentially send a polling signal to each module and receive the returned status, and perform module switching. When the switch data for input is input, the number of the module to be processed next is stored, the polling process is interrupted, and the switch data is sent to the two modules of the protection configuration via the common serial bus, and this switch is performed. Of the number stored after switching the module by data Module for restarting the polling process from the module and for processing the status received by the bus control unit. When a switching request signal is input from one of the two modules, the switching data is sent to the bus control unit. A module switching control system having a control unit for outputting.