JPH07281972A - Adapter for network - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To connect various devices such as a printer not adapted to a local area network (LAN) by down loading a data conversion program through the LAN and converting data to data optimum for the various devices according to this data conversion program. CONSTITUTION:When a power source is turned on, a CPU 14 down loads the data conversion program from a work station through a LAN controller 12, transceiver 11 and LAN 1 and stores it in a RAM 16 corresponding to a program previously stored in a ROM 15. At such a time, the program to be down loaded is provided with contents for converting the data to any data optimum for being processed by a personal computer. Next, the CPU 14 converts the data to be transmitted to the LAN 1 to the data corresponding to the personal computer according to the data conversion program stored in the RAM 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network adapter for connecting various devices such as a printer to a local area network (LAN).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art To form a LAN, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a workstation 2 is connected to a LAN 1 and each terminal device is connected. These terminal devices are connected to the LAN 1 via the adapter 3, and in this case, the RS232C interface is specifically used for the connection.

In such a LAN 1, the interface with each terminal device is fixed by the RS232C interface as described above, and other interfaces cannot be used at present. Further, since such an adapter 3 is used, the device connected to the LAN 1 is limited to, for example, a personal computer.

On the other hand, when a device other than a personal computer, for example, a printer is connected to the LAN 1, a data conversion program for converting the data transmitted to the LAN 1 into data which can be easily processed by the printer is R.
It must be stored as an OM, and this ROM must be added to the adapter 3 where data conversion is performed and passed to the printer.

[0005]

As described above, only the persol computer can be connected to the LAN, and various devices such as a printer cannot be connected. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a network adapter that can connect various devices that are not compatible with a LAN.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a network adapter as an interface for connecting various devices to a network, the data transmitted to the network is optimized to be processed by the various devices. A network adapter, which includes a data processing unit for converting and a data transmitting unit for transmitting the data converted by the data processing unit to various devices, to achieve the above object.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the data processing means downloads the data conversion program through the network and converts the data into optimum data to be processed by various devices according to the data conversion program.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the data processing means stores a data conversion program in advance and converts the data into optimum data to be processed by various devices according to the data conversion program.

According to the fourth aspect, the data transmitting means has a structure which is detachable from the data processing means. Claim 5
According to the data transmission means, a data conversion program according to various connected devices is stored in advance.

[0010]

According to the present invention, when the device is connected to the network through the network adapter, the data transmitted to the network is converted into the optimum data to be processed by the device, and this data is converted into the device. To the device via the data transmission means corresponding to.

In this case, according to the second aspect, the data conversion program is downloaded through the network, and the data is converted into the optimum data to be processed by various devices according to the data conversion program.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the data is converted into the optimum data to be processed by various devices according to the data conversion program stored in advance. According to claim 4,
The data transmitting means has a structure that is attachable to and detachable from the data processing means, and according to the fifth aspect, the data converting program is stored in advance in the data transmitting means according to various devices.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network adapter. This network adapter 10 is a LAN
Received data processing unit 10A and connection device interface 10
It is composed of B and. Of these, the connection device interface 10B has a structure attachable to and detachable from the LAN reception data processing unit 10A.

Explaining the LAN reception data processing unit 10A, the transceiver 11 is connected to the LAN 1, and the LAN controller 12 is connected to the transceiver 11.
Of these, the transceiver 11 has a function of converting between an electrical level and a logical level, and the LAN controller 12 has a function of buffering data, assembling / disassembling a transmission mode such as a packet, and performing network access control. There is.

A CPU 14, a ROM 15 and an R are provided to the LAN controller 12 via an internal data bus 13.
AM16 is connected. When the power is turned on, the CPU 14 uses a program previously stored in the ROM 15 to execute the LAN controller 12 and the transceiver 11
It has a function of downloading a data conversion program from the LAN 1 via the LAN and storing it in the RAM 16 and then converting the data from the LAN 1 into data according to the device connected to the connection device interface 10B according to the data conversion program. .

On the other hand, the connection device interface 10B is
It has an attachment module structure that can be attached to and detached from the internal data bus 13. Here, RS232C is used.
It is composed of a driver / receiver 17 and its connector 18. Of these, the connector 18 is RS232.
Not only for C but for PIO, various attachments will be prepared.

Next, the operation of the adapter configured as described above will be described. A personal computer is connected to the connector 18 of the adapter 10 via the RS232C.

When the power is turned on in this state, the CPU
Reference numeral 14 denotes a LAN controller 12, a transceiver 11 and an L based on a program stored in advance in the ROM 15.
The data conversion program is downloaded from the workstation via the AN 1 and stored in the RAM 16. At this time, the downloaded program has a content to be converted into optimum data to be processed by the personal computer.

Thereafter, the CPU 14 converts the data transmitted to the LAN 1 according to the data conversion program stored in the RAM 16 into the data suitable for the personal computer.

This data is sent to the personal computer through the driver / receiver 17 and the connector 18. In the adapter 10, the RS232C is described as the connector 18 of the connection device interface 10B, but if the connector 18 is for PIO, not only a personal computer but also a printer or another device is connected to the connector 18.

In this case, the CPU 14 downloads a data conversion program for converting the optimum data to be processed by the printer from the workstation through the LAN controller 12, the transceiver 11 and the LAN 1 by the program stored in the ROM 15 in advance. RA
Store in M16.

After that, the CPU 14 converts the data transmitted to the LAN 1 according to the data conversion program stored in the RAM 16 into the data suitable for the printer. As described above, in the first embodiment, the data conversion program is downloaded through the LAN1 and the data is converted into the most suitable data to be processed by various devices according to the data conversion program. The device is not limited to the persol computer, and various devices such as a printer which is not compatible with the LAN 1 can be connected.

Therefore, data conversion that changes depending on the device connected to the LAN 1 can be programmed, and various devices such as a printer not compatible with the LAN 1 can be connected without significantly changing the hardware.

Further, by attaching the portion of the connector 18 connected to the apparatus to an attachment, various interfaces can be supported. Next, a second embodiment will be described.

In the first embodiment, the data conversion program is downloaded through the LAN 1 and stored in the ROM 15, but the ROM 15 may store the data conversion program in advance. In this case, each network adapter 10 is provided corresponding to various devices such as a personal computer and a printer.

Next, a third embodiment will be described. In addition,
The same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the network adapter. The connection device interface 10B has a structure of an attachment module that can be attached to and detached from the internal data bus 13, and here, for RS232C or PI.
An O driver / receiver 17 and its connector 18 are provided, and a ROM 15 is connected to its internal data bus.

The ROM 15 stores in advance a data conversion program for converting the data into optimum data to be processed by the device connected to the connector 18. The connector 18 is not limited to the RS232C type, but various attachments for the PIO type or the like are prepared.

With this configuration, a personal computer, a printer or the like is connected to the connector 18 via the RS232C or PIO. When the power is turned on in this state, the CPU 14 converts the data transmitted to the LAN 1 according to the data conversion program stored in the ROM 15 into data suitable for various devices such as a personal computer or a printer.

This data is sent to a personal computer, a printer or the like through the driver / receiver 17 and the connector 18. As described above, in the third embodiment, the connection device interface 10B has a structure attachable to and detachable from the internal data bus 13, and the ROM 15
Since the data conversion program is stored in advance by providing the same, it is possible to achieve the same effect as that of the first embodiment, and in addition to this, each connection device interface 10B corresponding to various devices such as a personal computer and a printer.
May be selected and connected to the LAN reception data processing unit 10A.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be modified within the scope of the invention. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to a LAN, but also to a LAN interface terminal capable of connecting a plurality of devices, and also to a relay with a network other than the LAN.

[0031]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, L
It is possible to provide a network adapter that can connect various devices not compatible with AN.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first network adapter according to the present invention.
The block diagram which shows an Example.

FIG. 2 is a third network adapter according to the present invention.
The block diagram which shows an Example.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a connection by a conventional adapter.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... LAN, 10 ... Network adapter, 10A ...
LAN reception data processing unit, 10B ... Connection device interface, 11 ... Transceiver, 12 ... LAN controller, 13 ... Internal data bus, 14 ... CPU, 15 ... RO
M, 16 ... RAM, 17 ... Driver / receiver, 18 ...
connector.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical indication H04L 12/40

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A network adapter as an interface for connecting various devices to a network, and data processing means for converting data transmitted to the network into optimum data to be processed by the various devices; A network adapter comprising: a data transmitting unit that transmits the data converted by the processing unit to the various devices. 2. The network according to claim 1, wherein the data processing means downloads the data conversion program through the network and converts the data into the optimum data to be processed by various devices according to the data conversion program. adapter. 3. The network adapter according to claim 1, wherein the data processing means stores a data conversion program in advance and converts the data into optimum data to be processed by various devices according to the data conversion program. . 4. The network adapter according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission means has a structure which is detachable from the data processing means. 5. The network adapter according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission means stores a data conversion program according to various connected devices in advance.