JPH09231151A - Communication processor for computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lighten the load of a communication process on the CPU of the computer. SOLUTION: The communication processor that connects computers which generate and process data to be used by a simulator by a LAN and communicates data is provided with a 2nd central arithmetic processor 1B which is dedicated to control over communication hardware 3 gaining communication access to the LAN in addition to a 1st central arithmetic processor 1A which generates and processes data; and the 1st central arithmetic unit 1A only reads and writes data to be communicated in addition to the generation and processing of the data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication device of a computer used for a LAN (local area network), and more particularly to reducing the load of the communication processing of a CPU (central processing unit) of the computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various simulators use generated data as L
Send using AN and LA from other simulators
The received data is processed using N. Transmission of generated data in the simulator and reception of data from other simulators are performed by the built-in computer as follows.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a communication processing device of one conventional computer connected to a LAN. In addition,
Throughout the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals or symbols. As shown in the figure, the computer used for the simulator includes a CPU 1 (central processing unit), a bus 2 connected to the CPU 1 and a C 2 via the bus 2.
The communication hardware 3 is connected to the PU 1 and is connected to the LAN and is required for communication. The communication hardware 3 is mounted on the communication processing board 4.

The communication hardware 3 is composed of an LSI or the like, and an Ethernet or token passing system, for example, is adopted as a communication access system with the LAN. The communication processing board 4 is detachable from the computer. Then, the CPU 1 controls not only the generation of transmission data as a simulator and the processing of reception data but also the control of the communication hardware 3.

[0005]

In the communication processing device of the computer described above, the CPU 1 of the computer performs not only control processing of the communication hardware 3 but also generation processing of many transmission data as a simulator and processing of reception data. As a result, a large load is applied. Therefore, if there is a waiting time in the communication processing, there is a problem that the CPU 1 processing of the computer takes an unnecessary time depending on the processing content.

Further, since the communication speed and the communication processing are considerably slower than the processing speed of the CPU 1 of the computer, those processing times can be used for many other processings as a simulator. There is a problem that is devoted to. It was necessary to use expensive and fast computers to compensate for such loads. As the other processes as the simulator other than the communication process become more complicated, the time required for the communication process becomes the time required for many other processes as the simulator.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a computer communication processing apparatus in which communication processing to a LAN does not adversely affect processing as a simulator.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a communication process of a computer for communicating data by connecting a computer for generating and processing data used in a simulator to a LAN. In the device, in addition to the first central processing unit for generating and processing the data, a second central processing unit dedicated for controlling communication hardware for communication access to the LAN is provided, The first central processing unit only reads or writes the data to be communicated, other than generating and processing the data. By this means, the communication processing, the data generation, and the processing are performed in parallel, so that the processing load of the first central processing unit that performs the data generation and the processing can be reduced, and the first central processing unit. It becomes possible to fully utilize the expensive and high-speed processing capability of the.

The communication hardware, the second central processing unit, a data memory for storing the data in addition to them, and a program memory for the second central processing unit are provided on one communication processing board. It is mounted so that the communication processing board can be inserted into the computer. This means allows replacement with conventional communication processing boards.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a communication processing device of a computer according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, in a main computer such as a personal computer or a workstation, a CPU 1A for main computer for generating transmission data as a simulator and processing received data, that is, processing other than communication
A bus 2 connected to the CPU 1A, and a communication processing board 4 connected to the CPU 1A via the bus 2 and detachably connected to the main computer. The communication processing board 4 is formed by one board.
A communication CPU 1B that performs communication processing and communication data processing, and is therefore relatively inexpensive, and communication hardware 3 (such as an LSI) that is connected to a LAN and performs transmission and reception in real time, and a communication CPU 1B And a data memory 6 for storing transmission data and reception data arranged between the main computer CPU 1A and the communication hardware 3. In this way, it is detachable and facilitates replacement with the conventional communication processing board. Here, the program memory 5
Is a ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access M
It stores the programs required for communication processing and communication data processing.

The data memory 6 is a FIFO (First In F
irst Out), dual port RAM, etc. that can asynchronously read and write data, or DMA (Dire
ctMemory Access) A memory that can also be transferred can be configured. The communication hardware 4 adopts the Ethernet or token passing system as the communication access system as described above. The token passing method will be briefly described below as an example.

The token passing system is used for a ring type or a bus type LAN. In addition to the data to be transmitted and the ID of the destination, the specific communication processing board 4 attaches a code designating the next transmission right to the head of the data and places it on the LAN bus. This transmission right is called a token, and only the communication processing board 4 that has obtained the token acquires the next transmission right. The data is received by all the communication processing boards 4, and the communication processing board 4 designated by the destination ID takes in the data. It should be noted that there is a waiting time before the token completes a cycle.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the communication processing board 4 having the above-mentioned function is inserted into the expansion slot of the main computer (personal computer, workstation, etc.), and the main computer receives the communication processing board when necessary. Since data is only read or written from the data memory 6 of No. 4, data generation and processing of received data can be performed as a simulator without spending communication processing time. That is, since the load due to communication processing can be reduced, the processing capacity of the main computer CPU 1 can be fully exerted. Further, since the communication processing board 4 performs only communication processing and processing of those data, the inexpensive communication CPU 1B can be used. Therefore, the expensive and high-speed CPU 1 for main computer can be exclusively used for data processing of the simulator other than communication processing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a communication processing device of one conventional computer connected to a LAN.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a communication processing device of a computer according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1A, 1B ... Central processing unit 3 ... Communication hardware 5 ... Program memory 6 ... Data memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Generation of data used for a simulator,
In a communication processing device of a computer for connecting a processing computer to a LAN to communicate the data, in addition to the first central processing unit for generating and processing the data, communication for communication access to the LAN A second central processing unit for exclusively controlling the hardware for use, and the first central processing unit generates the data;
A communication processing apparatus for a computer, which is characterized by only reading or writing the data to be communicated other than processing. 2. The communication hardware, the second central processing unit, a data memory for storing the data in addition to these, a program memory for the second central processing unit, and one communication processing. The computer communication processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication processing board is mounted on a board so that the communication processing board can be inserted into the computer.