JPH09244766A - Method for individually initializing extension board built in personal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reset and initialize only the extension board mounted in the personal computer without resetting a personal computer main body. SOLUTION: The extension board is specified from the personal computer and an initialization command is inputted, so that the initialization command is sent out to the extension board. With the signal of this initialization command, a reset signal is outputted from a reset circuit 20 to initialize the extension board. This reset circuit 20 is driven with a reset driving signal, generated when the personal computer is powered ON or OFF or when the reset switch of the personal computer is operated, to output the reset signal. The extension board can individually be initialized irrelevantly to the operation of the personal computer and the operability and safety can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an expansion board initialization method for expanding the functions of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a method of expanding a PC function by mounting an expansion board (a printed circuit board configured to execute a specific function) for executing various optional functions in an expansion slot of the PC is generally used. Has been adopted. For example, it is already known that a personal computer is equipped with a printed board expansion board incorporating a numerical control (hereinafter referred to as NC) function so that the personal computer can execute the NC function. When some unexpected situation occurs while executing the function of such an expansion board, there are times when it is desired to reset and restore the initial state. In this case, conventionally, the expansion board was also reset and initialized by resetting the PC body. In other words, turn on the power of the PC
Either it was set to FF or the reset switch on the PC was restarted to reset and initialize the expansion board as well as the PC.

On the other hand, the function performed by the expansion board is a function for executing a specific purpose, and the expansion board itself can execute this function. Even when the function of the expansion board is being executed, the personal computer can execute various functions other than this function, and the operation of the personal computer other than the operation of the function of the normal expansion board is also being executed at the same time. Is. Therefore, if an unexpected situation occurs in the operation of the expansion board and it is necessary to reset and initialize it, the expansion board can be reset by resetting the PC itself, but on top of that, the PC is also executing. This is inconvenient because it resets operations other than those of the expansion board.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of resetting and initializing an expansion board mounted on a personal computer without resetting the main body of the personal computer. It is in.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a circuit for generating a reset signal to an expansion board in response to an initialization command signal from the personal computer is provided in the I / O area of the expansion board accessible from the personal computer. Only the expansion board selected by the command is initialized.
In particular, for the reset circuit that has been conventionally provided in the expansion board, that is, the reset circuit that outputs a reset signal to the expansion board when the power is turned on / off or the reset switch of the personal computer is operated. By adding a circuit that outputs a signal when the initialization command from the personal computer is written in the memory of the input / output circuit and operates the reset circuit to output a reset signal,
Only the expansion board can be reset and initialized.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a personal computer (PC) equipped with an expansion board for implementing an embodiment of the present invention. An expansion board of various functions (a printed board in which a circuit is incorporated to execute various functions) can be connected to the PC body 1 through an expansion slot 2 of an ISA bus which is an optional expansion bus. .
In the example shown in FIG. 1, three expansion boards 3-1 to 3-3 are installed in the expansion slot 2, and one of the expansion boards 3-1 is an expansion board incorporating an NC function. A method of initializing the expansion board will be described by taking an example of the expansion board for use.

The NC expansion board 3-1 includes a processor 5 for NC control of a machine such as a machine tool by the NC expansion board, a programmable machine controller 6 for sequence control of the machine, and each axis of the machine. Servo circuit 7 for performing servo control of the servo motor, shared RAM 8 that can be accessed from the processor of personal computer main body 1 and processor 5 for NC control, and can exchange information, programs, and signals between both processors, an input / output circuit (I / O)
9. Further, although not shown, if the machine to be controlled is a machine tool, a spindle control circuit for driving and controlling a spindle motor or the like is connected to the local bus 10.
Reference numeral 0 is connected to the ISA expansion bus of the personal computer body 1 via the ISA / local bus conversion circuit 4. In addition, a part of the input / output circuit 9 is connected to the memory of the PC main body 1
An area that can also be accessed by the processor and the NC control processor 5 is provided.

A part of the input / output circuit 9 having a memory unit accessible from the processor of the personal computer main body 1 and the NC control processor 5 has the circuit shown in FIG. 2, and the expansion board 3-1 is reset and initialized. You can do it. The circuit includes a reset circuit 20 and a flip-flop 22.
When a command for initializing the expansion board 3-1 is written from the processor of the personal computer body 1 into the corresponding memory section, the initialization command signal is sent to the set terminal of the flip-flop 22. Is output and the flip-flop 22 is set. The set output of the flip-flop 22 is input to one terminal of the OR circuit 21. The other terminal of the OR circuit 21 has
A reset drive signal generated when the power of the personal computer is turned on / off and the reset switch of the personal computer is operated is input. The OR circuit 21
Output of the reset circuit 20 is input to the reset circuit 20.
The delay circuit of 0 allows the processor of the NC expansion board to
Turn off the power by raising MI (interruption signal that cannot be prohibited)
A high-level reset signal is output for a predetermined period of time to make time for performing processing for, and the expansion board 3-1 is reset and initialized. The reset signal output from the reset circuit is input to the reset terminal of the flip-flop 22.
Is to be reset.

The conventional expansion board does not have an OR circuit 21 and a flip-flop 22 in the circuit shown in FIG. 2, only a reset drive signal is input to the reset circuit 20, and the reset circuit 20 is driven only by the reset drive signal. It was a composition. Therefore, expansion board 3
-1 was reset and initialized together with the PC body 1 only when the power supply of the PC body was turned ON / OFF and the reset switch of the PC body was operated.

The other expansion boards 3-2 and 3-3 have the same structure as that of the NC expansion board 3-1, but the circuits mounted therein differ depending on the function of each expansion board. However, the local bus of the expansion board and I of the PC body 1
A shared RAM that can be accessed from the processor of the personal computer and the processor mounted on the expansion board by connecting the SA expansion bus with the ISA / local bus converter, and an input / output circuit that can access the memory area from both processors , And that the circuit shown in FIG. 2 is provided in common to all expansion boards 3-2 and 3-3.

FIG. 3 shows a designated expansion board (N in FIG. 3) executed by the processor of the personal computer body 1 when an initialization command designating an expansion board is input to the personal computer body 2.
7 is a processing flowchart for resetting and initializing a case where the C expansion board 3-1 specifies a case). When an initialization command that specifies an expansion board is input from the keyboard of the PC main body 2, etc., the PC main body 1
The processor first determines whether the specified expansion board (NC expansion board in this case) is installed in the ISA expansion slot 2 (step S1), and if the expansion board is installed, powers on the personal computer main body. At this time, a signal indicating the mounting of the expansion board is set, and it is determined whether or not the expansion board is mounted by checking whether or not this signal is set.

When the designated expansion board 3-1 is attached, the processor of the personal computer body 1 next determines whether or not the NC expansion board 3-1 is operating (step S2).
If the expansion board 3-1 is operating, a flag indicating that it is operating is set in the shared RAM 8, and whether or not the processor of the personal computer main body 1 is operating is determined by reading this flag. to decide. If the specified expansion board (NC expansion board 3-1) is in operation, the ON data is written in the memory section for storing the expansion board initialization command of the input / output circuit 9 of this board, and a write error occurs. Whether or not it is determined by the write function similar to the conventional one (steps S3 and S4).

When it is determined that the expansion board (NC expansion board 3-1) specified in step S1 is not installed, and in step S2, the specified expansion board (NC expansion board NC) is not installed.
When it is determined that the expansion board 3-1) is not in operation, error processing (step S8) is performed and this initialization processing is ended. The fact that the designated expansion board is not mounted indicates an error in the command such as an error in the commanded expansion board. Also, commanding the initialization of the expansion board means that when some unexpected accident occurs during the operation of the expansion board and it is necessary to initialize it, the expansion board is not in operation. Means that the command is erroneous, and therefore error processing (step S8) is performed. Also, when a writing error occurs, error processing is performed (step S
8) The initialization command is input again.

When it is determined in step S4 that no write error has occurred, the processor of the personal computer body 1 stops access to the designated expansion board (NC expansion board 3-1) and starts a timer, Wait for the timer to time out, then specify the expansion board (NC
Wait for the expansion board 3-1) to be initialized (steps S5 and S6). On the other hand, the expansion board (NC expansion board 3-
In 1), when ON data is written in the corresponding memory section of the input / output circuit 9, an initialization command signal is output and the flip-flop 22 shown in FIG. 2 is set, and this set output is reset via the OR circuit 21. Since the circuit 20 is triggered, a reset signal is output from the reset circuit 20 and the designated expansion board (NC expansion board 3-1) is initialized. Further, the motors and devices connected to this designated expansion board (NC expansion board 3-1) are also reset and initialized at the same time.

Designated expansion board (NC expansion board 3-1)
Is initialized and the timer times out, the processor of the personal computer body 1 outputs a restart command to the designated expansion board (NC expansion board 3-1) to restart the expansion board (step S7). Through the above processing, only the designated expansion board can be reset and initialized while the operation of the PC main body 1 is continued without resetting and initializing the PC main body 1. In addition,
Instead of the process of waiting for the designated expansion board to be initialized in steps S5 and S6, it is determined whether or not the initialization completion signal written in the shared RAM 8 when the designated expansion board is initialized has been written. The end of initialization may be detected by.

[0016]

According to the present invention, by designating an expansion board from a personal computer and inputting an initialization command, only the designated expansion board can be initialized regardless of the operation of the personal computer. When an unexpected situation occurs during operation, only the expansion board can be reset and initialized, which improves the operability and safety of the personal computer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a personal computer including an expansion board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a circuit for resetting the expansion board in the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an expansion board initialization process of the personal computer in the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Personal computer main body 2 ISA expansion slot 3-1, 3-2, 3-3 expansion board 4 ISA / local bus conversion circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method for initializing an expansion board built into a personal computer and executing various functions, comprising:
A circuit that generates a reset signal to the expansion board by the initialization command signal from the personal computer is provided in the input / output circuit of the expansion board that can be accessed from the personal computer, and only the expansion board selected by the command from the personal computer is initialized. The method of individually initializing the expansion boards built into the personal computer. 2. A reset circuit for outputting a reset signal to an expansion board when the power of a personal computer is turned on / off or a reset switch of the personal computer is operated, and the I / O.
2. An expansion board built in a personal computer according to claim 1, which is configured by a circuit for activating the reset circuit and outputting a reset signal when an initialization command from the personal computer is written in the memory of the area. how to.