JPH09300866A - Temperature control method for pc-card and pc-card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control properly the temperature in a PC-card by providing the consumption patters of the PC-card based on a card attribute information at the time of temperature control of the PC-card and maintaining the clock of SLOW frequency in the case the continuous operation time of the PC-card is beyond the set value. SOLUTION: When a CardBus card 25 is inserted into a slot, a temperature timer value is set in a temperature timer container 43 in the card by a card controller 23 through an interface 41. The timer is started based on the setting, and the normal operation state is continued until the time-out. When the time is out, a time-out notice is issued to an I/O section 31 in the card, and a CLKRUN# signal is ascertained from a CLKRUN# forming section 45, and SLOWCLK demand is issued to the card controller 23. Power-down bits of a configuration resistor 27 are controlled by the above arrangement to perform the temperature control of the PC-card.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a PC card temperature control method for simply controlling the temperature inside a PC card which rises due to the supply of power, and a PC card used therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a PC card has been used as a device that realizes the functions of an external storage device (memory card or the like), an interface (LAN card or the like), and a peripheral device (sound card or the like) of an electronic device such as a portable personal computer. Is becoming more popular. A PC card is usually used by connecting it to a host system by inserting it into a PC card slot provided in a host system such as a portable personal computer.

The PC card is a JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association) in Japan and a PCMCIA (Personal) in the United States.
PC Card S of PCMCIA standardized by Computer Memory Card International Association)
cardBus card (P
C card) specifications have been added. This specification makes it possible to realize 32-bit high-speed data transfer (up to 133 MB / s) and a master function of outputting a read / write control signal to the host system for data transfer.

Since it has become possible to develop such a high-speed and highly intelligent PC card, it is considered that the power consumption of the PC card tends to increase from that in the past. In the PC card, the internal power generation increases due to the increase in power consumption, and the temperature control is required. A conventional PC card temperature control method will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a system using a conventional CardBus card. The PC card system 1 according to this example comprises a card controller 3 connected to a host bus, and a CardBus card 5 connected to the card controller 3 via a PCMCIA bus. The CardBus card 5 has a configuration register & CIS7, a configuration register &
The CIS 7 includes a PD bit 9, an I / O portion 11, a card temperature monitoring unit 13, and a thermistor 15.

CIS includes attribute information of a PC card (for example, card function: SRAM, FLASH, LAN, M).
(Information such as ODEM) is stored, and normally this attribute information is stored in the nonvolatile memory in the CardBus card 5. The PD bit 9 is a bit for controlling the power down of the CardBus card 5, and by controlling this bit, the power consumption of the CardBus card 5 can be suppressed.

Next, the conventional CardB in this system
The temperature control method of the us card is explained. Figure 5 shows a conventional Car
It is a flow chart which shows the temperature control procedure of a dBus card. First, when the CardBus card 5 is inserted into the slot (S1), the host system controls the card controller 3 to supply power to the CardBus card 5.
When power is supplied to the CardBus card 5, temperature monitoring inside the card is started by the card temperature monitoring unit 13 inside the card and the thermistor 15 (S3).

If an abnormality is detected during temperature monitoring, the temperature monitoring unit 13 notifies the I / O unit 11 of the temperature abnormality (S5). When the temperature abnormality notification is received, the I / O part 11
Prepares for changing the clock (S7). Then, the CLKRUN # signal is used from the temperature monitoring unit 13 to raise the request of SLOWCLK to the card controller 3 (S9).

Specifically, the CLKRUN # signal is sent to CardB.
us card 5 negates (sets signal to invalid level) (S
11), then the Hiz state (high impedance state,
That is, the same state as that where no electrical connection is made) (S13). Then, after waiting for 4 CLK (S15), the card controller 3 changes the clock frequency supplied to the CardBus card 5 and uses the PD bit 9 to shift the CardBus card 5 to the power-down state (S17).

C by changing the clock and powering down
Although the power consumption of the ardBus card 5 decreases, it is considered that a considerable time is required until the temperature decreases. Therefore,
After waiting for a while (S19), the temperature monitoring unit 13 inside the card is restarted (S3), and the same operation is repeated thereafter to control the temperature of the CardBus card 5.

[0011]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional PC card temperature control method, since the temperature is monitored by the thermistor 15 provided in the CardBus card 5, there is a considerable temperature difference depending on the measurement location. There was a problem that it was very difficult to determine the mounting position of 15. In addition, since the thermistor 15 needs to be mounted on the card, there is a problem that it cannot be easily mounted.
Furthermore, since the temperature is directly detected, even if the supply clock to the card is changed or the power down is instructed after detecting the temperature abnormality, the effect of the temperature decrease is not immediately obtained, and the weight is waited for a certain period of time. After that, it was necessary to perform complicated control such as restarting temperature monitoring and returning to the original clock frequency. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a temperature control method for a PC card and a PC used therefor capable of performing temperature control without directly monitoring the temperature.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a card for simple temperature control and to improve manufacturability.

[0012]

A method for controlling the temperature of a PC card according to the present invention for achieving the above object is described in CardBus.
In a temperature control method for a PC card in a system that supports a card, a process of reading the card attribute information inside the card by inserting the PC card to acquire the power consumption of the PC card, and the maximum clock frequency based on the obtained power consumption By setting the continuous operating time to the PC card for the supply frequency in the internal register of the card, and when the set value is exceeded, the PC card makes a clock request for the SLOW frequency to the card controller. And a process for indirectly controlling the temperature of the PC card. The configuration of the PC card according to the present invention includes a temperature timer counter that sets a temperature timer value corresponding to the frequency of the supply clock,
An I / O unit that receives a time-out notification from the temperature timer counter and prepares for clock change, a CLKRUN # generation unit that makes a SLOWCLK request to the card controller after completion of clock change preparation, and a card controller provided in the register And a power down bit for powering down the card based on the control signal.

In the PC card temperature control method, the temperature of the clock supplied to the card and the continuous operating time to the PC card with respect to the supply frequency are set in a register in the PC card, instead of directly monitoring the temperature. In advance, activate the temperature timer counter inside the card,
If the temperature timer counter exceeds the limit value, the card can indirectly control the temperature of the card by requesting the card controller to clock the SLW frequency. In the PC card, the temperature timer value corresponding to the frequency of the supply clock is set in the temperature timer counter, and after the time-out notification is received from the temperature timer counter, the CLKRUN # generation unit issues a SLOWCLK request to the card controller. Since the power down bit powers down the card based on the control signal, the thermistor for directly monitoring the temperature and the means for notifying the temperature abnormality by the temperature information obtained from the thermistor are unnecessary.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of a PC card temperature control method and a PC card according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a PC card temperature control system according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the CardBus card shown in FIG. The PC card system 21 includes a card controller 23 connected to a host bus, a card controller 23, and a PCMCI.
It is composed of a CardBus card 25 connected through the A bus. In addition, the CardBus card 25 includes a configuration register & CIS 27 and a power down bit (P
D bit) 29, an I / O portion 31, a temperature timer monitoring portion 33, and a reset OR circuit 35. In the figure, PONRST is a reset signal output from the system at power-on. S / HRST is a software reset (SRST) and a hardware reset (H
RST).

The CardBus card 25 according to the present embodiment is provided with a thermistor, which is conventionally required to directly monitor the temperature, and means for notifying a temperature abnormality by the temperature information obtained from the thermistor. Not not.
That is, it is not necessary to mount the thermistor inside the card, which has a great difference in temperature depending on the measurement location.

Next, the detailed configuration of the CardBus card 25 will be further described with reference to FIG. CardBus card 25 is a PC
It has a PCMCIA interface 41 connected to the card controller 23 via the MCIA bus. P
The CMCIA interface 41 includes a temperature timer counter 43 inside the card, a CLKRUN # generator 45, and a CI.
It is connected to the S & CCR 27 and the I / O portion 31.

The temperature timer counter 43 is a PCMCIA.
The timer value, the timer clear signal, the timer set signal, and the CLK signal are received via the interface 41. The temperature timer counter 43 sends the timer overflow value to the CLKRUN # generator 45. Also, CLKRUN #
The generation unit 45 transmits and receives CLKRUN # to and from the PCMCIA interface 41, and also receives a CLK signal via the PCMCIA interface 41.

The I / O portion 31 receives the CLK signal via the PCMCIA interface 41, and
The timer overflow value is received from the temperature timer counter 43. In the figure, the CCR of CIS & CCR27 is
The configuration register of the card is used to set the I / O address used by the card and the interrupt level.

Next, the PC card temperature control operation using the PC card system 21 and the CardBus card 25 thus constructed will be described. FIG. 3 shows CardBus according to the present invention.
It is a flowchart which shows the temperature control procedure of a card. First, insert the CardBus card 25 into the slot (S1
01), the host supplies power to the CardBus card 25 (S103). When power is supplied to the CardBus card 25, the card controller 23 sets a temperature timer value corresponding to the frequency of the clock supplied to the card in the temperature timer counter 43 inside the card via the PCMCIA interface 41 (S105). Then, the timer is started, and the normal operation state is maintained until the time-out occurs (S107).

After that, when a time-out occurs, a time-out notification is sent to the I / O part 31 inside the card (S109), and the I / O part 31 that has received the notification prepares to change the clock (the current process is completed. Then, the next process is not performed) (S111). When the preparation for the clock change is completed, the CLKRUN # generation unit 45 asserts the CLKRUN # signal to the PCMCIA bus (sets the signal to a valid level) and the card controller 23.
To SLOWCLK request (S113).

Upon receipt of the SLOWCLK request from the PC card, the card controller 23 receives CLKRUN #.
The signal is negated (S115). After that, the card controller 23 sets the CLKRUN # signal in the Hiz state (S117). Wait for 4 CLK after entering the Hiz state (S119).
The temperature of the PC card is indirectly controlled by changing the clock frequency supplied to the card or controlling the power down bit 29 of the configuration register 27 inside the PC card (S121).

The card controller 23 sets a new temperature timer corresponding to the changed frequency inside the card (S123), and starts normal operation.
As a result, the host side can efficiently and simply perform temperature control by controlling the provided frequency and the temperature timer without depending on the direct temperature detection.

[0023]

As described in detail above, according to the temperature control method for a PC card according to the present invention, the temperature of the clock supplied to the card and the PC card for the supply frequency are not directly monitored. If the temperature timer counter inside the card is activated and the counter exceeds the limit value, the PC card sends a clock of SLOW frequency to the card controller. Since the request is made, it is possible to indirectly and efficiently and simply control the temperature of the PC card. According to the PC card of the present invention, the temperature timer value is set in the temperature timer counter, and after the temperature timer counter times out, CLKR
SLOWC to card controller by UN # generator
Since the LK request is made and the card is powered down based on the control signal from the card controller, the thermistor and the means for notifying the temperature abnormality by the temperature information from the thermistor are not required, and the ease of manufacturing the PC card is greatly improved. Can be made.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a PC card temperature control system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the CardBus card shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a temperature control procedure of a CardBus card according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a system using a conventional CardBus card.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a temperature control procedure of a conventional CardBus card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 PC Card System 23 Card Controller 25 CardBus Card (PC Card) 27 Register 29 PD Bit (Power Down Bit) 31 I / O Section 43 Temperature Timer Counter 45 CLKRUN # Generation Section

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method of controlling a temperature of a PC card in a system supporting a CardBus card, a process of reading card attribute information inside the card by inserting the PC card to obtain power consumption of the PC card, and the obtained power consumption. From the maximum clock frequency as a reference, the process of setting the continuous operating time to the PC card for the supply frequency to the register inside the card, and when the set value is exceeded, the PC card sends the SLOW frequency to the card controller. And a method of indirectly controlling the temperature of the PC card by making a clock request. 2. A temperature timer counter that sets a temperature timer value corresponding to the frequency of a supply clock, an I / O unit that receives a time-out notification from the temperature timer counter and prepares for clock change, and a clock change preparation completion unit. SL to the rear card controller
A PC card comprising: a CLKRUN # generation unit for making an OWCLK request; and a power down bit provided in a register for powering down the card based on a control signal from the card controller.