JPS623349A - Terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To carry out easily a self-diagnosis by providing a static RAM backed up by a battery and a self-diagnosis means to a terminal controller and starting a self-diagnosis program with a diagnosis request given from a keyboard. CONSTITUTION:The terminal controller 10 contains the static RAM 14 and connects a host 1 to work stations 31 and 32 respectively. The RAM 14 is turned on when the diagnosis request is given from the keyboard of a work station. Thus a hardware initializing part 18 starts an initializing process. A loader part 11 loads the self-diagnosis program into a program area 13 through an external memory device 12 after the part 11 decides that the RAM 14 is turned on. Then the self-diagnosis is executed. The RAM 14 stores the number of the work station that delivered the self-diagnosis request. Thus the result of diagnosis is sent to said work station and displayed there.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a computer terminal device.

In particular, it relates to starting a self-diagnosis program for a control device that does not have an input section and a display section, and displaying the execution results thereof.

〔overview〕
According to the present invention, in a cluster-type terminal device in which a plurality of workstations, at least one of which includes a keyboard and a display unit, are connected to a terminal controller, the self-diagnosis means of the terminal controller is activated by the keyboard of the workstation, By displaying the results on the display of this workstation, end users can easily perform self-diagnosis on devices that do not have input/output devices and display the diagnosis results. It is.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, the self-diagnosis method for cluster-type terminal devices has been to prepare diagnostic programs for each unit separately from the system program, and to execute those programs from the state after the power is turned on again. There is.

In addition, for devices such as terminal controllers that do not have an input section or a display section, you can specify that the device's switch settings be run by a self-diagnosis program, and then turn the power back on to start the diagnosis. ing. Further, the results are notified to the operator using at least the hardware equipment (buzzer sound, LED display, etc.) that the device has.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, with conventional terminal devices, (11) it is difficult for the end user to operate, (2) - the transformer power must be turned off, and (3) the details are not known because the diagnosis result is only notified with a single function. This has the disadvantage of making it difficult for end users to run self-diagnostic programs.Furthermore, field engineers do not know the details of the diagnostic results, making it difficult to know which hardware units to replace or where to replace them. The problem was that it was difficult to decide whether to focus on research.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks, and allows end users to easily perform self-diagnosis without turning off the power, and to display diagnostic results even for devices that do not have input/output devices. The purpose is to provide a terminal device that can.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention includes a terminal controller, a workstation connected to the terminal controller, and at least one of the plurality of workstations including a keyboard and a display section;
an external storage device connected to the terminal controller and storing programs including a self-diagnosis program and a system program; , in response to the diagnosis request from the hardware initialization means and the keyboard according to the contents of the battery-backed static RAM in the terminal controller,
The present invention is characterized by comprising a control means for activating the hardware initializing means according to the contents of the static RAM, executing a self-diagnosis program, and displaying the diagnosis result on the display section.

[Effect]

The present invention uses the workstation's keyboard and display to send self-diagnostic requests to the terminal controller. In the terminal controller, the control means activates the hardware initialization means according to the contents stored in the static RAM, initializes hardware other than the static RAM, executes a self-diagnosis program, and displays the diagnostic results on the display of the diagnostic request source. to be displayed.

As described above, the end user can easily perform self-diagnosis without turning off the power, and the diagnosis results can be displayed even on devices that do not have input/output devices.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a block configuration diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The feature of the present invention is the self-diagnosis section shown in FIG. That is, the host I-1 is connected to the terminal controller 10, and the controller 10 is connected to the workstations 31 and 32 via the local area network 20, and necessary data is sent and received.

A keyboard 41, a display section 51, and a printer 61 are connected to the workstation 31, respectively.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the terminal controller of the terminal device of the present invention. In FIG. 2, in the terminal controller 10, when the power is turned on, the loader section 11 determines whether the flag area of the static RAM 14, which is a static random access memory, is "on" or "off".
In the case of "on", the self-diagnosis program is connected to the program area 13 from the external storage device 12. Normally"
"Off" in this case the system program is connected,
The host ink face 15, workstation control section 16, and input/output control section 17 are controlled based on the system program in the program area 13. That is, received text from host I is connected to workstation 31.32, and data from external storage 12 is connected to workstation 31.32 in response to a request from workstation 31.32.

When an operator performs a self-diagnosis of the terminal controller 10, the operator selects necessary items using the keyboard 41 and display section 51 of the workstation 31 and presses a key to execute the self-diagnosis. The text of the diagnosis request from the workstation 31 is connected to the workstation control unit 16 of the terminal controller 10 via the local area network 20. The text is analyzed by the workstation control unit 16. , the flag area of the static ram 14 is set to "on", and the number of the workstation 31 that made the diagnosis request is connected to the static ram 14 and stored. The hardware initialization section 18 initializes all hardware except the static RAM 14. The loader unit 11 determines that the flag area of the static RAM 14 is "on", and the self-diagnosis program is connected to the program area 13 from the external storage device 12. Host interface 15, program area 1 based on self-diagnosis program
3. Diagnosis of the workstation control section 16, input/output control section 17, etc. is executed. When all the diagnoses are completed, the flag area of the static RAM 14 is turned off, and the hardware initialization section 10 performs control thereafter.

Since the flag area is "off", the system program is started, and the workstation number and diagnostic results in the static RAM 14 are connected to the workstation 31 based on the system program. At the workstation 31, the self-diagnosis results are displayed on the display section 51 and printed on the printer 61 at the same time as the terminal controller 10 starts up.

The operation of the self-diagnosis device having such a configuration will be explained. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the self-diagnosis device of the present invention. In FIG. 1, during normal system operation, a terminal controller 10, a workstation 31, and a workstation 32 transmit and receive necessary data via a local area network 20. In this embodiment, the workstation 31 includes a keyboard 41 and a display section 51.
and a printer 61 are connected. Although the workstation 32 is not connected to a keyboard, a display section, and a printer, it may have the same configuration as the workstation 31.

2 and 3, in the terminal controller 10, when the power is turned on (step 2), the loader unit 11 operates, and necessary programs are loaded from the external storage device 12 into the program area 13. At this time, the loader section 11 is set to the flag of the static ram 14.
"""""5゛f y 7'@) :l.

If “on”, program a self-diagnostic program.
,.

Expand to RAM area 13 (step [phase], ■). Normally, it is "off" and the system program is expanded (steps ■, ■).

The system program is Host Inkface 15, J.
□Controls the workstation control unit 16 and input/output control unit 17, and receives text received from the host.
□ Workstations 31.32
Data in the external storage device 12 was transferred to workstations 31 and 32 due to system instability or other reasons.

(Step ■).

When performing self-diagnosis of the terminal controller 10 in the evening, the operator should check the display section 5 of the workstation 31.
1 and the keyboard 41, call up the menu, select the necessary item, and then press the execution key (step ■). At this point, the text of the diagnostic request is sent from the workstation 31 to the terminal controller 10 via the local area network 2°. The workstation control unit 16 of the terminal controller 1° analyzes the text from the workstation 31 (step ■), turns on the flag area in the static RAM 14 if it is a diagnosis request, and sends the requested workstation Static ram number 14
(Step ■). Next, control is passed to the hardware initial section 18. Hardware initial section 1
8, after initializing all the hardware except the static ram 14 (step ■), loader section 1
Transfer control to 1. At this point, host 1 and workstations 31, 32 are connected to terminal controller 10.
is recognized as being down. The loader unit 11 checks the flag area of the static ram 14 (step ■). Since the flag area is "on", the self-diagnosis program is expanded from the external storage device 12 to the program area 13 (step [phase], ■). The expanded self-diagnosis program executes the diagnostic programs of the host ink face section 15, program area 13, workstation control section 16, and input/output control section 17 (step [phase]), and then sends the results to the static RAM 14. Store sequentially (step 0). After all the diagnoses are completed, the flag area of the static RAM 14 is turned off (step @l), and control is passed to the hardware initial unit 10 (step -).

Since the flag area is "off", the system program starts up (steps ■, ■), the system program checks the workstation number in the static RAM 14, and determines the number stored in the static RAM 14 for that workstation 31. Transfer the diagnostic results (step ■).

At workstation 31, terminal controller 1
The self-diagnosis results can be displayed on the display unit 51 and printed on the printer 61 at the same time as the system restarts.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention allows self-diagnosis of a terminal controller to be instructed from the keyboard and display of a workstation, thereby making the self-diagnosis program available to end users. This has the excellent effect of displaying diagnostic results even for equipment that does not have an output device, without the need for a special analysis device. Therefore, it has the advantage of being able to quickly respond to failures in the field.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the terminal controller of the terminal device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the terminal device of the present invention. 1...Host, 10...Terminal controller,
11...Loader section, 12...External storage device, 13.
...Program area, 14...Static ram,
15... Host interface, 16... Workstation control section, 17... Human output control section, 18... Hardware initial section, 20.
...Local area network, 31.32...Workstation, 41...Keyboard, 51...
Display section, 61...Printer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A terminal controller, a workstation connected to this terminal controller, at least one of which includes a keyboard and a display section, and an external device connected to this terminal controller that stores programs including a self-diagnosis program and a system program. In a terminal device equipped with a self-diagnosis means for performing self-diagnosis based on the self-diagnosis program, the terminal controller includes a battery-backed static RAM programmable hardware initialization means. and control means for activating the hardware initializing means according to the contents of the static RAM in response to a diagnosis request from the keyboard, executing a self-diagnosis program, and displaying the diagnosis result on the display section. A terminal device characterized by: