KR20000002133A - Method for exchanging a system boot rom with a new one - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A boot ROM exchange method is provided to present a convenience in exchanging a boot ROM of a system. CONSTITUTION: The method is applied to a system using a flash memory as its boot ROM. In an embodiment, The method is applied to a mobile communications system including a high-level block(or a system management center) and a low-level block(or a remote system). In the method, the remote system determines whether there is any board to need to update the content of its boot flash ROM. If so, the remote system registers the boot ROM content in the system management center. The system management center issues a boot flash ROM modification command to the board on the remote system, transferring packet data to the board. The board stores the packet data in a memory temporally. The board erases its boot flash ROM and programs the flash ROM with the packet data. The boards verifies that the boot ROM is correctly programmed. The board programs the flash ROM repeatedly until the boot ROM is correctly programmed.

Description

How to change the boot ROM on a system using a boot ROM

The present invention uses a flash memory as a boot ROM in a mobile communication system and a system using a boot ROM, and erases, programs, and verifies the flash memory. Boot ROM on a system that uses a boot ROM to easily change the contents of a boot ROM or a large number of boot ROMs by using application software (hereinafter referred to as "AP"). It is about a change method.

In the conventional mobile communication system, many EEPROMs are used as boot ROMs.

To program such EEPROM once, remove the board from the system, remove the EEPROM from the board, delete the existing program contents through the EEPROM eraser, and then program with the new contents using the programmer. By changing the contents of the EEPROM, that is, the boot ROM.

However, the conventional method of changing the boot ROM as described above requires a considerable amount of time since a series of processes, such as dismounting, deleting, and programming the corresponding board and boot ROM, must be performed for each boot ROM. In particular, in the case of a system in operation, since the contents of the boot ROM must be changed after stopping the system operation, there was a very inefficient problem in terms of system operation.

In addition, in the case of a remote system, there is a problem that a person in charge must directly go to the remote site in order to change the boot ROM and change it manually, and special equipment such as an EEPROM eraser is required in the operation for deleting and programming the EEPROM. It was very inconvenient because it was necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to use a flash memory that can be written as a boot ROM, and to boot from an operation center using an AP that is responsible for erasing, programming, and verifying the flash memory. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method of changing a boot ROM on a system using a boot ROM that is loaded with changes of a ROM so that the contents of a boot ROM of a remote system or a large number of boot ROMs can be easily and easily changed.

1 is a simplified block diagram of a system operation center and a remote system for applying a boot ROM changing method according to the present invention;

2 is an operation flowchart showing a boot ROM change method according to the present invention;

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: upper block or system operation center

20: lower block or remote system

21: external interface unit 22: boot ROM unit

23: memory 24: CPU

The boot ROM change method in the system using the boot ROM of the present invention for achieving the above object, using a flash memory as a boot ROM, and the contents of the boot ROM which the board wants to change to the upper block or the system operation center. As it registers, it sends the boot ROM change command from the upper block or the system operation center to the board, and the board executes the AP according to the change command, and the contents of the boot ROM to be changed from the upper block or the system operation center are changed. After loading the data into the memory, the contents of the existing boot ROM are deleted through the AP, the contents of the boot ROM are programmed with the new contents stored in the memory, and then the contents of the boot ROM and the contents stored in the memory are stored. Compare and verify that they are identical to each other. When it comes out, it finishes running the AP, and when an abnormal result occurs, the boot ROM is programmed again so that the contents of the boot ROM are repeatedly changed until a normal result is obtained.

Hereinafter, a method of changing a boot ROM in a system using a boot ROM according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a simplified block diagram of a system operation center and a remote system for applying a boot ROM change method according to the present invention. The upper block or system operation for performing data communication and operation management with a lower block or an external system at a remote location is shown in FIG. External interface for interfacing with the center 10 and the upper block or the system operation center 10 through Ethernet, high level data link control procedures (HDLC), UART, parallel interface, etc. A boot ROM unit which loads and executes an operation system (hereinafter, referred to as an “OS”) and various APs from an upper block or the system operation center 10 through the external interface unit 21. 22) a memory unit 23 for temporarily storing data generated when an OS and an AP are executed by the boot ROM unit 22, and the external interface unit 21. Consists of a bit rombu 22 and a CPU (24) sub-block, or the remote computer (20) consisting of a for controlling the operation of memory 23.

Each board in the lower block or the remote system 20 loads and executes an OS and various APs from the upper block or the system operation center 10 by using a boot ROM, and when the OS and AP are executed, the boot ROM is executed. Do nothing.

In addition, the AP includes one AP for deleting, programming, and verifying the contents of the flash memory. In the present invention, the contents of the flash memory are simply changed using the AP.

A method of changing the boot ROM in the remote system 20 in the system operation center 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to the operation flowchart of FIG. 2.

As described above, in the present invention, a flash memory capable of being written and capable of executing an AP that is responsible for erasing, programming, and verifying the contents of the boot ROM should be used as the boot ROM.

First, the contents of the boot ROM 22, that is, the flash memory, which the corresponding board in the lower block or the remote system 10 wants to change are registered in the upper block or the system operation center 20 through the external interface 21. (S1).

Then, the upper block or the system operation center 10 transmits a change command of the flash memory to the corresponding board (S2).

According to the change command transmitted in the step S2, the board deletes the flash memory, executes an AP for verifying the program, and verifies the contents of the flash memory to be changed from the upper block or the system operation center 10 by the external interface unit. Received in the form of a packet (Packet) via the (21) and temporarily stored in the memory unit (23) (S3).

Subsequently, the board deletes the contents of the existing flash memory through the AP (S4) and programs the contents of the flash memory with the new contents stored in the memory unit 23 (S5).

Thereafter, new contents of the programmed flash memory are compared with contents stored in the memory unit 23 using the AP to verify whether they are the same (S6).

As a result of the verification in step S6, the contents of the flash memory and the contents of the memory unit 23 are the same, and when the normal result is obtained, the execution of the AP is terminated as is (S7). Reprogram the flash memory again and again to change the contents of the flash memory until you get a normal result.

As described above, the present invention can change a large number of boot ROMs of a remote system being operated by a simple command in a system operation center without affecting the operation of the system, and also for changing the existing boot ROM, There is an effect that can save physical and time resources.

Claims (1)

In a method of changing a boot ROM in a system using flash memory as the boot ROM, A first step of registering the contents of the boot ROM which the corresponding board in the lower block or the remote system 20 wants to change to the upper block or the system operation center 10, and after performing the first step, the upper block or the system operation center In step 10, the board transmits a change command of a boot ROM to the board, and the board executes an AP to delete, program, and verify the flash memory according to the change command transmitted in the second step. A third step of loading the contents of the boot ROM to be changed from the block or the system operation center 10 in the form of a packet and storing the contents of the boot ROM through the AP after performing the third step. And a fifth step of programming the contents of the boot ROM with the new contents of the memory unit 23 stored in the third step after performing the fourth step, and programming in the fifth step. A sixth step of verifying whether the new contents of the boot ROM and the contents of the memory unit 23 stored in the third step are identical to each other, and verifying the contents of the boot ROM and the memory unit 23 as a result of the verification of the sixth step. ) Is the same, the end of the execution of the AP if the normal results, and if the abnormal result is a system using a boot ROM comprising the seventh step of repeating the above five steps until the normal results To change the boot ROM in.