KR20010063912A - Apparatus for converting master and slave mode - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A device for converting a master function and a slave function is provided to convert a function of an information device into that of a master/slave device by providing one physical port and sharing a physical rule and only changing an electric/logical rule when an information device as a decoder card is connected to a host computer and an appending device. CONSTITUTION: An external connecting port(11) inputs/outputs data to an appending device(20) and a host computer(30) through each signal line(control signal line, address signal line, data signal line). A driving circuit(12) inputs/outputs data through an external connecting port(11) after a control signal line and an address signal line are driven by a control of a micro processor(15) in the case of a master mode. A two-way memory(3) stores the inputted data or outputs the stored data to the external connecting port(11) by a control of a host computer(30) through the external connecting port(11) in the case of a slave mode. A mode selection circuit(14) decides the current operation mode by a signal line selected in accordance with a user's regulation out of each signal line(control signal line, address signal line, data signal line), and selects the connection bus driving circuit(12) or the two-way memory(3) in accordance with the decision result.

Description

Master and Slave Function Inverter {APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING MASTER AND SLAVE MODE}

The present invention relates to a connection device between systems. In particular, when connecting an information device such as a decoder card with a host computer and an additional device, only one physical port is installed, and then only the electrical / logical protocol is changed while the physical device is shared. The present invention relates to a master and slave function converter for converting functions into master and slave devices.

In the case of a system using a microprocessor, a system bus (Bus) is defined and used to connect a main processor and a peripheral device.

Such a system bus is defined in the pin-out of the microprocessor chip as shown in FIG. 1 or defined on the system board and used between the microprocessor and the external connection port or between the memory and the additional circuit.

In addition, a physical bus for connecting independent circuits is newly defined to connect external connection ports and external devices.

Here, the bus defined for external connection is divided into a physical protocol, an electrical protocol, and a logical protocol as shown in FIG. 2, and the physical protocol relates to the size of the connection part, the number of pins, and the like. It is possible to distinguish possible systems.

The electrical protocol defines the characteristics of voltage, current, signal direction, etc. for each power supply and signal pin, and the logical protocol defines the function of each signal line and the role of a system existing in both parts of the bus.

That is, in the system connection bus defined for the connection between the host computer and the information equipment, the physical protocol exists at the lowermost layer. In order to achieve this physical connection, the information equipment is provided with a connection terminal having a certain size. The connection of the system is made by setting the electrical / logical protocol of.

The signal line of the system connection bus is generally divided into a data signal line, an address signal line, and a control signal line. The system bus includes a bus master device that controls the operation of the signal line, and the bus master device includes a bus master device. A slave device that performs reading and writing of data at a predetermined position is attached.

The bus master device instructs the operation of the slave device by driving an address signal line and a control signal line among the three signal lines as shown in FIG.

The system connection buses applied to personal computers include ISA, PCI, PCMCIA, and Centronix parallel ports. Among the ISA and PCI system connection buses, the function of each signal line is used by a predefined protocol. It is never used.

In the case of PCMCIA and Centronix parallel ports, which are designed to easily connect external peripherals, some of the signal lines can be changed to respond to changes in peripheral devices.

Therefore, when connecting additional devices and information devices at the same time as connecting the host computer and the information device, the most important problem is how the bus master device that drives the address and control signal lines of the bus is located in the functional characteristics of the connection bus. Accordingly, two bus protocols are applied to one port existing in the information device as shown in FIG. Computers, add-ons, etc.) change electrical and logical conventions.

As a result, when connecting another system (host computer, additional device, etc.) to the information equipment, as shown in Figure 5, each separate input / output port is required.

However, in the conventional technology as described above, when connecting a host computer and an information device, a logical protocol is defined such that if a bus master device is installed on one side, a slave device is always installed on the other side. In an information device configured to operate as a device, it is impossible to connect a device other than the host computer by using the corresponding bus, so that a physical port installed in the information device can only perform a single function of accessing the host computer.

Accordingly, the present invention was created to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and when only connecting one physical port when connecting an information device such as a decoder card with a host computer and an additional device, the physical protocol is shared while the electrical / It is an object of the present invention to provide a master and slave function converting apparatus for converting functions of information equipment to master and slave devices by changing only logical protocols.

1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of defining a system bus for connecting a conventional main processor and a peripheral device.

2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of defining a system connection bus between a host computer and an external device in FIG.

3 is a conceptual diagram showing the function and direction of a bus signal line between a bus master device and a slave device;

4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of applying a bus protocol when connecting a host computer and an additional device to an information apparatus.

5 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which a host computer and an external device are connected to a conventional information device.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the master and slave function conversion apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which a host computer and an external device are connected to an information apparatus in FIG.

8 is an exemplary view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a digital sound player in FIG.

*** Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings ***

10: Information equipment 11: External connection port

12: connection bus drive circuit 13: bidirectional memory

14: mode selection circuit 15: microprocessor

20: additional device 30: host computer

40: decoder

The present invention for achieving the above object is an external connection port for inputting and outputting data to and from the additional device and the host computer through each signal line; A connection bus driver circuit for driving a control signal line and an address signal line under the control of an internal microprocessor in the master mode and then inputting and outputting data through the external connection port; A bidirectional memory in the slave mode to store data input through the external connection port or output stored data to the external connection port under control of a host computer; The current operation mode is determined by the signal line selected in accordance with the user's agreement among the signal lines, and the mode selection circuit selects the connection bus driving circuit or the bidirectional memory according to the determination result.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the master and slave function converting apparatus of the present invention, and as shown therein, is provided to the additional apparatus 20 and the host computer 30 through each signal line (control signal line, address signal line, data signal line). An external connection port 11 for inputting and outputting data; A connection bus driving circuit 12 driving the control signal line and the address signal line under the control of the microprocessor 15 in the master mode, and then inputting and outputting data through the external connection port 11; A bidirectional memory (3) for storing data input through the external connection port (11) or outputting stored data to the external connection port (11) under the control of a host computer (30) in the slave mode; The current operation mode is determined by the signal line selected according to the user's convention among the signal lines (control signal line, address signal line, and data signal line), and the connection bus driver circuit 12 or the bidirectional memory 13 is determined according to the determination result. It consists of a mode selection circuit 14 to select, and the operation and operation of one embodiment according to the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail.

When an external additional device 20 and a host computer 30 are connected to an information device 10 that performs a predetermined function through an external connection port 11, they are connected to each signal line (control signal line, address signal line, data signal line). ).

The mode selection circuit 14 designates any one of the signal lines (control signal line, address signal line, and data signal line) as an operation mode selection signal line to determine whether the value of the signal line is "high potential" or "low potential". In operation mode, the operation mode selection signal line is determined by the user's agreement.

Then, the mode selection circuit 14 selects the connection bus driving circuit 12 in the master mode and the bidirectional memory 13 in the slave mode according to the determined mode.

Here, the master mode is determined that the information device 10 is connected to the host computer 17 through the external connection port 11, the host computer 30 becomes the master device of the connection bus and the bidirectional memory 13 Become a slave device.

That is, the bidirectional memory 13 selected by the mode selection circuit 14 is allocated to the external connection port 11 through the data signal line so that the host computer 30 can directly read and write data, and receive or transmit information. The information stored in (13) is output.

In addition, in the slave mode, it is determined that the information device 10 is connected to the additional device 16 through the external connection port 11, and the microprocessor 15 of the information device 10 is connected to the master device of the connection bus. The microprocessor 15 directly uses the slave device attached to the additional device 20 by driving the control signal line and the address signal line through the connection bus driver circuit 12.

The microprocessor 15 generally controls the units 11, 12, 13, and 14.

Therefore, in the case of connecting another system (host computer, additional device, etc.) to the information device 10, the function can be performed using only one port as shown in FIG.

In addition, the external connection port 11 uses a PCMCIA, Centronix parallel port made easy to connect an external peripheral device, so that it is possible to respond to changes in the peripheral device connected by changing the function of each signal line.

Here, the additional device 20 may be a PDA, a VTR, a measuring device, or the like, and the information device 10 may be a decoder or a decoder card attached therein.

Fig. 8 is an example of applying this to the " Digital Acoustic Regenerator " (99 Patent 22938). The decoder 40 uses a host computer (PCMCIA standard) connection port to receive the compressed digital sound information from the host computer 30. 30).

In order to connect the decoder 40 through an additional device having a user interface and a digital signal recovery circuit, that is, the player main body 20 and the connection port 11, the physical protocol of the PCMCIA standard is used as it is. Use the access bus as a redefinition of the protocol.

As described above, the present invention installs only one physical port when connecting an information device such as a decoder card with a host computer and an additional device, and then changes only the electrical / logical protocol while sharing the physical agreement. By converting functions into devices, the number of signal lines and ports between systems can be reduced to reduce system manufacturing costs, and a plurality of functions can be performed through information devices connected through one external connection port.

Claims (1)

An external connection port for inputting and outputting data to and from an additional device and a host computer through each signal line; A connection bus driver circuit for driving a control signal line and an address signal line under the control of an internal microprocessor in the master mode and then inputting and outputting data through the external connection port; A bidirectional memory in the slave mode to store data input through the external connection port or output stored data to the external connection port under control of a host computer; The master and the slave, characterized in that the current operation mode is determined by the signal line selected according to the user's agreement among each signal line, and the mode selection circuit for selecting the connection bus driving circuit or the bidirectional memory according to the determination result. Function inverter.