JPH04332071A - Synchronizing system for starting multi-firmware - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten a processing time by obtaining out exclusive OR between the startup display signal of each firmware and a bit corresponding to each firmware in a firmware mounting state register at the time of starting up a device and producing the OR signal of each bit of the result thereof. CONSTITUTION:When a firmware 3 e.g. is mounted but can not be started because of its fault and its starting display signal is held at OFF, a starting state displaying register 8 turns on only the bit corresponding to the firmware 3 and a startup completion signal storing register 10 is held at OFF. When the register 10 is not turned on after the lapse of a certain time, other started firmwares 1, 2 can know which firmware is not started by reading out the value of register 8 from a data bus 12. Consequently the processing time can be shortened.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-firmware startup synchronization method.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as a startup synchronization method for multi-firmware, a wired-OR of binary pulse signals that are turned on when each firmware is started is used, and the firmware of multiple units all turn on the binary pulse signals. The signal that turns on when the firmware is turned on is stored in a register in the common section, and the software of each firmware reads this register and checks whether it is turned on or not, thereby recognizing whether or not all firmware has finished starting up. A method is used.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional multi-firmware start-up synchronization method described above, if there is faulty firmware that does not start up among the firmware of multiple units, the contents of the common part register will not turn on. Even if it is known that the firmware has a problem, it is not known which firmware it is, and in order to detect faulty firmware, it is necessary to conduct an investigation using inter-firmware communication, which takes time and complicates processing. There is.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The firmware start-up synchronization method of the present invention includes a mounting status display register that indicates whether or not a plurality of firmware pieces are each mounted on the same bus using a binary signal, and a plurality of first gate circuits each generating a binary signal indicating whether or not the firmware has started up and an exclusive OR signal of each binary signal of the mounting status display register; and a plurality of first gate circuits. a second gate circuit that generates an OR signal of the generated signals; a rising completion display register that stores the signal generated by the second gate circuit and is accessible from each of the firmware; and a plurality of first gate circuits. It is provided with a rising state display register that stores the generated signal and is accessible from each of the firmwares.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. Firmware 1, 2, and 3 connect signal lines 4, 5, and 6 for rising display signals, respectively, at the time of rising.
outputs an on signal. On the other hand, each bit of the firmware implementation status register 7 of the common section 11 corresponds to the firmware, and is turned on when the firmware is installed, and turned off when the firmware is not installed. Each bit value of this register 7 and the rise display signal outputted by firmware 1-3 are applied to exclusive OR gates 13-15, respectively, and the output signals are stored in rise state display register 8. In this signal, bits corresponding to uninstalled firmware, bits corresponding to installed firmware that has started up are turned off, and bits corresponding to installed firmware that has not started up are turned on. Each bit of this signal is applied to an OR gate 16, and a rising completion signal obtained is taken into a register 10 for storing a rising completion signal via a signal line 9. Each of the firmwares 1 to 3 can recognize whether all firmwares have started up by reading the register 10 after turning on the start-up display signal. When all the installed firmware has finished starting up, the register 10 is turned on.

If, for example, firmware 3 is installed but does not start up due to a failure and its rising display signal remains off, only the bit corresponding to firmware 3 in the rising state display register 8 is turned on, and the register 10 will remain off. In this case, if the register 10 of firmwares 1 and 2 that has started up does not turn on even after a certain period of time has passed, the value of the start-up status display register 8 can be read from the data bus 12 to determine which firmware has not started up. can be known.

[0008]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, when the device is started up, the exclusive OR of the rise indication signal of each firmware and the bit corresponding to each firmware in the firmware implementation status register is performed, and the result is By creating an OR signal for each bit, each firmware can easily and reliably recognize the completion of startup of all installed firmware, and if any of the installed firmware does not complete startup, which one is the problem? It can detect whether it is firmware.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 to 3 Firmware 4 to 6, 9 Signal line 7 Mounting status display register 8 Rise status display register 10 Register 11 Common section 12 Data bus 13 to 15 Exclusive OR gate 16 OR gate

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A mounting status display register that indicates whether each of the plurality of firmware pieces is mounted on the same bus using a binary signal, and a binary signal indicating whether each of the firmware pieces has started up and the mounting status. a plurality of first gate circuits that each issue an exclusive OR signal of each binary signal of the display register; a second gate circuit that issues an OR signal of the signals generated by the plurality of first gate circuits; a rise completion display register that stores signals generated by the second gate circuit and is accessible from each firmware; and a rise status display register that stores signals generated by the plurality of first gate circuits and is accessible from each firmware. A multi-firmware startup synchronization method characterized by having registers for