JPH08305561A - Method and device for down-loading firmware - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To allow a host device to directly rewrite data in an electric write enable memory of a loader section by stopping the operation of a microprocessor and storing a firmware transferred from the host device to the loader section not through the processing of the microprocessor. CONSTITUTION: Processing data of a loader section 3 are read out of an electrically write enable memory by an MPU 1, the control of a host interface circuit 5 and file transfer from the host device are executed and the result is written in an electrically write enable memory of an application section 4. Then, the firmware of the loader section 3 is conducted by transferring the data of the firmware loaded newly from the host device not through the processing of the MPU 1 via a physical interface circuit 6, and when a loader section control circuit 7 receives data from the physical interface circuit 6, the operation of the MPU 1 is stopped and the data are written in the electrically write enable memory of the loader section 3. Thus, the firmware can be revised.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a firmware download method and apparatus for downloading firmware composed of microinstructions from a host device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional firmware download device, as shown in FIG. 2, a read-only non-volatile memory (EPROM) is used for a loader section 3, and an electrically writable non-volatile memory (EPROM) is used for an application section 4. EE
PROM) is used.

In the firmware download device, the application program is executed by the microprocessor 1 reading and executing the firmware program written in the read-only memory of the loader section 3 to control the upper interface circuit 5 and the upper layer. This is performed by executing the file transfer from the device and writing the firmware of the application program in the electrically writable memory of the application unit 4.

The firmware stored in the loader section 3 is a read-only memory, and is written by a memory writing device which is a device different from the firmware download device and then mounted on the firmware download device.

[0005]

In this conventional firmware download device, when the firmware written in the loader unit is changed, the read-only memory of the loader unit can be rewritten on the firmware download device. First, the memory of the loader unit is removed from the firmware download device, written by another memory writing device, and then mounted on the loader unit of the firmware download device. Therefore, there is a problem that the firmware of the loader unit cannot be changed by remote control.

On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-40619 "Firmware Online Update Method for Microprocessor Device" has been published, and a similar method for writing firmware to a rewritable ROM via a ROM rewrite control circuit to update the firmware is disclosed. However, it is impossible to directly update the ROM storing the IPL or the OS program or the rewritable ROM when the power is turned on.

An object of the present invention is to remove the memory of the loader unit and replace the newly prepared firmware with the loader unit of the firmware download device when the firmware written in the loader unit is changed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a firmware download device capable of changing firmware by remote control without being installed.

[0008]

A firmware download method according to the present invention comprises a host interface circuit for interfacing with a host device, a microprocessor, an address decoder, an application unit, and a loader unit including a non-volatile memory, and a micro instruction. A firmware download method for downloading firmware configured in a host device from a host device to a loader unit, wherein the host device uses an electrically writable non-volatile memory in the loader unit, and does not involve the processing of a microprocessor. The method further includes the step of transferring the firmware, and the step of stopping the operation of the microprocessor and storing the firmware transferred from the host device in the loader unit.

The firmware download device of the present invention has a host interface circuit for interfacing with a host device, a microprocessor, an address decoder, an application part, and a loader part including a non-volatile memory, and is composed of micro-instructions. A firmware download device that downloads existing firmware from a host device to a loader unit, and transfers the firmware from the host device without the processing of a loader unit including an electrically writable non-volatile memory and a microprocessor. It has a physical interface circuit and a loader unit control circuit that stops the operation of the microprocessor and stores the firmware transferred from the host device in the loader unit.

[0010]

According to the present invention, an electrically writable non-volatile memory is used for the loader unit, and the physical interface circuit transfers the firmware from the host device without the processing of the microprocessor, and the loader unit control circuit. Thus, the operation of the microprocessor is stopped, and the firmware transferred from the host device is stored in the loader unit.

[0011]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
The firmware download device of the present invention uses an electrically writable nonvolatile memory (EEPROM) for the loader unit 3 and the application unit 4.

In the method of downloading the firmware related to the application, the MPU 1 reads the program of the loader unit 3 from an electrically writable memory and executes the program to control the upper interface circuit 5 and transfer the file from the upper device. Then, the data is written in the electrically writable memory of the application unit 4.

The change of the loader unit 3 is performed by transferring the firmware data to be newly loaded from the host device via the physical interface circuit 6 without the processing of the MPU 1, and the loader unit control circuit 7 causes the physical interface circuit 6 to perform the transfer. When the data is received from the MPU 1, the operation of the MPU 1 is stopped and the data is written in the electrically rewritable memory of the loader unit 3.

Since the MPU 1 cannot write to the electrically rewritable memory of the loader unit 3, the loader unit 3 has the same function as the read-only memory from the MPU 1.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the firmware of the loader unit is changed, the electrically writable memory of the loader unit can be directly rewritten from the host device on the firmware download device. ,
The firmware of the loader section can be changed by remote control.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a firmware download device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a conventional firmware download device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 MPU 2 Address Decoder 3 Loader Section 4 Application Section 5 Upper Interface Circuit 6 Upper Physical Interface Circuit 7 Loader Control Circuit R Read W Write CS Chip Select H Holt

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A high-order interface circuit for interfacing with a higher-level device, a microprocessor, an address decoder, an application part, and a loader part including a non-volatile memory. A firmware download method for downloading to a firmware, comprising the steps of using an electrically writable non-volatile memory for a loader section, transferring the firmware from a host device without the processing of a microprocessor, and A firmware download method comprising the step of stopping the operation and storing the firmware transferred from the host device in the loader unit. 2. An upper interface circuit for interfacing with an upper device, a microprocessor, an address decoder, an application unit, and a loader unit including a non-volatile memory. A firmware download device for downloading to a computer, a loader unit including an electrically writable non-volatile memory, a physical interface circuit for transferring the firmware from a higher-level device without the processing of a microprocessor, and an operation of the microprocessor. And a firmware download device having a loader unit control circuit for storing the firmware transferred from the host device in the loader unit.