JPH0816405A - System initializing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for an initialization ROM which is low in access frequency and to decrease the number of components by storing an initialization sequence program for a system on an auxiliary storage device and transferring it to a main storage device after the power source is turned ON. CONSTITUTION:A central processor 11, the main storage device 12, and the auxiliary storage device 14 are connected to a system bus 10 respectively, and data transfer protocol among the respective devices on the bus 10 is controlled by a bus controller 13. After the power source is turned ON, the bus controller 13 reads out an initialization sequence program containing information on a method for initializing peripheral equipment devices, initialization set values, etc., out of the auxiliary storage device 14 through the system bus 10 and writes its contents in an address area on the main storage device 120 from the address 0 unconditionally. After this writing, the bus controller 13 resets the resetting state of the central processor 11. The central processor 11 operates according to the contents of the initialization sequence program to complete the initialization of the system.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system initialization device such as a workstation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a typical conventional system initialization device. After the power is turned on, the central processing unit 11 reads the data of the initialization sequence program from the initialization ROM (read-only memory) 35 assigned to the address 0 on the system bus 10 and executes the initialization sequence of the entire system according to the contents. Run.

[0003]

As described above, the conventional system initialization device requires the ROM to execute the system initialization. This ROM is accessed only once when the system is started up after the power is turned on, and is not required at all in the subsequent system operation. Therefore, the conventional apparatus configuration has a problem that a device having a very low access frequency is required as a system component.

In consideration of the problems of the conventional system initialization device described above, the present invention initializes R with low access frequency.
It is an object to provide a system initialization device that does not require an OM.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention issues a read access to a predetermined address after reset release, and executes an initialization sequence of the entire system according to the content. Central processing unit, a main storage unit allocated to an area including an address accessed by the central processing unit after reset release, an auxiliary storage unit storing an initialization sequence program for the entire system in advance, and the central processing unit. A system bus that connects a device, the main storage device, and the auxiliary storage device, and a bus control device that controls a protocol of the system bus, the bus control device, after power-on,
The initialization sequence program stored in the auxiliary storage device is transferred to the main storage device via the system bus in a state where the generation of the reset signal to the central processing unit is continued, and after the transfer is completed, The system initialization device is characterized by releasing the reset of the central processing unit.

[0006]

According to the present invention, since the initialization sequence program stored in the auxiliary storage device is transferred to the main storage device located at the address accessed by the central processing unit after the reset is released, the present invention is configured as a system component. A system initialization device that does not require an initialization ROM is realized.

[0007]

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

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system initialization device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the system initialization device shown in the figure, a central processing unit 11, a main storage device 12, and an auxiliary storage device 14 are respectively connected to a system bus 10, and a bus control device 13 controls a data transfer protocol between each device on the bus 10. are doing. In the system initialization device configured as described above,
A procedure for initializing the system will be described.

After the power is turned on, it is not the central processing unit 11 but the bus control unit 13 that controls the operation of the entire system. Therefore, the bus controller 13 is the central processing unit 1
With the reset signal for 1 being generated, the execution of the initialization procedure is started. First, the initialization sequence program stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 14 is read out via the system bus 10. The initialization sequence program includes information for the central processing unit 11 such as the initial setting method and the initial setting value of the peripheral device connected to the system, and the interrupt signal processing method. The bus control device 13 that has read the initialization sequence program unconditionally writes the contents into the address area from the address 0 of the main storage device 12 (at this time,
The bus control device 13 can also perform the DMA (direct main memory access) transfer of the initialization sequence program from the auxiliary storage device 14 to the address area from the address 0 of the main storage device 12). After this writing is completed, the bus control unit 13 releases the reset state of the central processing unit 11.

The central processing unit 11 released from the reset state issues a read access to the address where the initialization ROM is located in the conventional system configuration in order to execute the system initialization. In the embodiment, the main storage device 12 in which the initialization sequence program is already written exists at that address, and corresponds to the read access from the central processing unit.

The central processing unit 11 that has read out the initialization sequence program operates in accordance with the contents of the read program without any change from the conventional system, thereby completing the initialization of the system.

(Embodiment 2) As one configuration example of the system,
The bus control device 13 can be realized as an integrated circuit. In this case, it is a common means to construct a compact system by simultaneously integrating the control circuits of the peripheral device devices. In the first embodiment described above, the bus control device 1
3 unconditionally transferred the initialization sequence program read from the auxiliary storage device 14 to the main storage device 12, but when the bus control device 13 includes the control circuit of the peripheral device as described above, The initial setting of the peripheral device included in the computerized sequence program is not transferred to the main storage device 12 but processed by the bus control device 13 to reduce system bus traffic, which is an efficient method.

In this case, the bus control device 13 decodes the initialization sequence program read from the auxiliary storage device 14, and the initialization of the peripheral device is performed by itself.
Other initialization programs are written in the main storage device 12. The subsequent procedure is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the central processing unit 1
By releasing the reset of 1, the central processing unit 11 executes the rest of the initialization sequence program and the system is initialized. (Third Embodiment) A client machine of a server / client system connected via a network often does not have an auxiliary storage device. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention in such a case.

In the system initialization device shown in FIG. 1, a network control device 24 connected to the server machine 25 via a network is connected to the system bus 10 instead of the auxiliary storage device shown in FIG. In the system initialization device configured as described above, after the power is turned on, the bus control device 13 issues a command to the network control device 24 to read the initialization sequence program from the server machine 25 through the network. The operation after the initialization sequence program is read into the bus control device 13 is performed in the same manner as in the first and second embodiments.

[0015]

As is apparent from the above description,
According to the present invention, the initialization sequence program of the system is placed on the auxiliary storage device or another system connected by the network, and is transferred to the main storage device after the power is turned on. The existing initialization ROM becomes unnecessary, and it becomes possible to realize a system configuration with a reduced number of parts.

Further, when the initialization sequence program is read from the network, it is possible to centrally manage the system initialization in the server machine.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of first and second embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional image display control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 system bus 11 central processing unit 12 main storage device 13 bus control device 14 auxiliary storage device 24 network control device 25 server

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location 7230-5B G06F 9/06 420 J

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A central processing unit which issues a read access to a predetermined address after reset release and executes an initialization sequence of the entire system according to the contents, and the central processing unit accesses after reset release. A main storage device allocated to an area including an address, an auxiliary storage device in which an initialization sequence program for the entire system is stored in advance, the central processing unit, the main storage device, and the auxiliary storage device are connected. A system bus, and a bus controller for controlling a protocol of the system bus, wherein the bus controller, after power-on,
The initialization sequence program stored in the auxiliary storage device is transferred to the main storage device via the system bus in a state where the generation of the reset signal to the central processing unit is continued, and after the transfer is completed, A system initialization device characterized by releasing reset of a central processing unit. 2. The bus controller reads out the initialization sequence program of the auxiliary storage device and resets the peripheral equipment device among the initialization sequence programs in a state where the central processing unit is reset after the power is turned on. The system initialization device according to claim 1, wherein after that, the other part of the initialization sequence program is transferred to the main storage device, and after the transfer is completed, the reset of the central processing unit is released. 3. A central processing unit which issues a read access to a predetermined address after reset release and executes an initialization sequence of the entire system according to the contents, and the central processing unit accesses after reset release. A main controller assigned to an area including an address, a network controller having means for accessing another system storing an initialization sequence program of the entire system through a network, the central processing unit and the main memory A system bus connecting the device and the network control device, and a bus control device controlling the protocol of the system bus, the bus control device generating a reset signal to the central processing unit after power-on. Stored in another system in the network control device while To forward the initialization sequence program are, the data via the system bus is transferred to the main storage device, after completion of the transfer, system initialization device and cancels the reset of the central processing unit. 4. The bus control device reads out an initialization sequence program from the network control device in a state where the central processing unit is reset after the power is turned on, and executes the initialization of the peripheral equipment device in the initialization sequence program. 4. The system initialization device according to claim 3, wherein after the transfer, another part of the initialization sequence program is transferred to the main memory, and after the transfer is completed, the reset of the central processing unit is released.