JP2548995B2 - Terminal for portable semiconductor memory device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a terminal for a portable semiconductor memory device such as a memory card.

[Conventional technology]

FIGS. 3 and 4 are block diagrams showing a connection mode between a conventional portable semiconductor memory device and a terminal, and MC ₁ and MC ₂ are portable semiconductor memory in which different types of semiconductor memories are mounted. A device (hereinafter simply referred to as a memory card) 32 and 42 represent control units of respective terminals.

When the memory cards MC ₁ and MC ₂ are inserted into the control units 32 and 42 of the terminal, the control units 32 and 42 of the terminal are connected to the memory card MC composed of an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.
₁ and MC ₂ are connected to the memory cards MC ₁ and MC _{2 by the} read / write input / output buses 51 and 61, and whether or not the memory cards MC ₁ and MC ₂ are inserted into the terminal or removed. The signal lines 55 and 65 for signals indicating whether or not they are connected are connected by the input signal line 53 or the output signal line 63 due to the difference in the type of the memory card, for example, the difference in the type of semiconductor memory.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

By the way, in the terminal as described above, the memory card MC ₂ shown in FIG. 4 is inserted into the terminal shown in FIG. 3, and conversely, the memory card MC ₂ is inserted into the terminal shown in FIG.
Even if MC ₁ is inserted and the signal lines 53 and 63 are connected to the memory cards MC ₂ and MC ₁ , signals having different actions collide with the signal lines 53 and 63, and the same signal line cannot be transmitted and received. ,
Moreover, even if the signal lines 53 and 63 and other signal lines are assigned to the temporary control units 32 and 42, the control contents cannot be understood if the type of the semiconductor memory mounted on the memory cards MC ₂ and MC ₁ is unknown. .

Therefore, it is not possible to use the terminals as memory cards MC ₁ and MC ₂ of different types, and a dedicated terminal is required for each type of memory card.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is a means for switching a signal line shared for signals having different actions according to a model and a means for identifying a model of a portable semiconductor memory device. In addition, the portable type semiconductor memory device having different types of semiconductor memories and the like can be commonly used, and the number of terminals of the portable type can be significantly reduced. A semiconductor memory device is provided.

[Means for solving the problem]

The terminal for a portable semiconductor memory device according to the present invention includes means for reading a signal indicating the type provided in the portable semiconductor memory device to identify it, and shared means corresponding to the identified type of the portable semiconductor memory device. And a means for switching the signal line to a different terminal.

[Action]

According to the present invention, when a portable semiconductor memory device of a different model is inserted, the signal indicating the model is read from the device to identify the model, and a signal line shared by signals having different functions is identified by the model. Accordingly, it is possible to switch and connect to different terminals of the control unit, the number of terminals is small, and it is possible to handle portable semiconductor memory devices of different models with a simple configuration.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be specifically described below based on examples thereof.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a connection structure of a terminal for a portable semiconductor memory device according to the present invention, in which 1 is a terminal for MC of a portable semiconductor memory device (hereinafter simply referred to as a memory card) and 2 is a The control unit of the terminal 1, 3 is a decoder, and 4 and 5 are semiconductor switches.

When the memory card MC is inserted into the terminal device 1, the control unit 2 of the terminal device 1 includes an input / output bus 11 for reading / writing to the memory card MC including an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the memory card MC. Is connected to the memory card MC through a bus 12 for reading the type of the memory card MC and a signal line 13 which is shared for signals having different functions depending on the type of the memory card MC. The terminal of the signal line 13 on the side of the control unit 2 is selectively switched and connected to the signal lines 13a and 13b connected to different terminals of the control unit 2 through the semiconductor switches 4 and 5 controlled to be turned on and off by the decoder 3. It has become so.

The input terminals A, B, C of the decoder 3 are signal lines 14a, 14b, 14c, respectively.
Is connected to the memory card MC, and a signal line 15 grounded by inserting the memory card MC is provided at the E terminal of the decoder 3. Through the signal line 15, a ground signal is supplied to the memory card MC. Is inserted and removed as a signal.

On the other hand, of the output terminals a to h of the decoder 3, the signal lines 16a and 16b connected to a and b are connected to the semiconductor switches 4 and 5, and both semiconductor switches are connected through the signal lines 16a and 16b.
The on / off control of 4 and 5 is selectively performed, and the shared signal line 13 is selectively connected to the control unit 2 via the signal line 13a or 13b.

Thus, in such a device of the present invention, when the memory card is inserted into the terminal 1, the E terminal of the decoder 3 is grounded through the signal line 15, and the ground signal is sent to the decoder 3 as a card insertion signal. Is input and pulled up to the power supply voltage,
The enable state is set. On the other hand, a signal indicating the type of the memory card MC, specifically the type of semiconductor memory, is a signal line.
It is taken into the control unit 2 and the decoder 3 through 14a, 14b and 14c. The control unit 2 recognizes the model of the inserted memory card. Further, the decoder 3 decodes the type of the memory card, and selectively outputs an operation signal to the semiconductor switch 4 or 5 through the output terminal a or b according to the inputted code to turn it on or off.

For example, as a signal indicating the type of semiconductor memory of the memory card MC for the input terminals A, B, C of the decoder 3, A: "L"
Level, B: “L” level, C: “L” level, and A = “L” level, B = as a signal indicating the type of another semiconductor memory.
Codes of "L" level and C = "H" level are assigned. If all the input signals at the input terminals A, B, and C are "L" level codes, the decoder 3 selects the output terminal a, the output terminal a is at "L" level, and the other output terminals b to h. Becomes "H" level. As a result, the semiconductor switch 5 is turned on via the signal line 16b, and the signal line 13b is the shared signal line 13
Will be connected with.

On the other hand, a signal indicating the type of the semiconductor memory is input to the input terminals A, B, C of the decoder 3 by A, B: “L” level, C:
When the code becomes "H" level, the decoder 3 selects the output terminal b, the output terminal b becomes "L" level, the other output terminals a, c to h become "H" level, and the semiconductor switch 4 Turn on. As a result, the shared signal line 13 is connected to the signal line 13a.

On the other hand, in the control unit 2 of the terminal, the memory card MC
Of the semiconductor memory, specifically, the type of the semiconductor memory is recognized, and by the ON / OFF control of the semiconductor switches 4 and 5, the input signal lines 13a and 13 or the signal lines 13b and 13 are used to communicate with the memory card MC. A signal can be sent or received.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the control unit 22 has a function as an MPC or a CPU, there is no decoder, and the control unit of the terminal 1 is present.
22 is a direct memory through signal lines 24a, 24b, 24c for signals indicating the type of the memory card MC when the memory card MC is inserted in the terminal 1 and a signal line 25 for inserting and removing the memory card MC. In addition to being connected to the card MC, semiconductor switch 4,
The signal lines 26a and 26b for driving signals for 5 are also directly connected to the control unit 22.

Thus, in such an embodiment, when the memory card MC is inserted into the terminal 1, the signal line for the card insertion / removal signal is inserted.
Through 25, the control unit 22 detects the insertion of the memory card MC,
Further, the code is decoded through the signal lines 24a, 24b, and 24c, the type of the memory card MC, specifically, the type of the semiconductor memory is detected, and the semiconductor switches 4,5 are selectively selected through the signal line 26a or 26b. ON / OFF control to the common signal line 13
The control unit 22 is connected via a or 13b.

Other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the number of signals using the shared signal line 13 is two is shown, but if it is represented by a binary code, for example, eight types of memory can be represented. Therefore, the common signal line 13 can share the same number of eight types of signals.

Therefore, for example, if eight types of signals are assigned to the common signal line 13, the conventional terminal 1 requires eight terminals if the common connector is used, but in the present invention, all the common signal lines are used. It is possible to use 13 and only one line is required.

Therefore, as a whole, only one shared signal line 13 and three signal lines 14a, 14b, 14c or 24a, 24b, 24c are required to be four signal lines, which is compared with the conventional number of terminals. Therefore, the number of four terminals can be reduced, and the insertion force and the withdrawal force of the connector can be reduced accordingly.

Further, in the above embodiment, the signal line 14a for the type signal,
The case of using three lines 14b, 14c or 24a, 24b, 24c has been described, but the number of signal lines can be further increased to greatly increase the types of target memory cards.

Further, the case where a single type of semiconductor memory is built in the memory card MC has been described, but different semiconductor memories may be mixed and built in, and each may be assigned to a signal line.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the product of the present invention is provided with the identification means for the type of the portable semiconductor memory device, and the signal lines that share the signal that acts differently depending on the type of each portable semiconductor memory device are used for each portable semiconductor memory device. Since the terminals are switched and connected according to the model of the device, it is not necessary to prepare a terminal device according to the model of each portable semiconductor memory device, and it is possible to use it as a portable semiconductor memory device of various models. In addition, the equipment cost can be reduced. Further, the present invention has excellent effects such that the mounting portion for mounting the portable semiconductor memory device is small and the structure can be simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a connection mode between a terminal and a portable semiconductor memory device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. It is a block diagram showing a connection mode between a terminal and a portable semiconductor memory device. 1 ... Portable semiconductor memory device, 2 ... Control unit, 3 ... Decoder, 4,5 ... Semiconductor switch, 11 ... Input / output bus, 1
2 ... bus, 13,13a, 13b ... signal line, 14a, 14b, 14c ... signal line, 15 ... signal line, 16a, 16b ... signal line, 22 ... control section, 24a, 24b, 24c …… Signal line, 25 …… Signal line, 26a, 26b…
Signal line In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A terminal having a single mounting portion to which a portable semiconductor memory device is to be mounted, which is compatible with portable semiconductor memory devices of different types, and which is a signal shared by different signals. A line, means for reading the signal indicating the type from the portable semiconductor memory device to identify it, and means for switching and connecting the signal line to different terminals corresponding to the portable semiconductor memory devices of different types. A terminal for a portable semiconductor memory device, which is characterized by: