JPH0644208B2 - Online insertion / extraction control method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Outline] Regarding a hot-plugging / unplugging control system for attaching / detaching to / from an input / output device expansion unit in a resume state in a notebook personal computer, the hot-plugging / unplugging is easily performed without affecting the notebook personal computer main body. In a hot-plugging / unplugging control system in which an external device that is in a powered state and a main body device are attached and detached in order to maintain a resume state, the main body device outputs a status signal indicating its operating state. The external device includes power supply control means for stopping power supply to a driver / receiver circuit that interfaces with the main body device when the status signal indicates a resumed state of the main body device. To do.

[Industrial application field]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an active insertion / removal control system for attaching / detaching to / from an input / output device expansion unit in a resume state in a node type personal computer.

[Conventional technology]

Portable laptop computers have many functions and circuits moved to external devices (for example, I / O device expansion units), except for the minimum necessary functions, in order to make the main unit as compact as possible. .

Here, the I / O device expansion unit is a device for connecting an additional hard disk device, LAN adapter and other various adapters to the personal computer body, but the I / O device expansion unit connected to the notebook personal computer is originally the personal computer body. It also has a DMA control circuit and an interrupt control circuit.

In addition, since a notebook personal computer intended for portable use is repeatedly used for a short period of time intermittently, there is a demand for a resume function that restores the previous state when the power is turned on. For that purpose, it is necessary to keep the minimum circuit for maintaining the resume state in the active state (energized state). Therefore, in this resumed state, each circuit in the I / O device expansion unit connected to the personal computer main body is kept in the energized state.

By the way, laptop computers are used in LA offices, for example.
Since N or an additional hard disk is connected, it is used in a state where it is connected to the I / O device expansion unit. On the other hand, when the notebook personal computer is taken out for use outside, for example, disconnection from the input / output device expansion unit is performed while maintaining the resume state. That is, when both the personal computer body and the input / output expansion unit are in the resume state (active state), they may be disconnected or connected, but their power supplies cannot be turned off when they are inserted or removed.

In this way, when the PC main body is in the resume state, the energized input / output device expansion unit must be attached / detached (active insertion / removal), but at that time it is certain that noise is generated or the main unit element is destroyed. Must be avoided.

The conventional online insertion and removal method uses a plurality of devices 21 shown in FIG.
In a system in which 22 and 23 are connected to the common bus 25, disconnection circuits (tri-state gates) 26, 27 and 28 are provided between each device and the common bus 25, and a connection portion with the common bus 25 is in a high impedance state. Was being separated as.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, it is difficult to provide such a disconnecting circuit between the notebook personal computer and the input / output device expansion unit, and a new method is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an active insertion / removal control system capable of easily attaching / detaching a notebook personal computer in a resumed state and an input / output device expansion unit without affecting the notebook personal computer body.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The present invention provides an active insertion / removal control system in which the external device 12 and the main body device 11 in the energized state are attached and detached in order to maintain the resumed state, and the main body device 11 indicates whether or not it is in the resume state. A status signal output means for outputting a status signal and sending it to the external device 12 is provided, and the external device 12 automatically monitors whether or not it is in a resume state by a status signal from the main body device 11. Power supply control for stopping the power supply only to the monitoring means and the built-in driver / receiver circuit 15 that interfaces with the main body device 11 when it is detected that the main body device 11 is in the resume state at the time of attachment / detachment. A means for automatically disconnecting the interface for online insertion and removal is provided.

[Action]

In the input / output device expansion unit (external device) connected to the notebook personal computer (main device), the control circuit portion excluding the driver / receiver circuit is in the energized state in order to maintain the resumed state during normal use.

According to the present invention, when it is detected that the automatic monitoring device with the built-in input / output device expansion unit is in the resume state by the status signal from the status signal output means indicating whether or not the notebook computer is in the resume state, The built-in power supply control means can electrically disconnect the notebook personal computer and the input / output device expansion unit by turning off the power supply of the driver / receiver circuit of the interface bus connection portion.

Therefore, the active insertion / removal can be performed without affecting the main body of the notebook computer, that is, the interface disconnection control for the active insertion / removal can be automatically performed.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

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

In the figure, reference numeral 11 is a laptop computer (main unit)
The reference numeral 12 indicates the input / output device expansion unit (external device) side. During that time, the signal cable 13 is used for connection, and hot insertion / removal is performed at a predetermined connector portion (not shown).

In the input / output device expansion unit 12, the internal control circuit 14
And an address bus and a data signal between the notebook type personal computer 11 and a driver / receiver circuit 15 of an interface bus connecting portion for interfacing control signals are independent from each other, and the internal control circuit 14 is energized during normal use. In the state, the resume state is maintained.

Here, the feature of the present invention is that in this embodiment, whether or not the status display signal * STBY which is high level when the notebook type personal computer 11 is in the operation mode and is low level when the notebook type personal computer 11 is in the resume mode is transmitted. , Or a status display signal MVC for notifying the operating status at that voltage level
Send C. Note that, for example, the status display signal MVCC is
3 when the notebook computer 11 is in the resume state
It is assumed that V is shown, and 5V is shown in the operating state.

The status signal described above is the status display signal * STBY.
And the status display signal MVCC.
Although not shown, the status signal output means is built in the notebook computer 11.

In the input / output device expansion unit 12, the status display signal MVC
A comparator 16 which compares the voltage level of C with a threshold value (4V) to determine which state it indicates, and outputs an output signal which becomes a low level when the notebook computer 11 is in the resume state; A NOR gate 17 which outputs a logical OR of the output signal of the comparator 16 and the status display signal * STBY, and switching which turns on / off the supply of the power supply Vcc of the driver / receiver circuit 15 according to the output signal of the NOR gate 17. And a transistor 18.

In the above circuit configuration in the input / output device expansion unit 12, the comparator 16 and the NOR gate 17 correspond to the automatic monitoring means, and the switching transistor 18 corresponds to the power supply controlling means.

With such a configuration, when the input / output device expansion unit 12 can recognize that the notebook personal computer 11 is in the resumed state through the signal cable 13, the switching transistor 18 is turned off, and the driver / receiver circuit 15 is not activated. The power supply Vcc is stopped. Even in this state, the notebook type personal computer 11 and the input / output device expansion unit 12 are in the energized state and maintain the resume state, but are electrically disconnected by the driver / receiver circuit 15, so that they are activated. The influence of insertion and removal can be avoided.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, whether or not the external device side is in the resume state of the main body device is automatically monitored without visually appealing, so there is no human error that tends to occur,
Since the external device controls the on / off of the input / output device circuit with the built-in power supply, the maintenance worker does not need to manually connect the external auxiliary power supply. Further, even when the external device is connected in the power-off state, the input / output circuit is off, so that the interface disconnection control for the hot insertion / removal can be automatically performed without causing the malfunction and generating the noise.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional hot-swap system. In the figure, 11 is a laptop computer (main unit), 1
2 is an input / output device expansion unit (external device), 13 is a signal cable, 14 is an internal control circuit, 15 is a driver / receiver circuit, 16 is a comparator, 17 is a NOR gate, 18 is a switching transistor, 18, 21, 22, Reference numeral 23 is a device, 25 is a common bus, and 26, 27 and 28 are disconnecting circuits (tri-state gates).

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-64-50598 (JP, A) JP-A-56-32786 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An active insertion / removal control system for attaching / detaching an external device (12) and a main body device (11) which are in an energized state to maintain a resume state, wherein the main body device (11) has a resume function. The external device by outputting a status signal indicating whether or not the state (12)
A status signal output means for sending to the external device (12), the external device (12) is automatically monitored by the status signal from the main body device (11) whether or not it is in a resume state, and the When it is detected that the main body device (11) is in the resume state at the time of attachment / detachment, the power supply that stops the power supply only to the built-in driver / receiver circuit (15) that interfaces with the main body device (11). An online insertion / extraction control device comprising control means and automatically performing interface disconnection control for online insertion / extraction.