CN1658161A - System with primary application and spare program and starting method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a system with main and standby boot programs and a starting method, wherein the system includes a processor, a main storage for storing the main boot program, and a backup storage for storing the backup boot program, and the processor and the main storage A logic controller connected to the backup memory; when the system starts, the logic controller selects to execute the boot program from the main memory or the backup memory.

Description

System with active and alternate boot loaders and boot method

technical field

The invention relates to electronics and communication technology, in particular to a system with main and standby boot programs and a starting method.

Background technique

With the rapid development of communication technology, new communication protocols and new hardware interfaces are constantly being developed, which leads to the upgrading of software systems that equipment manufacturers have sold to users. The online upgrade of application software has been relatively popular. In order to improve the maintainability of the product, the online upgrade of the boot program in the read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as BOOTROM) for booting the system has been put on the agenda.

The BOOTROM of the existing single board that can provide online upgrade capability only uses one piece, and this BOOTROM is used for both startup and upgrade. By introducing a write signal on the chip, it has the ability of online upgrade.

Due to the various working states of the device during the online upgrade, if the system is suddenly powered off or restarted halfway through the upgrade, the upgrade will fail. Since there is only one BOOTROM, the board will not be able to start again after the upgrade fails. , so it cannot be upgraded again, but can only be repaired, so the maintenance cost of the single board will be very high, and it is necessary to bear other responsibilities that the customer cannot use during the repair process.

In addition, because the write signal is introduced into the only BOOTROM, the software may misoperate and rewrite the contents of the BOOTROM by mistake, causing the next startup to fail, and it cannot be upgraded, resulting in the repair of the single board.

Contents of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and start-up method with main and backup boot programs, so as to solve the problem that the only boot program of the system in the prior art cannot start the system after the upgrade fails or is wrongly rewritten.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

A method of system booting with active and alternate bootloaders, the method being:

Select the main bootloader to boot the system and start timing;

When the timing reaches the scheduled time for the system to complete normal startup, determine whether a specific register is set to a predetermined value;

If yes, the system runs other programs, otherwise, resets the system and selects an alternate boot program to boot the system.

in:

Among the active boot program and the standby boot program, only the active boot program can be upgraded online. When performing an online upgrade of the main bootloader, first check whether the enable switch is turned on, if yes, the upgrade is allowed, otherwise the upgrade is not allowed.

The specific register is set to an initial value different from a predetermined value before executing the boot program.

A system with main and standby boot programs, including a processor, a memory connected to the processor and used to store the boot program; wherein, the system also includes a logic controller connected to the processor and the memory; the memory includes storage The main storage for the active boot program and the backup storage for storing the backup boot program; when the system is started, the logic controller selects to execute the boot program from the main storage or the backup storage.

The logic controller is connected to the processor through an address bus, a data bus and a control line; the main memory and the backup memory are connected to the processor through an address bus and a data bus, and connected to the logic controller through a control line.

The control lines connected between the logic controller and the processor include a data write signal line, a chip selection signal line for selecting a boot program, and a chip selection signal line of the logic controller.

The control line connecting the main memory to the logic controller includes a chip selection signal line and a data write signal line; the control line connecting the backup memory to the logic controller is a chip selection signal line.

The present invention has main and standby boot programs, and automatically selects the standby boot program to guide the system when the main boot program fails to execute, which can ensure the reliability of system startup; It can be started for the next upgrade, so it has the characteristics of good maintainability and low maintenance cost.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of controlling primary and secondary storage in the system of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Referring to the system shown in FIG. 1 , it includes a processor, a logic controller, a main memory (hereinafter referred to as the main BOOTROM) and a backup memory (hereinafter referred to as the standby BOOTROM). The main BOOTROM and the standby BOOTROM respectively store a boot program for booting the system, and the main logic controller adopts an erasable programmable logic device (hereinafter referred to as EPLD).

EPLD, main BOOTROM and standby BOOTROM are connected with the processor through data lines and address lines. The EPLD receives the chip selection signal EPLD_CS output by the processor, the chip selection signal BOOT_CS for selecting and starting the BOOTROM, and the data line write signal DATA_WR. After being controlled by EPLD, the chip select signal BOOT_CS is divided into the chip select signal MAIN_CS controlling the main BOOTROM and the chip select signal BACK_CS controlling the standby BOOTROM. EPLD only sends one write signal MAINBOOT_WR to the main BOOTROM, and the backup BOOTROM has no write signal.

When the system is powered on and reset, the processor will send a BOOT_CS signal to select the BOOTROM chip to start, and the signal will be sent to the EPLD, and at the same time, the chip select signal EPLD_CS will be generated to make the EPLD work. EPLD generates the chip selection signal MAIN_CS according to the chip selection signal BOOT_CS and sends it to the main BOOTROM. The main BOOTROM is selected through the chip selection signal MAIN_CS, and the code starts to be executed from the main BOOTROM, and the timer in the EPLD starts timing. After the main BOOTROM starts normally, it will write a predetermined value into the designated register of EPLD to indicate that it is now started from the main BOOTROM; the designated register is set to the predetermined value before executing the boot program in the main BOOTROM. different initial values. If EPLD receives this value within the time that the system should be able to start normally, the system will start normally and start running other programs. That is, if the value in the specified register is not the predetermined value, it is considered that there is a problem with the main BOOTROM, and the processor is reset to prepare to boot from the standby BOOTROM. This time, after the processor sends the BOOTROM chip selection signal, the EPLD outputs the chip selection signal BACK_CS to the backup BOOTROM, and the system starts to boot from the backup BOOTROM. Since the backup BOOTROM has no write signal, the content will not be rewritten, and the system will not be unable to boot.

In order to reduce the probability of the main BOOTROM being arbitrarily rewritten by software, set an enabling switch in the EPLD, and check whether the switch is turned on before performing an online upgrade. Only when the enabling switch is turned on, the EPLD can output the write signal MAINBOOT_WR For the main BOOTROM, therefore, turn on the enable switch before the upgrade, and turn off the enable switch after the upgrade of the main BOOTROM is completed. Enabling the switch can be done by setting a specific value in a register. Of course, it can also be implemented outside the EPLD through common hardware, and the EPLD judges whether the hardware switch is turned on.

One of the main boot program and the backup boot program can also be placed in a large-capacity FLASH together with the host code, but it is still controlled by a logic controller to choose whether to boot the system from the main boot program or the backup boot program. The core is The chip selection signal of BOOTROM sent by the processor is controlled by the logic chip to control the startup of the system.

The present invention can automatically execute from the standby boot program when the main boot program cannot boot the system, can ensure the normal boot of the system, and is especially suitable for systems requiring online upgrades.

Claims (8)

1, a kind of system start method with primary and backup boot is characterized in that comprising step:

Select the main boot guidance system of using to start, and pick up counting;

When timing arrival system can finish the schedule time of normal startup, judge whether particular register is set to predetermined value;

If then system moves other programs, otherwise resetting system also selects the backup boot guidance system to start.

2, the system as claimed in claim 1 startup method is characterized in that, described main only have to lead in boot and backup boot can carry out online upgrading with boot.

3, system start method as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that, when the master is carried out online upgrading with boot, checks at first whether enable switch is opened, if then allow upgrading, otherwise does not allow upgrading.

4, the system as claimed in claim 1 startup method is characterized in that, before carrying out boot described particular register is arranged to the initial value different with predetermined value.

5, a kind of system with primary and backup boot comprises processor, is connected and is used to store the storer of boot with processor; It is characterized in that this system also comprises the logic controller that is connected with storer with processor; Described storer comprises the main main shelf storage with storer and storage backup boot with boot of storage; During described system start-up, this logic controller is selected to carry out boot from main with storer or shelf storage.

6, system as claimed in claim 5 is characterized in that, described logic controller is connected with processor with control line by address bus, data bus; The described main storer of using is connected with processor by address bus, data bus with shelf storage, is connected with logic controller by control line.

7, system as claimed in claim 6 is characterized in that, the control line that logic controller is connected with processor comprises data write signal line, the chip selection signal line of selecting boot and the chip selection signal line of this logic controller.

As claim 6 or 7 described systems, it is characterized in that 8, the main control line that is connected with logic controller with storer comprises chip selection signal line and data write signal line; The control line that shelf storage is connected with logic controller is the chip selection signal line.