Method for reprogramming flash ROM in a personal computer implementing an EISA bus system

• US 6,148,441 A
• Filed: 04/06/1994
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Woodward, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry D.
• Application Number:
  US08/223,890
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/830, 395/834, 395/868, 395/733, 395/281, 395/430, 395/431, 395/497.01, 395/182.06, 365/189.02, 365/230, 711/103, 711/104, 711/170, 711/163, 710/10, 710/14, 710/48, 710/260, 710/101, 714/8, 712/1, 717/11
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators

Abstract

There is disclosed a method for reprogramming a 5 volt flash ROM, which includes EISA configuration code and boot code stored together in the same sector. The method of the present invention includes determining the type of flash ROM being used, and performing steps necessary to preserve the boot code while permitting reprogramming of the EISA configuration code. The method of the present invention includes modifying the conventional interrupt routine (Interrupt 15) that is used to set up and configure newly added expansion boards in an EISA bus system. The modified routine monitors the interrupt functions to determine if an erase or write is requested to the EISA configuration block in flash ROM. If an erase or write is detected, specific routines are initiated to enable the CPU to enter a protected mode to perform the necessary command sequences to the 5 volt flash ROM. In addition, necessary steps are taken to prevent the erasure of the boot code or other information in the sector that is not related to EISA configuration code during erase operations, and to prevent overwriting the boot code during write operations.

Claims

1. A method for reprogramming a portion of a sector in a flash ROM device, which is included in a PC system that includes RAM, wherein the sector includes at least two different programs, one of which is to be reprogrammed and one of which is not to be disturbed, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a write function request to the sector of flash ROM;

(b) monitoring the address of the write request to prevent a write to the portion of the sector that is not to be disturbed;

(c) placing the flash ROM in a Command Mode; and

(d) writing the data to the portion of flash ROM which is to be reprogrammed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the flash ROM is a five volt AMD flash ROM device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing the flash ROM into a Command Mode (step c), includes the step of:

(c)(1) placing the PC system into a protected mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of placing the flash ROM into a Command Mode (step c) includes the step of:

(c)(2) transmitting a sequence of command signals to various addresses in the flash ROM.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the portion of the sector to be reprogrammed comprises the EISA configuration code.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein the portion of the sector which is not to be disturbed comprises the boot code.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the write function (step a) includes the steps of:

(a)(1) monitoring Interrupt 15; and

(b)(2) checking register AX to determine if the contents of register AX equal D8x3.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the flash ROM is a five volt AMD flash ROM device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing the flash ROM into a Command Mode (step b), includes the step of:

(b)(1) placing the PC system into a protected mode.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of placing the flash ROM into a Command Mode (step b) includes the step of:

(b)(2) transmitting a sequence of command signals to various addresses in the flash ROM.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein the portion of the sector to be reprogrammed comprises the EISA configuration code.

14. A method as in claim 1, wherein the portion of the sector which is not to be disturbed comprises the boot code.

15. A method as in claim 5, wherein the step of detecting the erase function (step a) includes the steps of:

(a)(1) monitoring Interrupt 15; and

(b)(2) checking register AX to determine if the contents of register AX equal D8x2.

8. A method for erasing a portion of a sector in a flash ROM device, which is included in a PC system that includes RAM, wherein the sector includes at least two different programs, one of which is to be erased, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting an erase function request to said sector of said flash ROM;

(b) placing the flash ROM in a Command Mode;

(c) determining the location of the program resident in the sector which is to be erased;

(d) reading the portion of the sector containing other programs and copying that portion to RAM;

(e) erasing the sector; and

(f) rewriting the portion of the sector which was copied to RAM back to the sector in the flash ROM.

9. A personal computer comprising:

an EISA bus system;

a central processing unit connected to the EISA bus system;

at least one expansion slot connected to said EISA bus system for accommodating an EISA expansion board;

a random access memory (RAM) connected to said EISA bus system; and

a flash ROM connected to said EISA system bus, said flash ROM including a plurality of memory sectors on which codes are stored, and wherein one of said memory sectors stores both EISA configuration code and boot code;

means for monitoring interrupt routines for erase functions to the EISA configuration code stored in the flash ROM; and

means for transferring the boot code to the RAM before erasing the memory sector containing the EISA configuration code and the boot code.

16. A method of reprogramming a flash ROM that includes a multi-sector memory array having boot code and EISA configuration code stored in the same sector of the ROM'"'"'s memory array, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) installing a new Interrupt 15 routine in place of an old Interrupt 15 routine;

(b) executing the new Interrupt 15 routine whenever an Interrupt 15 is requested;

(c) monitoring the Interrupt 15 request for an erase or write function; and

(d) executing an erase or write routine in response to the presence of an erase or write function.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the new Interrupt 15 routine is only installed if the flash ROM comprises a five volt device.

18. A method as in claim 16, wherein the old Interrupt 15 routine'"'"'s address is saved to the end of the new Interrupt 15 routine.

19. A method as in claim 16, wherein the step of monitoring the Interrupt 15 request includes monitoring the contents of a function register (AX).

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein the step of executing an erase or write routine (step d) only occurs if the contents of the function register (AX) equal D8x2 or D8x3.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein an erase routine is executed if the contents of the function register (AX) equals D8x2.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein the erase routine includes the steps of copying the boot code to a memory buffer before the sector is erased, and copying the boot code back to the sector in flash ROM after the sector is erased.

23. A method as in claim 20, wherein a write routine is executed if the contents of the function register (AX) equals D8x3.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein the write routine includes the steps of monitoring the address of the write function and setting an error flag if the address includes the boot code address.

25. A method of reprogramming EISA configuration code in an AMD flash ROM device, wherein the flash ROM is divided into eight memory array sectors, and said EISA configuration code is stored in sector 7 of the flash ROM together with boot code and Ediags instruction code, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) initializing an Interrupt 15 routine;

(b) determining if the flash ROM comprises an AMD flash ROM;

(c) modifying the Interrupt 15 routine in response to an affirmative determination in step b;

(d) monitoring Interrupt 15 requests for the presence of an erase or a write function to EISA configuration code;

(e) entering a 32 bit protective mode in response to the presence of an erase or write function in the Interrupt 15 request;

(f) placing the AMD flash ROM in a Command Mode by transmitting a sequence of command signals to various addresses in the flash ROM device;

(g) erasing or writing to the EISA configuration code in sector 7.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein the Ediags instruction code and the boot code are read to a memory buffer before sector 7 is erased, and then is wrote back to sector 7 after the erase operation is complete.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein the step of writing to EISA configuration code includes monitoring the address of a write instruction for any attempts to write to the boot code, and generating an error signal if the write instruction attempts to write to the address occupied by the boot code.