Data processing apparatus and data control circuit for use therein

• US 8,019,929 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Hiromitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Farrokh; Hashem
• Application Number:
  US11/853,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 711/103, 365/228
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering

Abstract

A data processing apparatus has a data saving control portion. At shutdown, within the period after a fall in the source voltage is detected until the source voltage falls down to the lower limit at which the apparatus is guaranteed to operate, the data saving control portion saves to a non-volatile memory all the data needed to restore the state of an electronic circuit portion.

Claims

1. A data processing controller in cooperation with an electronic circuit, the data processing controller and the electronic circuit being energized by a source voltage, the data processing controller comprising:

a signal receiving portion arranged to receive a signal generated upon detection of a fall in the source voltage at shutdown; and

a data saving control circuit that, in response to the signal receiving portion receiving the signal, saves to a non-volatile memory all data needed to restore a state of the electronic circuit within a period after a fall in a source voltage is detected until the source voltage falls to a lower limit voltage at which the data processing controller is guaranteed to operate.

2. The data processing controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a data restoration control circuit that restores, at power-on, the data saved to the non-volatile memory to the electronic circuit within a period after the source voltage rises to the lower limit voltage at which the data processing controller is guaranteed to operate until the electronic circuit begins to operate.

3. The data processing controller of claim 1 arranged to control the electronic circuit that saves/restores the data needed to restore the state thereof by performing serial data transfer.

4. The data processing controller of claim 3 arranged to control the electronic circuit having a first signal path used in a normal operation and a second signal path for switching flip-flops into a shift register configuration according to a predetermined control signal.

5. The data processing controller of claim 3 arranged to control the electronic circuit having a serial/parallel converting portion that performs, at a time of data saving, serial-to-parallel conversion on data inputted from the electronic circuit portion in a serial manner and then outputs the data thus converted to the non-volatile memory, and performs, at a time of data restoration, parallel-to-serial conversion on the data inputted from the non-volatile memory in a parallel manner and then outputs the data thus converted to the electronic circuit.

6. The data processing controller of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory stores register data in a non-volatile manner by exploiting ferroelectric hysteresis, a magnetroresistive effect of a magnetic substance, or a phase change of a device.

7. A data control circuit connectable to an electronic circuit including a volatile storage device, the data control circuit comprising:

a serial-in-parallel-out register;

a parallel-in-serial-out register;

a data saving control function portion arranged to save data of the volatile storage device in the electronic circuit to a non-volatile memory via a serial-in-parallel-out register, wherein the data in the electronic circuit is register data;

a data restoration control function portion arranged to restore the data saved to the non-volatile memory to the volatile storage device of the electronic circuit via the serial-in-parallel-out register;

a power supply control portion controlling turn-on/shutdown of power to the electronic circuit; and

a status monitoring portion monitoring an operating status of the electronic circuit,

wherein the data control circuit;

saves the register data and shuts down power to the electronic circuit when the electronic circuit has entered a standby state, and

turns-on power to the electronic circuit and restores the register data when the electronic circuit has to be restored from the standby state;

wherein the status monitoring portion;

monitors an input/output signal exchanged between the electronic circuit and a peripheral circuit, and checks the operating status of the electronic circuit,

detects when a data request signal is sent from the electronic circuit to the peripheral circuit, that the electronic circuit has entered a standby state, and

detects when a response signal is sent from the peripheral circuit to the electronic circuit, that the electronic circuit has to be restored from the standby state.

8. A data control circuit connectable to an electronic circuit including a volatile storage device, the data control circuit comprising:

a serial-in-parallel-out register;

a parallel-in-serial-out register;

a data saving control function portion arranged to save data of the volatile storage device in the electronic circuit to a non-volatile memory via a serial-in-parallel-out register, wherein the data in the electronic circuit is register data;

a data restoration control function portion arranged to restore the data saved to the non-volatile memory to the volatile storage device of the electronic circuit via the serial-in-parallel-out register;

wherein the data control circuit is arranged to perform replacement of the register data according to a process to be executed by the electronic circuit, and to perform data saving operation and data restoration operation simultaneously when performing replacement of the register data.

9. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

an electronic circuit; and

a data control circuit connected to the electronic circuit, wherein the data control circuit comprises;

a data saving control portion that saves data of the electronic circuit to an outside of the electronic circuit;

a data restoration control portion that restores the data saved to the outside of the electronic circuit to the electronic circuit;

a restoration monitoring control portion that monitors a data restoration state of another data processing apparatus; and

an operation resumption control portion that stops an operation of the electronic circuit until data restoration of all the data processing apparatuses is completed,

wherein the data restoration control portion sends a notification signal indicating that data restoration of the electronic circuit is completed at a completion of data restoration.

10. The data processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein

by monitoring the notification signal sent from each of a plurality of data processing apparatuses or a logic operation signal thereof, the restoration monitoring control portion judges whether or not data restoration of all the data processing apparatuses is completed.

11. The data processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operation resumption control portion controls a drive clock to be fed or not to be fed to the electronic circuit.

12. A data processing apparatus comprising:

an electronic circuit; and

a data control circuit connected to the electronic circuit;

wherein the data control circuit comprises;

a data saving control portion that saves data of the electronic circuit to an outside of the electronic circuit;

a data restoration control portion that restores the data saved to the outside of the electronic circuit to the electronic circuit;

a restoration monitoring control portion that monitors a data restoration state of another data processing apparatus; and

an operation resumption control portion that stops an operation of the electronic circuit until data restoration of all the data processing apparatuses is completed,

wherein the data control circuit comprises a status monitoring portion that monitors an operating status of the electronic circuit, and wherein, based on a monitoring result, the data control circuit controls data saving/restoration of the electronic circuit, and

wherein when a data request signal is sent from the electronic circuit to a peripheral circuit, the status monitoring portion detects that the electronic circuit has entered a standby state, and wherein, when a response signal is sent from the peripheral circuit to the electronic circuit, the status monitoring portion detects that the electronic circuit has to be restored from the standby state.

13. The data processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the status monitoring portion judges an operating status of the electronic circuit by monitoring a dedicated signal indicating a standby state of the electronic circuit.

14. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

an electronic circuit; and

a data control circuit connected to the electronic circuit;

wherein the data control circuit comprises;

a data saving control portion that saves data of the electronic circuit to an outside of the electronic circuit;

a data restoration control portion that restores the data saved to the outside of the electronic circuit to the electronic circuit;

a restoration monitoring control portion that monitors a data restoration state of another data processing apparatus; and

an operation resumption control portion that stops an operation of the electronic circuit until data restoration of all the data processing apparatuses is completed,

wherein the data control circuit comprises a status monitoring portion that monitors an operating status of the electronic circuit, based on a monitoring result, the data control circuit controls data saving/restoration of the electronic circuit,

wherein the status monitoring portion judges an operating status of the electronic circuit by monitoring a process stop signal from the electronic circuit.

15. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

an electronic circuit; and

a data control circuit connected to the electronic circuit;

wherein the data control circuit comprises;

a data saving control portion that saves data of the electronic circuit to an outside of the electronic circuit;

a data restoration control portion that restores the data saved to the outside of the electronic circuit to the electronic circuit;

a restoration monitoring control portion that monitors a data restoration state of another data processing apparatus; and

an operation resumption control portion that stops an operation of the electronic circuit until data restoration of all the data processing apparatuses is completed,

wherein the data control circuit comprises a status monitoring portion that monitors an operating status of the electronic circuit, based on a monitoring result, the data control circuit controls data saving/restoration of the electronic circuit,and

wherein the status monitoring portion judges an operating status of the electronic circuit by monitoring data exchanged via a general-purpose data input/output port of the electronic circuit.

16. A data control circuit, comprising:

a data saving control function portion connected to an electronic circuit having a data input port and a data output port that are used for making access to a storage device provided in the electronic circuit from outside the electronic circuit, the data saving control function portion saving register data of the electronic circuit to an outside of the electronic circuit via the data output port;

a data restoration control function portion restoring the register data saved to the outside the electronic circuit to a register of the electronic circuit via the data input port;

a power supply control portion controlling turn-on/shutdown of power to the electronic circuit; and

a status monitoring portion monitoring an operating status of the electronic circuit,

wherein the data control circuit performs when the electronic circuit has entered a standby state, saving of the register data and shutdown of power to the electronic circuit, when the electronic circuit has to be restored from the standby state, turn-on of power to the electronic circuit and restoration of the register data,

wherein the status monitoring portion monitors an input/output signal exchanged between the electronic circuit and a peripheral circuit, and checks the operating status of the electronic circuit, and

wherein the status monitoring portion detects when a data request signal is sent from the electronic circuit to the peripheral circuit, that the electronic circuit has entered a standby state, when a response signal is sent from the peripheral circuit to the electronic circuit, that the electronic circuit has to be restored from the standby state.

17. A data control circuit, comprising:

a data saving control function portion connected to an electronic circuit having a data input port and a data output port that are used for making access to a storage device provided in the electronic circuit from outside the electronic circuit, the data saving control function portion saving register data of the electronic circuit to an outside of the electronic circuit via the data output port;

a data restoration control function portion restoring the register data saved to the outside the electronic circuit to a register of the electronic circuit via the data input port;

wherein the data control circuit performs replacement of the register data according to a process to be executed by the electronic circuit, and

wherein the data control circuit performs data saving operation and data restoration operation simultaneously when performing replacement of the register data.

18. A data processing controller in cooperation with an electronic circuit and a peripheral circuit, comprising:

a status monitoring portion arranged to monitor signals exchanged between the electronic circuit and the peripheral circuit; and

a power supply control portion arranged to control the power supply to the electronic circuit between an operative state and a standby state in response to the status monitoring portion,

wherein the status monitoring portion informs the power supply control portion of the standby state when a data request signal is sent from the electronic circuit to the peripheral circuit and informs the power supply control portion of the operative state when a response signal is sent from the peripheral circuit to the electronic circuit.

19. The data processing controller of claim 18 further comprising:

a data saving control function portion arranged to save data of the electronic circuit; and

a data restoration control function portion arranged to restore the saved data back to the electronic circuit,

wherein the status monitoring portion informs the data saving control function portion of the standby state to save the data when a data request signal is sent from the electronic circuit to the peripheral circuit and informs the data restoration control function portion of the operative state to restore the data when a response signal is sent from the peripheral circuit to the electronic circuit.

20. A data processing controller in cooperation with an electronic circuit and a peripheral circuit, comprising:

a status monitoring portion arranged to monitor signals exchanged between the electronic circuit and the peripheral circuit;

a data saving control function portion arranged to save data of the electronic circuit; and

a data restoration control function portion arranged to restore the saved data back to the electronic circuit,

wherein the status monitoring portion informs the data saving control function portion of the standby state to save the data when a data request signal is sent from the electronic circuit to the peripheral circuit and informs the data restoration control function portion of the operative state to restore the data when a response signal is sent from the peripheral circuit to the electronic circuit.