Abstract:
To enable dynamic configuration of an electronic system ( 10 ) having a first electronic module ( 141 ) and at least one second electronic module ( 161 ) for providing input and output connections to the first module, the second electronic module carries a memory ( 38 ) containing configuration information. A controller ( 36 ) on the first electronic module can query the memory ( 38 ) on an interconnected second electronic module to obtain the configuration information for that module. Using the configuration information obtained from the second electronic module, the first electronic module can configure its self accordingly. In this way, the first electronic module can configure itself without any a priori information about the second electronic module.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a technique for configuring an electronic system. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    Many electronic systems comprise two or more interconnected circuit boards, often referred to as “modules.” A typical system can include one or more first modules each connected to one or more second modules via a coupling mechanism such as a backplane. In certain systems, each second module will have a plurality of inputs and outputs for carrying signals to and from a corresponding one of the first modules. In practice, the first and second modules reside in a frame for access through front and rear frame openings, respectively. For that reason, the first and second modules often bear the designation “front” and “rear” modules, respectively. 
         [0003]    For static systems, that is, systems in which the structure of the rear electronic modules remains invariant, control software employed by each front electronic module for managing the interface with each rear electronic module need not worry about variations in rear electronic module input/output capability. However, for electronic systems that allow for reconfiguration by adding, deleting or replacing rear electronic modules, the front electronic module control software must have prior knowledge of all existing input and output signal combinations for each rear electronic module, as well as potential future combinations as well. Otherwise, a future reconfiguration of the system will likely require upgrading and/or replacing the control software on each front electronic module. Depending on the pace of development of rear electronic modules, frequent upgrading or replacement of the front electronic module control software could become necessary, adding to system costs. 
         [0004]    Thus, there is a need for a technique for dynamically configuring an electronic system that does not require a priori knowledge of existing or potential future input and output configurations. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Briefly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present principles, there is provided an electronic system that comprises at least one first electronic module coupled to at least one second electronic module for providing a plurality of input and outputs for the first electronic module. Each second electronic module carries a storage device that stores information about its input and output capabilities. A controller associated with the first electronic module determines the input and output characteristics of each second electronic module by querying the storage device on that second module. In accordance with the information obtained from the storage device, the controller configures the first electronic module to support the inputs and outputs of the associated second electronic module. In this way, each first electronic module has the ability to adapt to existing or future second electronic module variations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  depicts a top view of an electronic system in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present principles; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  depicts in flow chart form the steps of a method of operating the electronic system of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]      FIG. 1  depicts a plan view of an electronic system  10  in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present principles. The system  10  comprises a frame  12  that has at least one, and preferably, a plurality of front openings (not shown), each receiving a corresponding one of front electronic modules  14   1  . . .  14   n  where n is an integer greater than zero. In the illustrative embodiment, n=2, although a larger or smaller number of front electronic modules could exist. Each front electronic module, such as module  14   1  takes the form of an electronic circuit board that performs one or more functions and typically supports multiple input and output configurations. 
         [0009]    The frame  12  also includes one or more rear openings (not shown), each receiving a corresponding one of rear electronic modules  16   1 - 16   m , where m is an integer greater than zero. In the illustrative embodiment, m=2, although a larger or smaller number of rear electronic modules could exist. Each of the rear electronic modules  16   1 - 16   m  takes the form of a circuit board that carries a set of input and output connectors  30  via which signals enter and leave the rear electronic module. Each rear electronic module can also carry various circuits for processing the signals received at, and supplied to the input and output connectors  30 , respectively. As discussed in detail hereinafter, at least one of the rear electronic modules  16   1 - 16   m  serves as an input/output bus for a corresponding one of the front electronic modules  14   1 - 14   n  to carry signals to and from that front electronic module. In other words, all external connections for a given front electronic module occur through at least one associated rear electronic module. In some instances, a front electronic module will utilize multiple rear electronic modules to provide the necessary input/output connections. Moreover, a given rear module can have the capability of interfacing with a variety of front modules, not all of which will have the capability of supporting the input/output capabilities of that rear module. 
         [0010]    An interconnection between front and rear modules can occur in several different ways. For example, a connecting mechanism, in the form of backplane  18  can provide an interconnection between one or more pairs of front and rear electronic modules  14   1 - 14   n  and  16   1 - 16   m . To effect an interconnection, the backplane  18  includes a plurality of first connectors  20 , each providing a through-connection between connectors  22  on and  24  on the rear and front, respectively, of a pair of opposed front and rear electronic modules, respectively, lying in the same plane. As seen in  FIG. 1 , when each of front and rear electronic modules  14   1  and  16   1 , respectively, has been fully inserted into the frame  12  so as to lie in the same plane, the connectors  22  and  24  on the front and rear electronic modules, respectively, mate with an aligned one of the backplane connectors  20 . A connection only occurs upon full insertion of the opposed pair of front and rear electronic modules into the frame  12 . Thus, the front and rear electronic modules  14   n  and  16   m , which have only been only partially inserted in  FIG. 1 , do not connect with the backplane  18 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the front and rear electronic modules  14   1 - 14   n  and  16   1 - 16   m , respectively, lie in horizontally stacked arrays. Although not shown, the front and rear electronic modules  14   1 - 14   n  and  16   1 - 16   m , respectively, could lie in a vertically stacked array, or in a combined both a horizontal and vertical array. 
         [0011]    In addition to the front and rear electronic modules electronic modules  14   1 - 14   n  and  16   1 - 16   m , respectively, the frame  12  can also accommodate at least one network interface module  32  and at least one power supply  34 . Each network interface module  32  carries a connector for mating with a connector on the backplane. Although not shown, the power supply  34  connects to the backplane  18 , which, in turn, distributes power to the front and rear electronic modules  14   1 - 14   n  and  16   1 - 16   m , as well as each network interface module  32 . 
         [0012]    An interconnection between opposed front and rear modules can occur in the absence of the backplane  18 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , the opposed front and rear modules  14   n  and  16   m  each carry connectors  28  and  30 , respectively, configured to mate with each other through a opening (not shown) in the backplane  18  upon insertion of the front and rear modules into the frame  12 . Indeed, the front and rear modules  14   n  and  16   m , respectively, could interconnect with each other via their respective connectors  28  and  30  in the absence of the backplane  18 . Thus, for purposes of the present principles, the backplane  18  need not exist to achieve an interconnection between front and rear modules. In this regard, a limited system could include a single front module and a single rear module, with the front module including a network interface, and the rear module including the input/output functionality and power supply capability. 
         [0013]    In the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 1 , each of the front electronic modules  14   1 - 14   n  carries a controller  36  which can take the form of a microprocessor and associated memory elements, or can take the form of one or more hardware circuits comprised of one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) programmable logic arrays (PLAs), such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or the like. The controller  36  controls the interface of its corresponding front electronic module with each of the rear electronic modules connected to that front electronic module. In a static environment, the structure of the rear electronic modules  16   1 - 16   m  remains fixed. Under such conditions, the controller  36  typically possess the knowledge necessary to control the interface of its corresponding front electronic module to handle the various input signals received from each rear electronic modules, as well the various signals output by the front electronic module to each rear electronic module. 
         [0014]    As long as the configuration of the rear electronic modules remains static, the software employed by each controller  36  need not worry about variations of the inputs and/or outputs of a given rear electronic module. However, for electronic systems that allow for reconfiguration by adding, deleting or interchanging rear electronic modules, the software employed by each controller  36  must have knowledge of all existing input and output signal combinations, as well as potential future combinations as well. In the past, the advent of new rear electronic modules necessitated the updating or replacement of the software for each controller  36 , a time consuming and expensive process. 
         [0015]    The electronic system  10  of  FIG. 1  advantageously overcomes the aforementioned difficulty by providing a memory  38  on each of rear electronic modules  16   1 - 16   m . The on-board memory  38  typically takes the form of an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), or a similar type of non-volatile memory that contains information about that rear electronic module. In particular, the memory  36  contains information related to one or more of the following attributes of the rear electronic module carrying the memory:
       the number of input signals,   the number of output signals,   the type of each signal (e.g., video, audio, data etc.),   the format of each signal (SDI, Composite, AES, analog audio, etc.).   the connector types (BNC, fiber, balanced AES, etc.),   the physical layout of the connectors/signals;   any limitations regarding signals; and   any feature restrictions regarding signals.       
 
         [0024]    To the extent that signal limitations exist, the memory  38  will contain information about the various modes supported for a given signal, bandwidth limitations if any, as well as data rate details, resolution data, etc. Should a given rear electronic module contain feature restrictions, the memory  38  will contain information about such restrictions. For example a given front electronic module could possess the ability to support supports 2D, adaptive 2D and adaptive 3D decoding. A particular rear electronic module might support the composite input of an associated front electronic module but limit its performance to 2D and adaptive 2D decoding, while another rear electronic module could enable additional features. From the information about feature restrictions contained in the memory  38  of a given rear electronic module, the controller  36  of an associated front electronic module can determine what feature restrictions exist for the associated rear electronic module. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  depicts in flow chart the steps associated with initial power-up and operation of the electronic system  10  of  FIG. 1 . Initial power-up commences during step  100  of  FIG. 2  upon power-up of the system  10 , or if the system is presently powered, then upon insertion of a front electronic module into the frame  12 . Upon being powered up, each front electronic module initializes itself during step  102 . Thereafter, each front electronic module checks during step  104  whether any rear electronic modules are present, i.e., whether that front electronic module is connected to any rear electronic module. If the front electronic module finds no rear electronic module present, then that front electronic module will report an error during step  106  since every front electronic module requires a connection to at least one rear electronic module. 
         [0026]    Assuming the presence of a rear electronic module in connection with the check made during step  104 , then the front electronic module will query the memory  38  (See  FIG. 1 ) of each associated rear electronic module during step  108 . By querying the memory  38  on each rear electronic module coupled to the front electronic module, the controller  36  of  FIG. 1  can establish the configuration and capability of that rear electronic module. In other words, the front electronic module can determine for a given interconnected rear electronic module the number of input signals, the number of output signals, the type of each signal, the format of each signal, the connector types, the physical layout of the connectors/signals, any limitations regarding signals; as well as any feature restrictions regarding signals. From the information obtained upon querying the memory  38  on the associated rear electronic module, the front electronic module can appropriately configure itself, typically by having the controller  36  of FIG. configure the various other elements (not shown) on the front module. 
         [0027]    Following step  110  (or step  106  in the event of an error), the system  10  commences execution of a control and monitoring loop  112 . Upon entering the control and monitoring loop  112 , step  114  occurs and each front electronic module monitors input signals and/or data to obtain status information. Such monitoring will detect any change resulting from a user input occurring during step  116 . During step  118 , each front electronic module will respond to such user data and will control the signals and/or data available on the outputs of one or more associated rear modules in accordance with user input information. 
         [0028]    During normal operation, each front electronic module continuously executes steps  114 ,  116  and  118 . In contrast, steps  100 - 110  undergo execution on initial power up of the system  10  or in the event of the addition of a front electronic module after system power up. Although not illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the detection of a loss of signals, or an abnormal signal pattern during step  114 , attributable to a reconfiguration of an associated rear electronic module, could trigger re-execution of steps  108  and  110 . 
         [0029]    The exact nature of the monitoring, and response that occurs will depend on the particular functionality of a given front electronic module. For example, a given front electronic module could perform encoding or decoding of video and audio streams. Thus, the monitoring, and response will relate to the encoding or decoding of video and audio streams performed by the front electronic module. Rather than perform encoding or decoding, a front electronic module could perform a video keying operation or other video processing, or even an audio processing operation. The particular functionality of the front electronic module has no particular significance with regard to its ability to configure itself based on information obtained by querying the memory  38  of an associated rear electronic module in accordance with the present principles. 
         [0030]    The foregoing describes a technique for configuring the inputs and outputs of an electronic system.