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4.2
Access Mode Switching when Using PC-ATA Specifications
In broad terms, the PC-ATA specifications include two access modes:
1. Memory Mode
2. I/O mode
The I/O mode is further subdivided into the following three access modes:
1. Primary I/O mode
2. Secondary I/O mode
3. Contiguous I/O mode
There are thus four access modes in all. (See section 3 for the access method in each mode, and
timing details.)
The differences between these operating modes are determined by the addresses to which the host
allocates the task file register section with respect to the card.
The register that sets these operating modes is the configuration option register in the attribute
region. The location of the task file region is determined by a setting in this register. Basically, the
task file registers can be allocated to both memory space and I/O space according to the setting in
this register.
The ability to change task file region addresses in this way is essential in order to maintain the
general applicability of the PC card. For example, while a memory card supports the four access
modes listed above, with fax, SCSI, and other cards, there are cases where only I/O mode access is
enabled, or where a task file region address is booked as the address of another I/O device for
reasons related to control on the host side. A flexible approach to register allocation is necessary in
order to avoid problems in such cases.
What, then, is the best access mode to use, as viewed from the system side
In a system using an MPU with no I/O-related pins such as IOWR and IORD, for example, it may
be easier to use the card in memory mode, since both the attribute region and the task file region
are allocated to memory space in this mode. In other words, control can be performed with the RD
and WR signals, without the need for IOWR and IORD. In I/O mode, on the other hand, the
RD
and
WR
signals are used for read and write accesses to the attribute region, while the IOWR and
IORD signals are used for accesses to the task file region. The number of signals used is thus
greater than in memory mode.
In any case, the access mode should be set for the card according to the system in which it is used.