OPERATION MONITORING SYSTEM FOR MULTI-FIRMWARE SYSTEM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To monitor a timer in a short time when a communication firmware part is monitored by a control firmware part by issuing periodically the operation state monitoring commands independently of the operation control commands which are issued by the control firmware part to the communication firmware part. SOLUTION: A control firmware part 2 periodically issues the operation monitoring commands to a communication firmware part 1 independently of the operation control commands. The operation monitoring commands are processed independently of the normal processing. The part 1 issues the answer commands to the part 2 in response to the operation monitoring commands as long as the monitoring operations are normal. Receiving the answer commands, the part 2 monitors the operations of the part 1. As a result, a timer can be monitored in a short time when the part 2 monitors the operations of the part 1 in a multi-firmware system.