BIOS debug method

• US 20020169997A1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Song-Bor
• Application Number:
  US09/774,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2284 by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST]

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a BIOS debug method, which adds an error output command (a command that outputs a particular to a debug port) at a proper position in each sub-routine of a power on self test (POST) and inserts a condition before the error output command so that only when the condition holds will the error output command be compiled and executed. The place to put in the error output command can be when there is more than one setting or initialization hardware devices or a test step is too tedious. Through the condition, the enable state of the error output command can be controlled to be enable or disable, whereby the BIOS is determined to be a test version or a final version. The invention thus provides a test operation in manufacturing that can correctly find out the hardware or cause that results in test errors without affecting the BIOS execution efficiency under normal uses.

Claims

1. A BIOS debug method to correctly find out the hardware device or cause that results in a test error during the power on self test (POST) period of the BIOS, the method comprising:

the step of inserting an error output command, which inserts an error output command after any hardware device test or initialization step in the sub-routine of the POST program so as to output a particular value to a debug port after the hardware device test or initialization step; and

the step of enabling the error output command, which inserts a condition before the error output command so that the error output command is enabled to output the particular to the debug port when the condition holds.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the validity of the condition is determined by setting a particular variable and detecting the value of the particular variable.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of setting the particular variable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the error output command is compiled and added into the POST program only when the condition holds.