Firmware description language for accessing firmware registers

• US 20050102488A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bullis, George Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/974,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

The present invention provides for a firmware description language for accessing firmware registers. Computer-readable media store a data structure representing a firmware description language that includes at least a blade type field containing a blade type value that represents a blade type and a register description field containing a one or more register configuration values for accessing a register at a blade of the blade type represented in the blade type field. In some embodiments, a computer system receives application instructions for accessing a firmware register. The computer system refers to the firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register. The computer system generates low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language. The computer system issues the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register.

Claims

1. At a computer system, a method for accessing a firmware registers, the method comprising:

an act of receiving application instructions for accessing a firmware register;

an act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register;

an act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language; and

an act of issuing the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprises an act of receiving application XML instructions.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprises an act of receiving application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to a firmware description language that abstracts firmware register values from the underlying firmware registers such that different types of firmware registers can be accessed with essentially the same application instructions.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to a register description field for a register type corresponding to the firmware register.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to application to firmware XML instructions to identify attributes of the firmware register.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to firmware description XML instructions to identify attributes of the firmware register.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprises an act of generating register access and configuration commands.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprises an act of generating low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the act of generating low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function comprises an act of generating low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function, the network diagnostic function selected from among a network analyzer, a jammer, a generator, and a bit error rate tester.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprises an act of a firmware access module utilizing the firmware description language to convert the application instructions into low-level instructions of a format compatible with the firmware register.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of issuing the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register comprises an act of issuing register access and configuration commands to a firmware register at a blade.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of issuing the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register comprises an act of issuing low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the act of issuing low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function comprises an act of issuing low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function, the network diagnostic function selected from among a network analyzer, a jammer, a generator, and a bit error rate tester.

15. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for accessing a firmware registers, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following:

receive application instructions for accessing a firmware register;

refer to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register;

generate low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language; and

issue the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application XML instructions.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a firmware description language that abstracts firmware register values from the underlying firmware registers such that different types of firmware registers can be accessed with essentially the same application instructions.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a register description field for a register type corresponding to the firmware register.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a firmware access module to utilize the firmware description language to convert the application instructions into low-level instructions of a format compatible with the firmware register.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to issue the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to issue low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

23. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure representing a firmware description language, the data structure comprising:

a blade type field containing a blade type value that represents a blade type; and

a register description field containing one or more register configuration values, the one or more register configuration values for accessing a register at a blade of the blade type represented in the blade type field.

24. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 23, wherein the register description field is comprised of:

a register identifier field containing a register identifier value, the register identifier value representing a register identifier used in application instructions to refer to the register represented in the register description field.

25. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 23, wherein the register description field is comprised of:

an address field containing an address value, the address value representing an address used to access the register represented in the register description field.

26. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 23, wherein the register description field is comprised of:

an attributes field containing one or more attribute values, the one or more attribute values used to access the register represented in the register description field.

27. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 26, wherein the attributes field is comprised of:

a register attribute field containing a register attribute value, the register attribute value representing at least one attribute for accessing the register description field.

28. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 27, wherein the register attribute field is comprised of:

a register attribute field containing a register attribute value, the register attribute value selected from among a register type value, a bit mask value, a bit value, a field type value, a shift value, and an increment.

29. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 27, wherein the register attribute field is comprised of:

a register attribute field containing a reference to one or more other registers related to the register represented in the register description field.

30. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 23, wherein the firmware description language is further comprised of:

a second blade type field containing a second blade type value that represents a second blade type.

31. The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in claim 23, wherein the firmware description language is further comprised of:

a second register description field containing one or more second register configuration values, the one or more second register configuration values for accessing a second register at a blade of the second blade type represented in the second blade type field.

32. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure representing a firmware description language, the data structure comprising:

a plurality of blade type fields containing a plurality of corresponding blade type values, each blade type value representing a different blade type; and

each blade type field including a plurality of a register description fields containing a one or more corresponding register configuration values, each of the one or more register configuration values for accessing a register at a blade of the blade type represented in the blade type field such that similar application instructions can be used to implement similar functionality at different blade types.