Methods, systems, and computer readable media that provide programming for a sensor monitoring system using a softprocessor

• US 20060136627A1
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Kothandapani, Govind, Maity, Sanjoy
• Granted Patent: US 7,643,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/72
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media provide a softprocessor that is executed by a hardware processing device of a sensor monitoring system and provide an application that is executed by the softprocessor being executed by the hardware processing device. Thus, any customized programming to control the behavior of the hardware processing device when monitoring sensors of the monitoring system is written for the softprocessor which then controls the hardware processing device accordingly. Therefore, any customized programming to control the hardware processing device need not be written and compiled for the hardware processing device itself, but may instead be written and compiled for the softprocessor. The softprocessor may be compiled for different hardware processing devices such that the customized programming remains independent of the particular hardware processing device present in the computer monitoring system. Furthermore, tools for creating the custom programming for the softprocessor may be provided to entities purchasing the softprocessor so that the entities are not dependent upon the entity creating the softprocessor.

Claims

1. A method of providing programming for a hardware processing device of a monitoring system including a plurality of sensors, comprising:

creating a first source code defining a softprocessor program that creates a softprocessor;

compiling the first source code for the hardware processing device to create a softprocessor program binary operable on the hardware processing device;

creating a second source code defining an application program for the softprocessor that sets forth instructions for communicating with the plurality of sensors;

compiling the second source code for the softprocessor to create an application program binary operable by the softprocessor;

executing the softprocessor binary upon the hardware processing device; and

executing the application program binary upon the softprocessor binary being executed upon the hardware processing device to direct the hardware processing device to communicate with the plurality of sensors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the first source code defining the softprocessor comprises writing source code that defines virtual instructions, registers, and memory for use by the application program binary.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein creating the first source code further comprises writing C language code and wherein compiling the first source code comprises compiling the C language code with a C language compiler for the hardware processing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a second source code defining an application program for the softprocessor comprises writing source code that calls upon the virtual instructions, registers, and memory of the softprocessor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein creating a second source code further comprises writing assembly language code that references the virtual instructions, registers, and memory and wherein compiling the second source code comprises compiling the assembly language code with an assembly language compiler for the softprocessor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein directing the hardware processing device to communicate with the plurality of sensors comprises directing the hardware processing device to communicate over a bus to a particular bus address to communicate with a first sensor of the plurality.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a voltage sensor and a temperature sensor.

8. A system for providing programming for a hardware processing device of a monitoring system including a plurality of sensors, comprising:

a softprocessor binary compiled for and being executed by the hardware processing device to create a softprocessor; and

an application program binary setting forth instructions for communicating with the plurality of sensors that is compiled for and is executed by the softprocessor, wherein execution of the application program binary by the softprocessor results in the hardware processing device communicating with the plurality of sensors.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the softprocessor binary is created from a first source code that defines virtual instructions, registers, and memory for use by the application program binary.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first source code is written in C language code and wherein the first code is compiled with a C language compiler for the hardware processing device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the application program binary is created from a second source code that calls upon the virtual instructions, registers, and memory of the softprocessor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second source code is written in assembly language code that references the virtual instructions, registers, and memory and wherein the second source code is compiled with an assembly language compiler for the softprocessor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the hardware processing device communicates over a bus with the plurality of sensors.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a fan speed sensor.

15. A computer readable medium including instructions that when executed by a hardware processing device of a monitoring system having a plurality of sensors performs the steps of:

establishing a softprocessor; and

implementing an application program upon the softprocessor to direct the hardware processing device to communicate with the plurality of sensors.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions result from compiling a first source code for the hardware processing device to create a softprocessor program binary operable upon the hardware processing device to establish the softprocessor and compiling a second source code for the softprocessor to create an application program binary operable by the softprocessor to implement the application program.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first source code defines virtual instructions, registers, and memory for use by the application program binary.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first source code is written in C language code and wherein compiling the first source code comprises compiling the C language code with a C language compiler for the hardware processing device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second source code calls upon the virtual instructions, registers, and memory of the softprocessor.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second source code is written in assembly language code that references the virtual instructions, registers, and memory and wherein compiling the second source code comprises compiling the assembly language code with an assembly language compiler for the softprocessor.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the hardware processing device communicates over a bus with the plurality of sensors according to the application program implemented by the softprocessor.