MOTHERBOARD TEST SYSTEM AND TEST METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090322346A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: CAO, XIANG
• Application Number:
  US12/211,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/555
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318508 Board Level Test, e.g. P1500 Standard features related to boundary scan G01R31/318533

Abstract

A motherboard test system for testing a motherboard includes a number of HDDs storing different operating systems, a number of HDD connectors corresponding to the HDDs, a number of electrical switches connecting power terminals of the HDD connectors to a power supply, a microcontroller controlling which electrical switch is turned on, and a computer. The motherboard is connected to signal terminals of the HDD connectors to read and implement the operating system of a powered HDD, and sends the operating result to the computer.

Claims

1. A motherboard test system, comprising:

a first hard disk drive (HDD) and a second HDD, each storing an operating system;

a first HDD connector comprising a first HDD interface connected to the first HDD, the first HDD interface comprising a first signal terminal connected to a motherboard to be tested, and a first power terminal;

a second HDD connector comprising a second HDD interface connected to the second HDD, the second HDD interface comprising a second signal terminal connected to the motherboard, and a second power terminal;

a power supply;

a first electrical switch connecting the first power terminal and the power supply, and comprising a first control terminal;

a second electrical switch connecting the second power terminal and the power supply, and comprising a second control terminal;

a computer configured for sending commands; and

a microcontroller receiving the commands from the computer and connected to the first and second control terminals to turn the first and second electrical switches on or off according to the command, thereby directing the power supply to provide power to the first or second HDD, such that the motherboard is capable of reading and operating the operating system in the powered HDD.

2. The motherboard test system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is connected to an on/off pin of the motherboard to turn off the motherboard when operation of the operating system is complete.

3. The motherboard test system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer is connected to the motherboard to display operating results of the operating system.

4. The motherboard test system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second HDD connectors and the first and second electrical switches are integrated in a circuit board.

5. The motherboard test system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second HDDs are Serial ATA (SATA) interface HDDs, and the first and the second HDD connectors are SATA interface HDDs.

6. A motherboard test method applied to the motherboard test system as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

sending a first command from the computer to the microcontroller;

turning the first electrical switch on and the second electrical switch off according to the first command, such that the power supply provides power to only the first HDD via the first electrical switch;

the computer directing the microcontroller to start the motherboard to implement the operating system stored in the first HDD;

sending a first operating result from the motherboard to the computer upon recognition that operation of the first operating system is complete;

storing the first operating result and the computer directing the microcontroller to turn off the motherboard;

sending a second command from the computer to the microcontroller;

turning the second electrical switch on, and the first electrical switch off according to the second command, such that the power supply provides power to only the second HDD;

directing the microcontroller to start the motherboard to implement the operating system stored in the second HDD using the computer;

sending a second operating result from the motherboard to the computer upon recognition that operation of the second operating system is complete; and

storing the second operating result and displaying the first and second operating results using the computer.

7. The motherboard test method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second electrical switches are relays.

8. The motherboard test method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second HDD are Serial ATA (SATA) interface HDDs;

and the first and second HDD connectors are SATA interface HDD connectors.