TEST DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TESTING SERIAL PORTS OF COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20120271980A1
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• 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: HU, MING-XIANG
• Application Number:
  US13/167,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271980A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/221 to test buses, lines or interfaces, e.g. stuck-at or open line faults

Abstract

A test device for testing serial ports of the computing device includes a multiplexer, a USB interface, a signal conversion unit, a switch unit, and multiple serial port interfaces. The USB interface is connected to a USB port of the computing device. Each of the serial port interfaces is connected to a serial port of the computing device. The signal conversion unit is connected to the USB interface of the test device, and connected to the serial port interfaces through the multiplexer. The signal conversion unit converts serial signals into USB signals, or converts USB signals into serial signals, to transmit testing signals between the USB port and the serial ports. The switch unit controls a serial port to be tested to connect to the signal conversion unit through the multiplexer, to form a test channel to test functions of the serial port.

Claims

1. A test device for testing serial ports of a computing device, the test device comprising:

a multiplexer;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface that is connected to a USB port of the computing device;

a plurality of serial port interfaces, each of the serial port interfaces being connected to one of the serial ports;

a signal conversion unit that is connected to the USB interface, and connected to the serial port interfaces through the multiplexer; and

a switch unit operable to form a test channel between a serial port and the USB port by controlling the serial port to communicate with the signal conversion unit through the multiplexer;

wherein the signal conversion unit is operable to convert a serial signal into a USB signal when the serial signal is transmitted from the serial port, and send the converted USB signal to the computing device through the USB port to determine whether a signal sending function of the serial port is normal, or convert a USB signal into a serial signal when the USB signal is transmitted from the USB port, and send the converted serial signal to the computing device through the serial port to determine whether a signal receiving function of the serial port is normal.

2. The test device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power management unit that is connected to the USB interface, the signal conversion unit, the switch unit, and the multiplexer.

3. The test device according to claim 2, wherein the power management unit is operable to provide a voltage output from the USB interface to the signal version unit, the switch unit, and the multiplexer.

4. The test device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output port that is connected to a terminal server for uploading test results of the serial port to the terminal server through the output port using the computing device.

5. The test device according to claim 4, wherein the switch unit is further operable to control the serial port to connect to the output port through the multiplexer when the serial port has been tested, to upload the testing results of the serial port to the terminal server using the computing device through the output port.

6. A method for testing serial ports of a computing device, the computing device comprising a universal serial bus (USB) port, the method comprising;

providing a test device connected to the computing device, wherein the test device comprises a multiplexer, a USB interface, a plurality of serial port interfaces, a switch unit, and a signal conversion unit;

forming a test channel between the serial port and the USB port by controlling one of the serial ports to communicate with the signal conversion unit using the switch unit;

converting a serial signal into a USB signal using the signal conversion unit when the serial signal is transmitted from the serial port;

sending the USB signal to the computing device through the USB port;

verifying the USB signal to determine whether a signal sending function of the serial port is normal;

converting a USB signal into a serial signal using the signal conversion unit when the USB signal is transmitted from the USB port;

sending the serial signal to the computing device through the serial port; and

verifying the serial signal to determine whether a signal receiving function of the serial port is normal.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

controlling the serial port to connect to the output port through the multiplexer when the signal sending and receiving function of the serial port has been tested; and

uploading test results of the serial port to the terminal server through the output port using the computing device.