DATA HANDLING SYSTEM MAINTENANCE ARRANGEMENT FOR PROCESSING SYSTEM FAULT CONDITIONS

• US 3,805,038 A
• Filed: 07/12/1972
• Issued: 04/16/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AG Communication Systems Corp. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Charles K. Buedel, James P. Caputo
• Inventors: Buedel, Charles K., Caputo, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkinson, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US05/270,912
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 235/153AK,153R 340/146.1R,146.1BA,172.5 179/175.2R,175.2C
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing

Abstract

A maintenance arrangement for a data handling system producing data handling signals includes recycling logic circuits for causing the system to reproduce the data handling signals when a false signal condition occurs, and in response to the false signal condition recurring among the reproduced signals, snapshot logic circuits cause the reproduced signals to be stored in the memory of the system for use by servicing equipment in diagnosing the cause of the fault condition. The servicing equipment can also cause the snapshot logic circuits to store in the system memory data handling signals for diagnostic purposes.

Claims

1. A maintenance arrangement for a data handling system producing data handling signals having memory means and having servicing equipment for diagnosing the data handling system when a false signal condition occurs among said data handling signals, said arrangement comprising:

recycling means responsive to a false signal condition for causing the data handling system to reproduce said data handling signals;

means responsive to said false signal condition recurring among the reproduced data handling signals for generating a snapshot request signal; and

snapshot means responsive to said snapshot request signal for causing the storage of said reproduced data handling signals in said memory means for use by the servicing equipment, wherein said snapshot means includes data selecting means for supplying data handling signals to said memory means, control means for generating select signals to enable selectively said data selecting means to supply sets of said data handling signals to said memory means, means for conveying said select signals from said control means to said memory means to address said memory means.

2. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said data selecting means includes N number of selecting sets of coincidence logic gates responsive to said data handling signals, said control means generating N number of select signals individually associated with each one of said sets of selecting gates for enabling selectivity on a one-at-a-time basis said sets of gates.

3. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said control means includes a distributor for generating recurring timing signals to serve as said select signals, said select signals also serving as address information for said memory means.

4. A maintenance arrangement accoRding to claim 3, wherein said selecting logic gates are energized sequentially in response to said select signals.

5. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said distributor includes a sequence level counter for generating sequentially said select signals.

6. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said memory means includes a plurality of processing storage elements and a plurality of maintenance storage elements, a block of said maintenance storage elements for storing said reproduced data handling signals.

7. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said data handling system includes first and second data handlers, said memory means including first and second memories, said first and second data handlers being substantially identical to one another and operating in synchronism to produce pairs of duplicated data handling signals, further including comparing means to produce a mismatch signal to activate said recycling means when the signals of a pair of data handling signals are in disagreement with one another, said disagreement constituting said false signal condition.

8. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 6, further including error count logic means responsive to said initial false signal condition for generating an error count request signal for the servicing equipment and for presetting said distributor to supply certain ones of said data handling signals indicative of the identity of a certain group of said data handling signals among which occurred said initial false signal condition, said select signals generated by said distributor serving as memory address information for directing the storage of the error count identity information in another block of memory maintenance storage elements.

9. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 8, further including system trouble logic means responsive to a system trouble request signal from said data handling system for generating a service request signal for said servicing equipment and for presetting said distributor to supply certain ones of said data handling signals indicative of the identity of a certain group of said data handling signals associated with said system trouble request signal, said select signals generated by said distributor serving as memory address information for directing the storage of the system trouble identity information in said other block of memory maintenance storage elements.

10. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 9, further including data collection means responsive to a data collection request signal from said servicing equipment to cause said snapshot means to generate said snapshot request signal and thus to cause said snapshot means to store data handling signals in said memory means.

11. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 1, further including data collection means responsive to a data collection request signal from said servicing equipment to cause said snapshot means to generate said snapshot request signal and thus to cause said snapshot means to store data handling signals in said memory means.

12. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 11, wherein said snapshot means includes data selecting means for supplying data handling signals to said memory means, control means for generating select signals to enable selectively said data selecting means to supply sets of said data handling signals to said memory means, means for conveying said select signals from said control means to said memory means to address said memory means.

13. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said data selecting means includes N number of selecting sets of coincidence logic gates responsive to said data handling signals, said control means generating N number of select signals individually associated with each one of said sets of selecting gates for enabling selectively on a one-at-a-time basis said sets of gates.

14. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 13, wherein saiD control means includes a distributor for generating recurring timing signals to serve as said select signals, said select signals also serving as address information for said memory means.

15. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said memory means includes a plurality of processing storage elements and a plurality of maintenance storage elements, a block of said maintenance storage elements for storing said reproduced data handling signals.

16. A maintenance arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said data handling system includes first and second data handlers, said memory means including first and second memories, said first and second data handlers being substantially identical to one another and operating in synchronism to produce pairs of duplicated data handling signals, further including comparing means to produce a mismatch signal to activate said recycling means when the signals of a pair of data handling signals are in disagreement with one another, said disagreement constituting said false signal condition.