Programmable apparatus and method for testing computer peripherals
First Claim
1. Apparatus for conducting testing of the condition of computer peripherals, said apparatus being portable and enclosed in a housing and comprising:
- (a) a microprocessor for controlling the testing of said peripherals by sending excitation signals to said peripherals in accordance with a test protocol and receiving response signals therefrom;
(b) nonvolatile memory means having stored therein an operating system routine for said microprocessor;
(c) at least one working memory means for said microprocessor, said working memory means for storing an instruction set defining said test protocol for said microprocessor;
(d) at least one peripheral connector means for operatively connecting said apparatus with a peripheral to be tested in accordance with said protocol, said peripheral connector means connecting said microprocessor to said peripheral to enable said microprocessor to send said excitation signals in accordance with said protocol and receive said response signals;
(e) at least one data source connector means for operatively connecting an external data source to said apparatus, said external data source being distinct from said apparatus;
(f) a keyboard, mounted in said housing and accessible to a user, being operatively connected to said microprocessor for receiving user commands for controlling the operation of said microprocessor and sending said user commands to said microprocessor;
(g) a display mounted in said housing for providing an indication to the user of the status of the protocol and the condition of the peripheral; and
(h) a debugger routine stored in said nonvolatile memory means and accessible by the user through the keyboard, said debugger routine for responding to user commands input through the keyboard to instruct the mircoprocessor to modify said instruction set in working memory as defined by data input from said external data source and test said peripheral in accordance with a modified protocol set forth in a modified instruction set;
whereby said external data source can provide a modified protocol for testing said peripheral.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for testing the condition of computer peripherals is provided. The apparatus is portable and enclosed in a housing and comprises a microprocessor, first nonvolatile memory means having stored therein an operating system routine, at least one working memory means for storing an instruction set defining a test protocol, at least one peripheral connector means for operatively connecting said apparatus with a peripheral to be tested in accordance with said protocol, at least one data source connector means for operatively connecting an external data source to said apparatus, a keyboard for receiving user commands for controlling the operation of said microprocessor and sending said user commands to said microprocessor, a display, and second nonvolatile memory means having permanently stored threin a debuffer routine for responding to user commands input through the keyboard to instruct the microprocessor to store an instruction set in working memory defined by data input from said external data source and test said peripheral in accordance with the protocol set forth in said instruction set.
59 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Apparatus for conducting testing of the condition of computer peripherals, said apparatus being portable and enclosed in a housing and comprising:
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(a) a microprocessor for controlling the testing of said peripherals by sending excitation signals to said peripherals in accordance with a test protocol and receiving response signals therefrom; (b) nonvolatile memory means having stored therein an operating system routine for said microprocessor; (c) at least one working memory means for said microprocessor, said working memory means for storing an instruction set defining said test protocol for said microprocessor; (d) at least one peripheral connector means for operatively connecting said apparatus with a peripheral to be tested in accordance with said protocol, said peripheral connector means connecting said microprocessor to said peripheral to enable said microprocessor to send said excitation signals in accordance with said protocol and receive said response signals; (e) at least one data source connector means for operatively connecting an external data source to said apparatus, said external data source being distinct from said apparatus; (f) a keyboard, mounted in said housing and accessible to a user, being operatively connected to said microprocessor for receiving user commands for controlling the operation of said microprocessor and sending said user commands to said microprocessor; (g) a display mounted in said housing for providing an indication to the user of the status of the protocol and the condition of the peripheral; and (h) a debugger routine stored in said nonvolatile memory means and accessible by the user through the keyboard, said debugger routine for responding to user commands input through the keyboard to instruct the mircoprocessor to modify said instruction set in working memory as defined by data input from said external data source and test said peripheral in accordance with a modified protocol set forth in a modified instruction set; whereby said external data source can provide a modified protocol for testing said peripheral. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. Apparatus for conducting testing of the condition of computer peripherals, said apparatus being portable and enclosed in a housing and comprising:
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(a) a microprocessor for controlling the testing of said peripherals by sending excitation means to said peripherals in accordance with a test protocol and receiving response signals therefrom; (b) nonvolatile memory means having stored therein an operating system routine for said microprocessor; (c) at least one working memory means for said microprocessor; (d) a plurality of interchangeable plug-in nonvolatile memory means, each said plug-in memory means corresponding to a peripheral to be tested and containing at least one instruction set defining said test protocol for said microprocessor, each said plug-in memory means having at least one memory connector means operatively coupled to said plug-in nonvolatile memory means; (e) means mounted in said housing for storing said plug-in memory means, said storing means being accessible to a user for manually selecting a desired one of the plug-in memory means corresponding to a peripheral to be tested; (f) receptor means accessible to said user from outside said housing for receiving said memory connector means on a selected plug-in memory means, said receptor being operatively connected to said microprocessor to enable communication from said plug-in memory means to said working memory; (g) means for enabling said microprocessor to control transfer of said instruction set from said plug-in memory means to said working memory through said receptor means, whereby said instruction set can be loaded into said working memory and said plug-in memory means can thereafter be removed from said receptor means and returned to said storing means; (h) at least one peripheral connector means for operatively connecting said apparatus with a peripheral to be tested in accordance with said protocol, said peripheral connector means connecting said microprocessor to said peripheral to enable said microprocessor to send said excitation signals to said peripheral in accordance with said protocol and receive response signals therefrom; (i) a keyboard mounted in said housing and accessible to a user, said keyboard being operatively connected to said microprocessor for receiving user commands for controlling the operation of said apparatus and sending said user commands to said microprocessor; (j) a display mounted in said housing for providing an indication to the user of the status of the protocol and the condition of the peripheral; and (k) a debugger routine stored in said nonvolatile memory means accessible by the user through the keyboard, said debugger routine for responding to user commands to instruct the microprocessor to store a modified instruction set in working memory defined by data input from an external data source distinct from said apparatus and test said peripheral in accordance with a modified protocol set forth in the modified instruction set; whereby the protocol supplied to working memory can be modified under user control to provide a modified protocol for testing said peripheral. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for conducting testing of the condition of computer peripherals, said apparatus being portable and comprising:
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(a) a housing for enclosing said apparatus; (b) a microprocessor for controlling the testing of said peripherals in response to instructions; (c) at least one PROM having stored therein an operating system routine for said microprocessor, said operating system routine including subroutines for loading and running an instruction set defining a test protocol nd a subroutine for accessing a debugger routine; (d) at least one RAM for storing said instruction set loaded into said RAM under microprocessor control; (e) a plurality of circuit board means having mounted thereon at least one EPROM for nonvolatile storage of said instruction set, each said circuit board means corresponding to a different computer peripheral to be tested, such that said plurality of circuit board means enables a user to test a plurality of corresponding peripherals, each said circuit board means further having a memory connector means arranged thereon to enable electrical coupling of said circuit board EPROM to said working memory; (f) a storage tray mounted in said housing for retaining said plurality of circuit board means in storage, said tray being accessible to the user to allow manual selection of a desired circuit board means corresponding to the peripheral to be tested; (g) receptor means mounted in said housing, said receptor means being recessed in said housing and being accessible to said user for receiving and electrically mating with said memory connector means on said circuit board means, said receptor means further being in communication with said RAM through said microprocessor to enable transfer of said instruction set from said EPROM to said RAM under microprocessor control; (h) switching means responsive to said microprocessor for enabling the transfer of said instruction set from said EPROM to said RAM under direction of the operating system routine, whereby said circuit board means can be manually removed from said receptor means and restored in said tray after said transfer; (i) at least two peripheral connector means accessible to the user from outside said housing, at least one of said peripheral connector means for connecting said apparatus with a peripheral to be tested, and the other of said connector means for connecting said apparatus with a remote station for sending data to said RAM under microprocessor control to modify said instruction set, said peripheral connector means also being connected to said microprocessor for application of excitation signals to said peripheral and the reception of response signals from said peripheral in accordance with said protocol; (j) a keyboard mounted in said housing and accessible to said user, said keyboard being operatively connected to said microprocessor for receiving user instructions for controlling the operation of said apparatus; (k) a display mounted in said housing for providing an indication to the user of the condition of the peripheral and the status of the protocol; and (l) at least one PROM having permanently stored therein a debugger routine accessible by the user through the operating system routine, said debugger routine for responding to commands input from the remote station to instruct the microprocessor to store a modified instruction set in RAM defined by data input from said remote station and test said peripheral in accordance with a modified protocol set forth in the modified instruction set, whereby the protocol can be modified from said remote station to provide a modified protocol for testing said peripheral. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for conducting testing of computer peripherals using a portable peripheral tester having a microprocessor for controlling the testing of said peripherals, non-volatile memory means having stored therein an operating system routine for said microprocessor, working memory means having stored therein an instruction set defining a test protocol for sending excitation signals to said peripheral and monitoring the peripheral'"'"'s response thereto, peripheral connector means for connecting said peripheral to said apparatus for communications with said microprocessor under operating system control, and external data source connection means, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) operatively coupling a remote station to said data source connection means; (b) transmitting data from said external data source to said working memory for modifying said instruction set to include a modified protocol; (c) running said modified protocol to test said peripheral, whereby a user at said external data source can transmit a modified test protocol to said working memory for testing said peripheral.
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Specification