Method of generating instruction sequences for controlling data flow processes

• US 5,136,705 A
• Filed: 06/10/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Barnett, Mark P., Stubbs, David D., Greenseth, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, David Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US07/711,723
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 395/DIG. 1, 395/DIG. 2, 371/15.1, 371/16.1, 371/16.2, 371/16.5, 371/18, 371/19, 371/22.1, 371/23, 371/24, 371/25.1, 371/26, 371/27
• US Class Current: 714/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318307 computer-aided, e.g. automatic test program generator [ATPG], program translations, test program debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31907 Modular tester, e.g. controlling and coordinating instruments in a bus based architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/484 Precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues

Abstract

Computer-controlled test and measurement systems, including resources having multiple states and resources having multiple inputs, are modeled as data flow diagrams of topologically interconnected resources. A set of "tasks" are defined for changing the states of multiple-state resources and causing software resources to produce output data. Methods and apparatus, including internal and external task ordering rules, are provided to automatically interleave such tasks and implement input-ordering restrictions. Thereby, a sequence of tasks is produced to control the systems so as to assure valid data collection and protect physical resources from abuse. Data structures are illustrated for implementing the invention in an object-oriented programming environment.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer system to automatically generate a sequence of computer instructions for controlling a system of resources topologically interconnected and operable to implement a data flow process, the data flow process being represented by block diagram data entered in the computer system with the resources including blocks for performing software functions and for representing and operating physical equipment and including connections representing and operating the data flow of software quantities from one block to another and representing the flow of data and operating physical linkages between the physical equipment, comprising the steps of:

prestoring in the computer system for each resource block and physical connection a set of implementing instructions;

identifying for each prestored set of implementing instructions a set of different types of tasks to be performed for each resource indicated by the block diagram data;

interleaving the tasks identified from the sets of implementing instructions in accordance with a predetermined set of task-positioning rules that order the tasks according to the data flow interconnections among the resources and the requirements for preparing the physical equipment and linkages for operation, initiating and terminating the operation, to form a network of dependencies among the tasks; and

generating from the network the sequence of computer instructions for controlling the data flow process.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of executing the sequence of computer instructions in accordance with the network and the predetermined task-positioning rules to control the system of resources in order to perform the data flow process.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the generating and executing steps comprise the steps of:

sorting the tasks to form a sorted list of tasks in accordance with the network and the predetermined set of task-positioning rules;

linking sets of instructions corresponding to the tasks in the network in accordance with the sorted list to form a chronological sequence of instructions as the sequence of computer instructions to effect the data flow process; and

outputting the sequence of computer instructions as a software program executable by a computer-controlled test system for implementing the data flow process.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the sorting step comprises the steps of:

partially ordering the network of tasks and dependencies by topological sorting to produce a list of tasks; and

sequentially executing each list of tasks on the sorted task list, including sequentially executing the tasks on each sorted task list, thereby changing the state of the corresponding resource and producing data for successor tasks.

5. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the generating and executing steps comprise the steps of:

defining standard processes in accordance with a multiprocessing operating system;

translating each task into one of the standard processes;

linking the standard processes in accordance with the network, the tasks and the predetermined set of task-positioning rules, thereby defining root processes and dependent processes; and

executing the root and dependent processes.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the interleaving step comprises the steps of:

applying internal rules from the set of predetermined task-positioning rules for positioning the tasks associated with each resource relative to each other; and

applying external rules from the set of predetermined task-positioning rules for positioning the tasks associated with all the resources relative to each other.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein the interleaving step further comprises the step of applying input ordering rules from the set of predetermined task-positioning rules to each resource having multiple inputs for positioning the resources upstream of the resource having multiple inputs relative to each other.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises the steps of:

topologically sorting the tasks in accordance with the network to define a sorted list of tasks in the computer system; and

sequentially executing a portion of the sequence of computer instructions, the portion including instructions for controlling a test instrument, in the sequence determined by the sorted list to operate the test instrument to provide valid test data and protect the test instrument from abuse.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises the steps of:

topologically sorting the tasks in accordance with the network to define a sorted list of tasks in the computer system;

assembling a portion of the sequence of computer instructions, the portion including instructions for controlling a test instrument, in the sequence determined by the sorted list to form a program;

compiling the program to form an executable program;

transferring the executable program to a computer controlled test system that corresponds to the data flow process; and

executing the executable program on the test system to carry out the data flow process such that the test system produces valid test data.