Method and apparatus for analyzing the ATA (IDE) interface

• US 5,457,694 A
• Filed: 06/25/1993
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dale J. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Dale J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seto, Jeffrey K.
• Application Number:
  US08/082,880
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 395/325, 395/575, 371/20.1, 371/29.5, 371/20.4
• US Class Current: 714/712
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/221 to test buses, lines or interfaces, e.g. stuck-at or open line faults
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/25 Testing of logic operation, e.g. by logic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/348 Circuit details, i.e. tracer hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/349 for interfaces, buses

Abstract

An analyzer which can record the events occuring on an ATA computer bus and provide an easily understandable, yet detailed description of those events to either a local user, or a remote user, for the purpose of diagnosing an ATA related problem or measuring performance. The analyzer is small and portable, simple to operate, and capable of transferring recorded data to almost any computer through an RS232 serial port. The invention has a memory system which stores the recorded signals or events, a trigger circuit used to select the starting and stopping point of the recording, an event recognition circuit which can limit the recording to certain events, and a processor which can interpret the data and display it to a user on the built-in displays, or on a printout, or on a local or remote terminal. Additionally, the ATA analyzer will search its recorded memory for an event specified by the user and display any occurance of that event.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording and interpreting the interface signals on the Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface or Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface or substantially similar interface comprising:

(a) a recording means for recording said interface signals;

(b) an interpreting means for interpreting said interface signals into their higher level categories of event type, register or address, and data value;

(c) a communicating means for communicating information between said apparatus and a computer or human user;

(d) a trigger comparison means for generating a trigger signal when said interface signals match a predetermined trigger pattern;

(e) a control circuit for starting/stopping said recording means relative to said trigger signal;

(f) a trigger selection means for user selection of the trigger pattern in said categories of event type, register or address, and data value, and translating the user selection into said trigger pattern to be used by said trigger comparison means, whereby a user may select a valid trigger pattern without a knowledge of the function of each of said interface signals;

(g) a trigger mask means for masking portions of said interface signals from said trigger comparison means, whereby interface signals or certain of said categories or options within said categories may be ignored.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said trigger selection means is automatically modified, after each user selection, to remove or disable certain of said categories or options within said categories which are not normally associated with other options the user has previously selected, whereby invalid or non-occurring trigger patterns are prevented, and said trigger selection means is simplified.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said trigger selection means warns the user if the user selects said categories or options within said categories which are not normally associated with other options the user has previously selected, whereby invalid or non-occurring trigger patterns can be avoided.

4. An apparatus for recording and interpreting the interface signals on the Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface or Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface or substantially similar interface comprising:

(a) a recording means for recording said interface signals;

(b) an interpreting means for interpreting said interface signals into their higher level categories of event type, register or address, and data value;

(c) a communicating means for communicating information between said apparatus and a computer or human user;

(d) a trigger comparison means for generating a trigger signal when said interface signals match a predetermined trigger pattern;

(e) a control circuit for starting/stopping said recording means relative to said trigger signal;

(f) an event recognition means which only enables said recording means when an event which is significant to the user occurs on said interface signals;

(g) an event prioritizing means working in conjunction with said event recognition means which causes said recording means to store a higher priority event first, and afterward store the lower priority event(s), whereby multiple events occurring simultaneously on said interface signals are correctly recorded.