Run-time diagnostic system

• US 5,793,946 A
• Filed: 03/12/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Forrest P. Gauthier
• Original Assignee: Varis Corporation
• Inventors: Gauthier, Forrest P., Jovic, Dimitrije L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elmore, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/614,267
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.01, 395/180, 395/183.07, 395/183.13, 395/183.19, 395/183.2, 395/185.01, 395/821, 395/909, 371/48, 324/73.1, 324/500, 370/241, 370/242, 370/258, 370/450, 370/452
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2736 using a dedicated service processor for test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3089 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in sensing the monitored data, e.g. interfaces, connectors, sensors, probes, agents software debugging using additional hardware using a specific debug interface G06F11/3656; performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/325 by lamps or LED's

Abstract

An on-board diagnostic system which comprises dedicated hardware for performing run-time diagnostics on a computer board having several functional sections. The diagnostic system utilizes a serial token ring network, which preferably has a software-independent, hardware core, comprising a non-intelligent master device and a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices. The master and slave devices are all interconnected via a dedicated serial data bus which operates independently of the on-board CPUs and on-board CPU buses. Each slave device is responsible for monitoring a particular section of the computer board. The master device polls each slave device by activating a corresponding token line on each slave device for a predetermined period of time, one at a time, until the master device is alerted by a slave device that a change of state has occurred in the status signals of that particular section. If there is a change in state for that particular section of the board, the corresponding slave device will begin transmitting data on the serial bus the next time that the Master device activates the token line for that slave device. Once the master device sees this activity on the serial bus, the master device will then maintain the corresponding token line active for a predetermined period of time in order to receive a bit-stream from the corresponding slave device over the serial data bus. Preferably, the bit-stream contains a source address (the address of the slave device sending the message), a destination address (the address or addresses to which the message data is to be sent) and the data which indicates the change. The master device will then transmit the diagnostic data to the particular destination devices indicated by the destination addresses.

Claims

1. A method for performing run-time diagnostics on a digital system having a plurality of functional sections, each of the sections having at least one status signal, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of status signals with a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices, said plurality of status signals being generated by a corresponding plurality of functional sections of a digital system;

polling each of said non-intelligent slave devices with a non-intelligent master device; and

dispatching run-time diagnostic data from one of said non-intelligent slave devices to said non-intelligent master device in response to said polling step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-intelligent master device polls said non-intelligent slave devices, one of said non-intelligent slave devices at a time.

3. A method for performing run-time diagnostics on a computer board having a plurality of functional sections, where each of the functional sections is controlled by a dedicated microprocessor, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of status signals with a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices, each of said status signals being generated by a corresponding functional section of a computer board, each of said functional sections being controlled by a dedicated microprocessor, said dedicated microprocessors communicating with one another using a CPU bus, and said non-intelligent slave devices being interconnected by a dedicated serial line;

activating a token signal corresponding to a first one of said non-intelligent slave devices with a non-intelligent master device, said non-intelligent master device being coupled to said dedicated serial line;

said non-intelligent master device monitoring said dedicated serial line for a predetermined period of time;

said first one of said non-intelligent slave devices dispatching run-time diagnostic data to said non-intelligent master device on said dedicated serial line in response to said token signal;

said non-intelligent master device detecting said run-time diagnostic data on said dedicated serial line; and

said non-intelligent master device reading said run-time diagnostic data from said dedicated serial line during an extended time period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method is capable of being performed independent of the CPU bus.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a plurality of destination devices is coupled to said dedicated serial line, and the method further comprising the steps of:

during said extended time period, said first one of said non-intelligent slave devices dispatching a destination address with said run-time diagnostic data on said dedicated serial line; and

said non-intelligent master device transmitting destination data derived from said run-time diagnostic data to at least one of said destination devices over said dedicated serial line;

said destination address indicating which of said plurality of destination devices are to receive said destination data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said token signal is sent via a discrete token line, each of said non-intelligent slave devices having a discrete token line extending between it and the non-intelligent master device.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein each of said non-intelligent slave devices is coupled to said output line.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said output line is a serial line.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of, during said extended time period, said one of said non-intelligent slave devices dispatching a source address on said output line, said source address indicating from which of said plurality of said non-intelligent slave devices said diagnostic data originated.

7. A run-time diagnostic system for a circuit board having a plurality of functional sections, each of the functional sections having at least one status signal, the run-time diagnostic system comprising:

a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices mounted to the circuit board, each of said non-intelligent slave devices monitoring a status signal from a corresponding functional section;

a data bus mounted to the circuit board, interconnecting said non-intelligent slave devices; and

a non-intelligent master device mounted to the circuit board and coupled to said data bus, said non-intelligent master device polls each of said non-intelligent slave devices for run-time diagnostic data derived from said status signal.

8. The run-time diagnostic system of claim 7, further comprising at least one destination device, wherein said non-intelligent master device dispatches destination data derived from said run-time diagnostic data to said destination device.

9. The run-time diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said nonintelligent master device polls said non-intelligent slave devices, one of said non-intelligent slave devices at a time.

10. The run-time diagnostic system of claim 7, wherein:

at least two of the functional sections are controlled by intelligent processors;

each of said intelligent processors are interconnected by a CPU bus; and

the run-time diagnostic system operates independent of said CPU bus.

11. The run-time diagnostic system of claim 7 wherein:

said non-intelligent master device powers-up enabled; and

at least one of said non-intelligent slave devices powers-up enabled;

whereby, the diagnostic system is capable of reporting diagnostic data absent any operating intelligent devices.

12. A method for performing run-time diagnostics on a digital system having a plurality of functional sections, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of status signals with a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices, said plurality of status signals being generated by a corresponding plurality of functional sections of a digital system;

polling each of said non-intelligent slave devices with a non-intelligent master device; and

dispatching run-time diagnostic data from one of said non-intelligent slave devices to said non-intelligent master device in response to said polling step;

wherein said polling step includes the step of said non-intelligent master device activating a token line to one of said non-intelligent slave devices for a predetermined period of time, and said non-intelligent master device monitoring an output line coupled to said one of said non-intelligent slave devices while said token line is activated.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

if, during said predetermined time period, said one of said non-intelligent slave devices transmits data on said output line, then said non-intelligent master device maintaining said token line active, beyond said predetermined time period, for an extended time period; and

during said extended time period, said one of said non-intelligent slave devices performing said dispatching step.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said one of said nonintelligent slave devices dispatches said run-time diagnostic data on said output line.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one destination device is coupled to said output line, and the method further comprises the step of said non-intelligent master device transmitting destination data derived from said run-time diagnostic data to said destination device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of, during said extended time period, said one of said non-intelligent slave devices dispatching a destination address on said output line, said destination address indicative of said destination device.

20. A method for performing run-time diagnostics on a digital system having a plurality of functional sections, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of status signals with a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices, said plurality of status signals being generated by a corresponding plurality of functional sections of a digital system;

polling each of said non-intelligent slave devices, one of said non-intelligent slave devices at a time, with a non-intelligent master device; and

dispatching run-time diagnostic data from one of said non-intelligent slave devices to said non-intelligent master device in response to said polling step;

said polling step including the steps of,

said non-intelligent master device transmitting a token signal on a serial line, said token signal corresponding to a particular one of said plurality of non-intelligent slave devices;

said non-intelligent master device monitoring said serial line for a predetermined time period; and

if, during said predetermined time period, said one of said non-intelligent slave devices transmits data on said serial line, then said non-intelligent master device retrieving data from said serial line, beyond said predetermined time period, for an extended time period.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said one of said non-intelligent slave devices performs said dispatching step during said extended time period.

22. A run-time diagnostic system for a circuit board having a plurality of functional sections, each of the functional sections having at least one status signal, the run-time diagnostic system comprising:

a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices mounted to the circuit board, each of said non-intelligent slave devices monitoring a status signal from a corresponding functional section;

a data bus mounted to the circuit board, interconnecting said non-intelligent slave devices;

a non-intelligent master device mounted to the circuit board and coupled to said data bus, said non-intelligent master device polls each of said non-intelligent slave devices for run-time diagnostic data derived from said status signal;

at least one destination device, wherein said non-intelligent master device dispatches destination data derived from said run-time diagnostic data to said destination device; and

a plurality of token lines, each of said token lines extending between a corresponding one of said non-intelligent slave devices and said non-intelligent master device, wherein said non-intelligent master device activates said token lines., one at a time, and monitors said data bus while said token lines are active.

23. The run-time diagnostic system of claim 22, wherein said data bus is a serial line.

24. A run-time diagnostic system for a circuit board having a plurality of functional sections, each of the functional sections having at least one status signal, the diagnostic system comprising:

a plurality of non-intelligent slave devices mounted to the circuit board, each of said non-intelligent slave devices monitoring a status signal from a corresponding functional section;

a serial data bus mounted to the circuit board, interconnecting said non-intelligent slave devices;

a non-intelligent master device mounted to the circuit board and coupled to said serial data bus, said non-intelligent master device polls each of said non-intelligent slave devices for run-time diagnostic data derived from said status signal; and

a plurality of destination devices coupled to said serial data bus, wherein said run-time diagnostic data includes a destination address indicating which of said plurality of destination devices are to receive said run-time diagnostic data.

25. The run-time diagnostic system of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of token lines, each of said token lines extending between a corresponding one of said non-intelligent slave devices and said non-intelligent master device, wherein said non-intelligent master device activates said token lines, one at a time, and monitors said serial data bus while said token lines are active.

26. The run-time diagnostic system of claim 24, further comprising a clock line interconnecting said non-intelligent master device and said non-intelligent slave devices.

27. A method for performing run-time diagnostics on a digital system having a plurality of functional sections, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of status signals with a plurality of slave devices, said plurality of status signals being generated by a corresponding plurality of functional sections of a digital system;

polling each of said slave devices with a master device; and

dispatching run-time diagnostic data from one of said slave devices to said master device in response to said polling step;

wherein said polling step includes the step of said master device activating a token line to one of said slave devices for a predetermined period of time, and said master device monitoring an output line coupled to said one of said slave devices while said token line is activated.