System for burning in and diagnostically testing a computer

• US 5,877,956 A
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Frank, Jonathan, Johnson, Greg P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US08/773,027
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 364/141, 364/186.01, 364/144.04, 364/191, 364/184.07, 364/552, 364/580, 364/480, 364/488, 364/489, 364/490, 364/578, 364/579, 364/186, 364/185, 364/189, 395/183.06, 395/183.01, 395/183.07, 395/750, 395/182.21, 395/182.08, 395/182.12, 395/181, 395/575, 395/800, 371/22.1, 371/4, 371/12, 371/14, 371/16.3, 371/18, 371/21, 371/23, 371/28, 324/760, 324/73
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/24 Marginal checking or other specified testing methods not covered by G06F11/26, e.g. race tests

Abstract

An apparatus and method for burning in a computer having a parallel port, includes a diagnostic program, stored in an internal memory of the computer, for running diagnostic tests on at least one component of the computer. The apparatus also includes a power cycling circuit, coupled to the parallel port of the computer, for receiving a power-off signal from the computer, for turning power off to the computer in response to the power-off signal and for automatically turning power back on to the computer after a specified period of time has elapsed.

Claims

1. A burn-in system for a computer, comprising:

a power cycling circuit, coupled to the computer so as to receive a trigger signal from the computer, and to automatically and successively turn power off and on multiple times, in response to said trigger signal, such that after the power to the computer is turned off, power to the computer is turned back on after a predetermined period of time has elapsed;

a trigger program for sending the trigger signal to the power cycling circuit in order to disconnect a power source from the computer; and

a diagnostic program for automatically conducting at least one test on at least one component of the computer, wherein the diagnostic program operates in conjunction with the power cycling circuit so as to test the at least one component of the computer after power to the computer is turned back on by the power cycling circuit.

2. The burn-in system of claim 1 wherein said trigger program is a subprogram of said diagnostic program.

3. The burn-in system of claim 1 wherein said power cycling circuit comprises:

a connector for connecting the power cycling circuit to the parallel port of the computer;

a triggering circuit, coupled to the connector, for receiving a trigger signal from the parallel port of the computer;

a switch, coupled to the triggering circuit, for connecting and disconnecting a power source to the computer; and

a timing circuit, coupled to the triggering circuit, so as to measure a specified duration of time in which power to the computer is disconnected, said timing circuit also being coupled to the switch, so as to open the switch in response to the trigger signal and close the switch upon expiration of said specified duration of time.

4. The burn-in system of claim 3 wherein said triggering circuit comprises:

a first transistor comprising;

a first terminal electrically coupled to said connector;

a second terminal connected to ground,

a third terminal electrically coupled to said timing circuit and to

a first power source;

a second transistor comprising;

a first terminal electrically coupled to the timing circuit;

a second terminal connected to the ground; and

a third terminal connected to said switch;

wherein the first and second transistors begin conducting in response to said connector receiving said triggering signal, thereby disconnecting a second power source from said computer.

5. The burn-in system of claim 3 wherein said switch comprises:

a magnetic inductance coil having a first terminal connected to said third terminal of said second transistor and a second terminal connected to said first power source; and

a magnetic relay, magnetically coupled to the magnetic inductance coil, for connecting and disconnecting power transmission from said second power source to said computer, the magnetic relay having magnetic contacts which are activated by current flow through the magnetic inductance coil.

6. The burn-in system of claim 3 wherein said timing circuit comprises:

an integrated circuit having a resistive element; and

a capacitor coupled to said resistive element, wherein said specified duration of time is determined by the time it takes the capacitor to discharge via the resistive element.

7. A circuit for power cycling a computer during burn-in of the computer, comprising:

a connector for connecting the power cycling circuit to a parallel port of the computer;

a triggering circuit, coupled to the connector, for receiving a trigger signal from the parallel port of the computer;

a switch, coupled to the triggering circuit, for automatically and successively connecting and disconnecting a power source to the computer multiple times; and

a timing circuit, coupled to the triggering circuit, for measuring a specified duration of time in which power to the computer is disconnected, wherein the timing circuit is further coupled to the switch so as to open the switch in response to the trigger signal and close the switch upon expiration of said specified duration of time.

8. The power cycling circuit of claim 7 wherein said triggering circuit comprises:

a first transistor comprising;

a first terminal electrically coupled to said connector;

a second terminal connected to ground;

a third terminal electrically coupled to said timing circuit and to

a first power source; and

a second transistor comprising;

a first terminal electrically coupled to the timing circuit;

a second terminal connected to the ground; and

a third terminal connected to said switch, wherein the first and second transistors begin conducting in response to said connector receiving said triggering signal, thereby activating said switch to disconnect power from a second power source to said computer.

9. The power cycling circuit of claim 7 wherein said switch comprises:

a magnetic inductance coil having a first terminal connected to the third terminal of said second transistor and a second terminal connected to said first power source; and

a magnetic relay, magnetically coupled to the magnetic inductance coil, for connecting and disconnecting power from said second power source to said computer, the magnetic relay having magnetic contacts which are activated by current flow through the magnetic inductance coil, thereby disconnecting or connecting power to the computer.

10. The power cycling circuit of claim 7 wherein said timing circuit comprises:

an integrated circuit having a resistive element; and

a capacitor coupled to said resistive element, wherein said specified duration of time is determined by the time it takes the capacitor to discharge via the resistive element.

11. A burn-in system for a computer, comprising:

means for generating a trigger signal;

power-cycling means, coupled to the computer, for automatically turning off power to the computer in response to the trigger signal and for automatically turning power back on to the computer after a specified period of time has elapsed; and

means for periodically, diagnostically testing the computer in conjunction with the operation of the power-cycling means.

12. The burn-in system of claim 11 further comprising:

a power cycling circuit;

means for connecting the power cycling circuit to the computer;

means, coupled to the power cycling circuit, for connecting and disconnecting a power source to the computer; and

means, coupled to the power cycling circuit, so as to measure a specified duration of time in which power to the computer is disconnected, wherein said measuring means is activated by said trigger signal and wherein said connecting and disconnecting means disconnects the power source from the computer in response to the trigger signal and connects the power source to the computer upon expiration of said specified duration of time.

13. A burn-in system for a computer, comprising:

a trigger program for generating a trigger signal;

a power-cycling circuit, coupled to the computer, for automatically turning off power to the computer in response to the trigger signal and for automatically turning power back on to the computer after a specified period of time has elapsed; and

a diagnostic program for periodically testing the computer in conjunction with the operation of the power cycling circuit.