Manufacturing functional testing of computing devices using microprogram based functional tests applied via the devices own emulation debug port

• US 5,937,154 A
• Filed: 03/05/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tegethoff, Mauro V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BADERMAN, SCOTT T
• Application Number:
  US08/811,852
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.04, 395/183.05, 395/183.06, 395/183.09, 395/183.11, 395/500, 395/704, 395/568, 371/27.1
• US Class Current: 714/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation

Abstract

A manufacturing test system and method is presented for testing a computing system under test, which includes a computing device comprising internal emulation debug hardware and an emulation debug port through which the debug hardware is controlled. Manufacturing-level microprogram based functional tests are executed under the control of the internal emulation debug hardware of the computing device. A computing system probe applies the microprogram based functional test to the internal emulation debug hardware of the computing device via the emulation debug port. The manufacturing-level microprogram based functional test may be executed during at any level of computing device integration including the wafer, package, board, multi-chip module and system levels.

Claims

1. A method for testing a computing system under test, said computing system comprising a computing device, said computing device comprising internal emulation debug hardware and an emulation debug port through which said internal emulation debug hardware is controlled, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a manufacturing level microprogram based functional test to a computing system probe which communicates with said computing device via said emulation debug port; and

(b) causing said computing system probe to communicate with said computing device via said emulation debug port to control execution of said manufacturing level microprogram based functional test by said internal emulation debug hardware;

wherein said manufacturing level microprogram based functional test may be executed at each level of computing device integration testing including wafer level, package level, board level, multi-chip module level and system level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said microprogram based functional test is sent to said computing system probe from a test host computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said microprogram based functional test is executed one microprogram based functional test instruction at a time by sending said one instruction at a time to said computing system probe and said computing system probe causing, via said emulation debug port, said one instruction at a time to be executed by said computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said microprogram based functional test is downloaded into memory of said computing device via an emulation debug download command and said microprogram based functional test is executed from said memory upon receipt of an emulation debug execute-from-memory command.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(c) retrieving microprogram based functional test results.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said microprogram based functional test results are retrieved from the computing device via said emulation debug port.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said microprogram based functional test results are retrieved via an I/O device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said microprogram based functional test results are retrieved by examining contents of a register internal to said computing system.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(d) analyzing said microprogram based functional test results using debugging and performance analysis tools.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(e) branching to run a different test if said microprogram based functional test results indicate such a branch condition.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(f) branching to run a different microprogram based functional test in interactive mode if said microprogram based functional test results indicate such a branch condition.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(g) modifying said microprogram based functional test to produce a modified microprogram based functional test.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein steps (a) through (c) are repeated using said modified microprogram based functional test as said microprogram based functional test.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said microprogram based functional test is derived through modification, addition to, or removal from, code developed for a ROM-based built-in selftest.

15. A manufacturing test system for testing a computing system under test, said computing system comprising a computing device, said computing device comprising internal emulation debug hardware and an emulation debug port through which said internal emulation debug hardware is controlled, said manufacturing test system comprising:

a computing system probe which receives a manufacturing level microprogram based functional test and which communicates with said computing device via said emulation debug port to control execution of said manufacturing level microprogram based functional test by said internal emulation debug hardware;

wherein said manufacturing level microprogram based functional test may be executed at each level of computing device integration testing including wafer level, package level, board level, multi-chip module level and system level.

16. The manufacturing test system of claim 15, further comprising a test host computer wherein said microprogram based functional test is sent to said computing system probe from said test host computer.

17. The manufacturing test system of claim 15, wherein said microprogram based functional test is executed one microprogram based functional test instruction at a time by sending said one instruction at a time to said computing system probe and said computing system probe causing, via said emulation debug port, said one instruction at a time to be executed by said computing device.

18. The manufacturing test system of claim 15, wherein said computing device comprises a memory, and wherein said computing system probe executes said microprogram based functional test by downloading said microprogram based functional test into said memory via an emulation debug download command and causes said microprogram based functional test to be executed from said memory.

19. The manufacturing test system of claim 15, wherein said microprogram based functional test is derived through modification, addition to, or removal from, code developed for a ROM-based built-in selftest developed for said computing device.

20. The manufacturing test system of claim 15, wherein test results from execution of said microprogram based functional test are retrieved.

21. The manufacturing test system of claim 20, wherein said test results are retrieved from the computing device via said emulation debug port.

22. The manufacturing test system of claim 20, wherein said test results are retrieved via an I/O device.

23. The manufacturing test system of claim 20, wherein said test results are retrieved by examining contents of a register internal to said computing system.

24. The manufacturing test system of claim 20, further comprising debugging and performance analysis tools for analyzing said test results.

25. The manufacturing test system of claim 20, wherein said microprogram based functional test may be modified based on said test results to produce a modified microprogram based functional test.

26. The manufacturing test system of claim 25, wherein said modified microprogram based functional test is used as said microprogram based functional test.