Operating system independent

• US 6,868,507 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gurumoorthy, Nagasubramanian, Yanez, Raul, Galindo, Javier A., Sullivan, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Damiano, Anne L.
• Application Number:
  US09/708,205
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 714/5, 714/8, 714/25, 714/36, 713/1, 713/2
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2284 by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST]

Abstract

A system and method of using of diagnostic procedures through a firmware interface in a processing system are described. A first physical area of a memory may store one or more diagnostic modules comprising machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system. A second physical area of the memory may store an operating system capable of initiating execution of the one or more diagnostic procedures through the firmware interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a physically addressable area of a system memory, storing one or more diagnostic modules comprising machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system in response to a boot sequence to initialize the processing system;

loading machine-readable instructions to the system memory in response to the boot sequence for providing an operating system capable of addressing the system memory; and

inhibiting the operating system from remapping the machine-readable instructions stored in the system memory for performing the one or more diagnostic procedures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more diagnostic modules comprise run-time drivers executable through a firmware interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic procedures comprise diagnostic procedures for testing one or more peripheral devices of the processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

loading the one or more diagnostic modules to a first physically addressable area of the system memory; and

loading the operating system to a second physically addressable area of the system memory from a non-volatile memory device.

5. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising loading the one or more diagnostic modules to the first physically addressable area of the system memory from a basic input/output system (BIOS).

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

maintaining pointers in a firmware interface to the diagnostic modules at an addressable portion of the system memory; and

converting pointers in the firmware interface in response to a change in virtual addressing by the operating system.

7. An apparatus comprising:

processing system comprising a memory;

logic to store in a physically addressable area of the memory one or more diagnostic modules comprising machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system in response to a boot sequence to initialize the processing system;

logic to load machine-readable instructions of an operating system to the memory in response to the boot sequence, the operating system being capable of initiating execution of the one or more diagnostic procedures on the processing system; and

logic to inhibit the operating system from remapping the machine-readable instructions for performing the one or more diagnostic procedures from the physically addressable area.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more diagnostic modules comprise run-time drivers executable by the operating system through a firmware interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the diagnostic procedures comprise diagnostic procedures for testing one or more peripheral devices of the processing system.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, the apparatus further comprising:

logic to load the one or more diagnostic modules to a first physically addressable area of the memory; and

logic to load the operating system to a second physically addressable area of the memory from a non-volatile memory device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the apparatus further comprising a basic input/output system (BIOS) comprising logic to load the one or more diagnostic modules to the first physically addressable area of the memory.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, the apparatus further comprising:

logic to maintain pointers in a firmware interface to the diagnostic modules at an addressable portion of the storage medium; and

logic to convert pointers in the firmware interface in response to a change in virtual addressing by the operating system.

13. A circuit for initiating a boot sequence for a processing system, the circuit comprising:

logic to store in a physically addressable area of a storage medium one or more diagnostic modules comprising machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system in response to the boot sequence;

logic to store machine-readable instructions of an operating system in the storage medium in response to the boot sequence, the operating system being capable of addressing the storage medium; and

logic to inhibit the operating system from remapping the machine-readable instructions for performing the one or more diagnostic procedures in the storage medium.

14. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the circuit comprises a basic input/output system (BIOS) adapted to integrate with the processing system.

15. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the one or more diagnostic modules comprise run-time drivers executable by the operating system through a firmware Interface.

16. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the diagnostic procedures comprise diagnostic procedures for testing one or more peripheral devices of the processing system.

17. The circuit of claim 13, the circuit further comprising:

logic to load the one or more diagnostic modules to a first physically addressable area of the storage medium; and

logic to load the operating system to a second physically addressable area of the storage medium from a non-volatile memory device.

18. The circuit of claim 17, the circuit further comprising a basic input/output system (BIOS) comprising logic to load the one or more diagnostic modules to the first physically addressable area of the storage medium.

19. The circuit of claim 13, the circuit further comprising:

logic to maintain pointers in the firmware interface to the diagnostic modules at an addressable portion of the storage medium; and

logic to convert pointers In the firmware interface in response to a change in virtual addressing by the operating system.

20. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable Instructions stored thereon for;

initiating storage of machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system in a first physical area of a memory in response to a boot sequence to initialize the processing system;

initiating storage of machine-readable instructions for executing an operating system for the processing system in a second physical area of the memory in response to the boot sequence; and

inhibiting the operating system from remapping the machine readable instructions for performing the one or more diagnostic procedures in the first physical area of the memory.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the one or more diagnostic modules comprise run-time drivers executable by the operating system through a firmware interface.

22. The article of claim 20, wherein the diagnostic procedures comprise diagnostic procedures for testing one or more peripheral devices of the processing system.

23. The article of claim 20, wherein the storage medium further comprises machine readable instructions stored thereon for loading the one or more diagnostic modules to the physically area of the memory from a basic input/output system (BIOS).

24. The article of claim 20, wherein the storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon for:

maintaining pointers in a firmware interface to the diagnostic modules at an addressable portion of the memory; and

converting pointers in the firmware interface in response to a change in virtual addressing by the operating system.

25. A method comprising:

in a storage medium, storing one or more diagnostic modules comprising machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system;

hosting an operating system capable of addressing the storage medium, wherein the operating system is capable of initiating execution of the one or more diagnostic procedures through a firmware interface;

maintaining pointers in the firmware interface to the diagnostic modules at an addressable portion of the storage medium; and

converting pointers in the firmware interface in response to a change in virtual addressing by the operating system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more diagnostic modules comprise run-time drivers executable through the firmware interface.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the diagnostic procedures comprise diagnostic procedures for testing one or more peripheral devices of the processing system.

28. The method of claim 25, the method further comprising:

loading the one or more diagnostic modules to a first physically addressable area of the storage medium; and

loading the operating system to a second physically addressable area of the storage medium.

29. The method of claim 28, the method further comprising loading the one or more diagnostic modules to the physically addressable area of the storage medium from a basic input/output system (BIOS).

30. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory to store data;

logic to store in the memory one or more diagnostic modules comprising machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system;

an operating system capable of initiating execution of the one or more diagnostic procedures on the processor through a firmware interface;

logic to maintain pointers in the firmware interface to the diagnostic modules at an addressable portion of the storage medium; and

logic to convert pointers in the firmware interface in response to a change in virtual addressing by the operating system.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the one or more diagnostic modules comprise run-time drivers executable through the firmware interface.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the diagnostic procedures comprise diagnostic procedures for testing one or more peripheral devices of the processing system.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, the apparatus further comprising:

logic to load the one or more diagnostic modules to a first physically addressable area of a system memory; and

logic to load the operating system to a second physically addressable area of the system memory from a non-volatile memory device.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, the apparatus further comprising a basic input/output system (BIOS) comprising logic to load the one or more diagnostic modules to the first physically addressable area of the system memory.

35. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon for;

initiating storage of machine-readable instructions for performing one or more diagnostic procedures of a processing system in a first physical area of a memory;

initiating storage of machine-readable instructions for executing an operating system for the processing system In a second physical area of the memory, wherein the operating system is capable of initiating execution of the one or more diagnostic procedures through a firmware interface;

maintaining pointers in the firmware interface to the diagnostic modules at an addressable portion of the memory; and

converting pointers in the firmware interface in response to a change in virtual addressing by the operating system.

36. The article of claim 35, wherein the one or more diagnostic modules comprise run-time drivers executable through the firmware interface.

37. The article of claim 35, wherein the diagnostic procedures comprise diagnostic procedures for testing one or more peripheral devices of the processing system.

38. The article of claim 35, wherein the storage medium further comprises machine readable instructions stored thereon for:

loading the one or more diagnostic modules to a first physically addressable area of the memory; and

loading the operating system to a second physically addressable area of the memory from a non-volatile memory device.

39. The article of claim 35, wherein the storage medium further comprises machine readable instructions stored thereon for loading the one or more diagnostic modules to the physically addressable area of the system memory from a basic input/output system (BIOS).