Automode select

• US 7,058,854 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Piper, Stephen, Craton, Dennis, Trembley, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): PUENTE, EMERSON C
• Application Number:
  US10/228,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 714 21- 25, 714/51, 714/55, 714/53, 711/154, 713/2
• US Class Current: 714/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area

Abstract

A microprocessor based system automatically detects the occurrence of certain conditions in the microprocessor. The conditions may include a determination of data corruption in the microprocessor. If a determination is made that data is corrupted, the microprocessor may be reloaded from a non-volatile memory. During a reload, a microcontroller controls the microprocessor. The non-volatile memory may be a flash memory or non-volatile random access memory.

Claims

1. A method for automatically detecting data corruption in a microprocessor, comprising the steps of:

detecting a reset signal provided by the microprocessor to become inactive; and

when the local reset signal becomes inactive, determining if a memory valid signal is active; and

if the memory valid signal is not active at the time of determination, then resetting the microprocessor to a different operational mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of resetting the microprocessor further comprises the step of determining if a predetermined period of time has expired before resetting the microprocessor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the predetermined period of time has expired, then loading the microprocessor from a non-volatile memory.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the predetermined period of time has expired, then providing a bus reset pulse.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the bus reset pulse is a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus reset pulse.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reset signal deactivates a microcontroller timer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a non-volatile memory is coupled to the microprocessor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the non-volatile memory is a flash memory.