Watchdog timer using a high precision event timer
First Claim
1. A watchdog timer system comprising:
- a hardware timer that one of increments and decrements a counter value toward a compare value every tick period and that generates an interrupt when the compare value equals the counter value; and
a watchdog timer programming interface that configures the hardware timer to function as a watchdog timer by;
specifying the compare value to the hardware timer, the watchdog timer programming interface determining the compare value at least in part by computing a ratio of a timelength parameter associated with a system event received from a software application and the tick period;
setting the counter value of the hardware timer to an initial value;
setting the interrupt to a desired interrupt;
enabling the hardware timer to update the counter value every tick period; and
resetting the hardware timer upon successful processing of the system event.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for detecting and handling errors in a computer system are disclosed. The invention is configurable to permit selecting of timelength or time out values, assigned interrupts to be generated and error recover procedures so that failures of system events can be promptly detected and recovered from. The watchdog timer is started with a timelength or time out value and generates an interrupt (i.e., is triggered) if the period of time set as the timelength passes without receiving a reset. The watchdog timer interface interacts and controls the hardware based timer to obtain this watchdog timer functionality. The hardware based timer is generally a high precision timer that exists in hardware architecture for a computer system and is usable by system software. The watchdog timer interface controls and sets various parameters and/or registers of the hardware based timer in order to provide the desired functionality of a watchdog timer. Thus, another software component can call and interact with the watchdog timer interface for a system event and view the watchdog timer interface as a watchdog timer (i.e., the operation of the hardware based timer is transparent).
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A watchdog timer system comprising:
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a hardware timer that one of increments and decrements a counter value toward a compare value every tick period and that generates an interrupt when the compare value equals the counter value; and a watchdog timer programming interface that configures the hardware timer to function as a watchdog timer by; specifying the compare value to the hardware timer, the watchdog timer programming interface determining the compare value at least in part by computing a ratio of a timelength parameter associated with a system event received from a software application and the tick period; setting the counter value of the hardware timer to an initial value; setting the interrupt to a desired interrupt; enabling the hardware timer to update the counter value every tick period; and resetting the hardware timer upon successful processing of the system event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a computing device comprising a hardware timer, the method comprising:
operating the computing device such that the hardware timer is controlled through a software interface programmed to; set a compare value of the hardware timer to a computed value, the computed value being based on a ratio of a desired time out of a system event to a tick period; and set a counter value of the hardware timer to an initial value. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of detecting and handling errors utilizing a watchdog timer, the method comprising:
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determining a timelength parameter; staring a watchdog timer system for a system event according to the timelength parameter, the watchdog timer system having a standard hardware timer configured by a watchdog timer interface, the configuration relates to setting a compare value of the standard hardware timer to a computed value, the computed value being based at least in part on a ratio of the timelength parameter and a tick period of the standard hardware timer; resetting the watchdog timer system during successful processing of the system event; halting the watchdog timer system on successful processing to the system event; and generating an interrupt on the timer expiring. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions of components operable to perform a method of operating a hardware timer as a watchdog timer, comprising:
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a component for setting a compare value of the hardware timer to a computed value, the computed value being based at least in part on a ratio of a timelength parameter defined by a desired time out of a system event and a tick period of the hardware timer; a component for setting a counter value of the hardware timer to an initial value; and a watchdog timer interface component for configuring the hardware timer to operate as a watchdog timer, a timing mode of the hardware timer configured by the watchdog timer interface.
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Specification