System and method for debugging a target computer using SMBus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for software debugging, said system comprising:
- a target computer comprising a system management bus coupled to an adapter, said adapter configured to (a) receive debugging commands in a first format from a debugger application executed on a host computer via an interface corresponding to the first format and (b) convert the debugging commands in the first format compatible with the interface to debugging commands in a second format compatible with the system management bus, said target computer configured to execute a basic input/output system (BIOS), the BIOS including a debugger module configured to receive and respond to the debugging commands in the second format from the adapter via the system management bus, the debugger module being stored inside the BIOS; and
the host computer comprising an input/output port coupled to the adapter, said host computer configured to execute the debugger application for transmitting the debugging commands in the first format compatible with the interface via the input/output port to the debugger module.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for debugging a software program, such as BIOS is provided. The methods and systems make use of a debugger application executing on a host computer and configured to communicate with a debugger module executing on a target computer via serial/parallel/USB port of host computer, an adapter and the SMBus of the target computer.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for software debugging, said system comprising:
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a target computer comprising a system management bus coupled to an adapter, said adapter configured to (a) receive debugging commands in a first format from a debugger application executed on a host computer via an interface corresponding to the first format and (b) convert the debugging commands in the first format compatible with the interface to debugging commands in a second format compatible with the system management bus, said target computer configured to execute a basic input/output system (BIOS), the BIOS including a debugger module configured to receive and respond to the debugging commands in the second format from the adapter via the system management bus, the debugger module being stored inside the BIOS; and the host computer comprising an input/output port coupled to the adapter, said host computer configured to execute the debugger application for transmitting the debugging commands in the first format compatible with the interface via the input/output port to the debugger module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer-implemented method for software debugging, the computer-implemented method comprising computer-implemented operations for:
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providing a basic input/output system (BIOS) for controlling the operation of a target computer comprising a system management bus and an adapter, said adapter configured to (a) receive debugging commands in a first format from a debugger application executed on a host computer via an interface corresponding to the first format and (b) convert the debugging commands in the first format to debugging commands in a second format compatible with the system management bus, said BIOS including a debugger module configured to receive and respond to the debugging commands in the second format from the adapter, the debugger module being stored inside the BIOS; and providing the debugger application for execution on the host computer and configured to transmit the debugging commands in the first format to the debugger module via an input/output port on the host computer coupled to the adapter, the input/output port on the host computer coupled to the adapter in the target computer via a locally-connected cable. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for software debugging, the system comprising:
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a target computer comprising a system management bus coupled to an adapter, said adapter configured to (a) receive a request for debugging-related information from a debug application executed on a host computer via an interface, and (b) convert the request from a format compatible with the interface to a format compatible with the system management bus, (c) receive debugging-related information from a debugger module via the system management bus, and (d) convert the debugging-related information from the format compatible with the system management bus to the format compatible with the interface, said target computer configured to execute a basic input/output system (BIOS), said BIOS including the debugger module configured to receive the request in the format compatible with the system management bus from the adapter via said system management bus, the debugger module further configured to transmit, in response to receiving the request, the debugging-related information in the format compatible with the system management bus to the adapter via said system management bus, the debugger module being stored inside the BIOS; and the host computer comprising an input/output port connectable to the adapter, said host computer configured to execute the debugger application for transmitting the request for debugging-related information in the format compatible with the interface to the adapter and for receiving the debugging-related information in the format compatible with the interface from the adapter via the input/output port. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for software debugging, the method comprising:
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providing an adapter connectable to a system management bus in a target computer, said adapter configured to (a) receive a request for debugging-related information from a debug application executed on a host computer via an interface, and (b) convert the request from a format compatible with the interface to a format compatible with the system management bus, (c) receive debugging-related information from a debugger module via the system management bus, and (d) convert the debugging-related information from the format compatible with the system management bus to the format compatible with the interface; providing a basic input/output system (BIOS) for controlling the operation of the target computer, the BIOS including the debugger module configured to receive the request for debugging-related information in the format compatible with the system management bus from the adapter via the system management bus in said target computer, the debugger module further configured to transmit, in response to receiving the request, the debugging-related information in the format compatible with the system management bus to the adapter via said system management bus, the debugger module being stored inside the BIOS; and providing the debugger application executable on the host computer, said debugger application configured to transmit the request for debugging-related information in the format compatible with the interface to said adapter and to receive the debugging-related information in the format compatible with the interface from said adapter via an input/output port coupled to said adapter. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for software debugging, said method comprising:
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configuring a debugger application on a host computer for debugging software via input/output port; configuring a debugger module included in a BIOS on a target computer for debugging software via a system management bus and an adapter, the debugger module being stored inside the BIOS; transmitting, via an interface, debug commands in a first format compatible with the interface from the debug application on the host computer to the adapter on the target computer; converting the debug commands in the first format compatible with the interface to debug commands in a second format compatible with the system management bus; transmitting, via the system management bus, the debug commands in the second format compatible with the system management bus from the adapter to the debugger module; transmitting, via the interface, a request for debugging-related information in the first format compatible with the interface from the debug application on the host computer to the adapter on the target computer; converting the request for debugging-related information in the first format compatible with the interface to a request for debugging-related information in the second format compatible with the system management bus; transmitting, via the system management bus, the request for debugging-related information in the second format compatible with the system management bus from the adapter to the debugger module; in response to receiving the request for debugging-related information in the second format compatible with the system management bus, transmitting, via the system management bus, debugging-related information in the second format compatible with the system management bus from the debugger module included in the BIOS on the target computer to the adapter; converting the debugging-related information in the second format compatible with the system management bus to debugging-related information in the first format compatible with the interface; transmitting, via the interface, the debugging-related information in the first format compatible with the interface from the adapter to the debug application on the host computer; and establishing a communication session between said debugger application and said debugger module.
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Specification