Data channel test apparatus and method thereof

• US 8,392,767 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NovaChips Canada Inc. (NovaChips Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: Pyeon, Hong Beom
• Primary Examiner(s): Merant, Guerrier
• Application Number:
  US13/033,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110154137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/715
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318513 Test of Multi-Chip-Moduls
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/02 Detection or location of defective auxiliary circuits, e.g. defective refresh counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/022 in I/O circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/025 in signal lines

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of devices that are connected in series and a controller that communicates with the devices. Each of the devices has a plurality of input ports and corresponding output ports. The outputs of one device and the inputs of a next device are interconnected. The controller is coupled to the first device and the last device of the series-connection. The controller applies a test pattern to the plurality of input ports at the first device connected in series, by the controller. Each data channel defines a data path between corresponding pairs of input and output ports of the first and last devices. A data channel is enabled if the test pattern is detected at its corresponding output port.

Claims

1. A method for testing and configuring data channels of series-connected devices, each having input ports and output ports, the method comprising:

simultaneously asserting an input port enable and an output port enable signal to configure each port of the series-connected devices to simultaneously operate in a single-bit data width mode;

applying a test pattern to M input ports of a first device of the series-connected devices, the M input ports having a corresponding M output ports at a last device of the series-connected devices, M being an integer number greater than one, each of the data channels defining a data path between corresponding pairs of input and output ports;

transferring the test pattern from each of the M input ports of the first device to the corresponding M output ports of the last device of the series-connected devices if the data channels are functional;

determining an absence of the test pattern from N output ports of the last device of the series-connected devices, N being an integer number not greater than M; and

configuring each of the series-connected devices to have M-N active data channels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon detecting the test pattern at M-N data channels, enabling corresponding use-state registers associated therewith in each of the series-connected devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

initializing the use-state registers in each of the series-connected devices prior to applying the test pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

indicating a disabled state by initializing the use-state registers in each of the series-connected devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing device identifiers (IDs) in each of the series-connected devices prior to applying the test pattern.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the initializing device IDs comprises:

initializing the device IDs in each of the series-connected devices to a common value.

7. A controller for testing and configuring data channels of series-connected devices each having input ports and output ports, the controller comprising:

a test pattern provider for applying a test pattern to M input ports of a first device of the series-connected devices in a data channel test operation,

the M input ports having a corresponding M output ports at a last device of the series-connected devices, M being an integer number greater than one,

each of the data channels defining a data path between corresponding pairs of input and output ports,

the controller being configured to simultaneously asserting an input port enable and an output port enable signal to configure each port of the series-connected devices to simultaneously operate in a single-bit data width mode, and to determine an absence of the test pattern from N output ports of the last device of the series-connected devices, N being an integer number not greater than M, each of the series-connected devices being configured to have M-N active data channels.

8. The controller of claim 7, further comprising:

a comparator for comparing the test pattern received at M-N of the output ports to the test pattern provided to the M input ports in the data channel test operation.

9. The controller of claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of controller use-state registers associated with each of the corresponding input and output ports to indicate a use-state of the corresponding input and output ports.

10. The controller of claim 7, further comprising:

a controller data mode configuration register to indicate a maximum data width for transmission through the series-connected devices.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the controller sets a status of the controller use-state registers and a status of a plurality of use-state registers in each of the devices.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the controller sets a status of the controller data mode configuration register.

13. The controller of claim 7, wherein simultaneously asserting the input port enable and the output port enable signal causing the devices to enter a test mode.

14. A system comprising:

a plurality of series-connected devices having a plurality of data channels;

the plurality of devices having M input ports at a first device of the plurality of series-connected devices, the M input ports having a corresponding M output ports at a last device of the plurality of the series-connected devices, M being an integer greater than one, each of the plurality of data channels defining a data path between corresponding pairs of input and output ports; and

a controller coupled to the M input ports and the corresponding M output ports, the controller simultaneously asserting an input port enable and an output port enable signal to configure each port of the series-connected devices to simultaneously operate in a single-bit data width mode, the controller having a test pattern provider for applying a test pattern to the M input ports of the first device of the series-connected devices in a data channel test operation, the controller determining an absence of the test pattern from N output ports of the last device of the series-connected devices, N being an integer number not greater than M, the controller configuring each of the series-connected devices to have M-N active data channels.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of series-connected device further comprises:

a plurality of input connections and corresponding plurality of output connections, the plurality of the input connections of the first device of the plurality of devices connected in series defining the plurality of the input ports, and the plurality of the output connections of the last device of the plurality of devices connected in series defining the plurality of the output ports.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of the series-connected device further comprises:

a plurality of use-state registers associated with each of the corresponding input and output connections to indicate a use-state of the corresponding input and output connections.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller comprises:

a comparator for comparing the test pattern received at M-N the output ports to the test pattern provided to the M input ports in the data channel test operation.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller further comprises:

a plurality of controller use-state registers associated with each of the corresponding input and output ports to indicate a use-state of the corresponding input and output ports.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller further comprises:

a controller data mode configuration register to indicate a maximum data width for transmission through the plurality of series-connected devices.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller sets a status of the plurality of use-state registers of the plurality of series-connected devices.