GB2345786A - Testing floppy disks - Google Patents

Abstract

A methodology to test floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook personal computer by giving corresponding commands to a multi-purpose sink of the disk unit to confirm the normal connection between the sink and the disk unit, then operation capabilities of the disk unit against various types of diskette are tested while having the disk head to proceed read-out, write-in and seek on each track of a diskette in various movement modes, and finally to complete the test on the eject and format functions of the diskette by the disk unit for assurance of normal operation of each function by the disk unit.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION: A methodology to test floppy disk unit having large storage in a notebook personal computer FIELD OF INVENTION: The present invention relates to a methodology to test floppy disk unit in a notebook PC, and more particularly, to a set of test procedures to run on a new type of floppy disk unit with large storage installed in a notebook PC.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: Recently, due to the ever advancing electronic technology and the need of processing fast expansion of information flow and the significant growth in the amount of information. Computer becomes a must to the contemporary people either in their lives or works as people have to rely on the computer to process and exchange mass information of various types. Accordingly, a portable notebook personal computer allowing easy operation is favored to those who need to process mass information. However, the traditional disk unit with small storage capacity (720K, 1.44M) gradually fails to cope with the latest development and that has caused the introduction into the market a new type of floppy disk unit 20, as illustrated in Fig. 1, using 120M diskette. When assembled with a notebook PC 10, the disk unit 20 with its high-speed and large storage avantages provides a much more convenient access to computer operation and information process by a user and shall become a niche for the information manufacturers.

In the past, the disk unit used by the notebook PC manufacturer generally was of small storage (720K, 1.44M) capable of reading a diskette with smaller storage.

Very few test methods, if any, were provided to run on such type of disk unit. While the density of the magnetic medium of the latest diskette and the operation speed of the latest disk unit both increase, failure rate of the disk unit is relatively higher since it is far more precise and complicate than the traditional disk unit. However, such failure has not deterred the user's demand on the operation accuracy by the latest disk unit. Such demand is justified since any slight error might well cost a major loss to the user, particularly in the contemporary society thirsty for full utilization of information edges, demanding on the reliability of information storage facilities becomes ever important. Therefore, to ensure the user satisfaction with the reliability of said latest disk units and notebook PCs, a set of integral and dependable testing procedures with strong relevance is required to proceed functional tests to identify possible defects due to poor contact or impacts by and among all relevant parts in the process of assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an additional test item for each and pins provided on a notebook PC used to insert into the multipurpose sink of a new type of floppy disk unit with large storage capacity, so to preclude possible errors caused by the disk unit and to avoid waste of massive time spent on the subsequent tests in the presence of defective pins.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an assurance that disk unit provided to a notebook PC is capable of reliable operation with floppy diskette with different surface medium density with additional test items of format and fast operation (including but not limited to read-out, write-in and seek) by said diskettes, since LS-120 floppy disk units produced by Japan-based Mitsubishi can be operated with floppy diskettes of 120M, the large storage capacity, but also with the smaller storage capacity such as 720K and 1.44M.

Another objective yet of the present invention is to provide a set of test method involving the use of a disk unit head to respectively test each track of a floppy diskette in the form of sequential movement, movement by size of range and at random. Test items include data read-out, write-in and seek capabilities of the track, as well as capabilities to execute formatted commands and automatic eject of the floppy disk unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: Fig. 1 is a view of the physical relation between a new type of a floppy disk unit and a notebook PC; Fig. 2 is a flow chart showing the test method embodied in the present invention that is conducted, before running tests on the floppy disk unit, on each and all pins on the floppy disk unit and those on the notebook PC to plug in the multipurpose sink of the disk unit; Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the test method embodied in the present invention that is conducted in sequential on the procedures to execute write-in, readout and seek by the floppy disk unit starting with track zero on the notebook PC; Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the test method embodied in the present invention that is conducted on the procedures to execute write-in, read-out and seek by the tract with a set of random number generated by the notebook PC from zero to that of the maximum track of a floppy diskette; Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the test method embodied in the present invention that is conducted on the procedures to execute read-out, write-in and seek in sequence of the track zero, track n, track 1, track n-1, and so on, of the diskette by the notebook PC; and Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing the test method embodied in the present invention that is conducted by the notebook PC on the capabilities of the floppy diskette to execute each relevant command.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION : The present invention involves the conduction of the following tests on a floppy disk unit with large storage capacity installed into a notebook PC (in one of the embodiments of the present invention, said floppy disk unit may be of LS-120 produced by Mitsubishi, Japan): (1) Before running tests on the floppy disk unit by the present invention, each and all pins on the floppy disk unit and those from the notebook PC to plug in the multi-purpose sink to preclude possible errors from the floppy disk unit and avoid waste of massive time spent on the subsequent test items due to the presence of defective pin, thus to effectively improve the accuracy of test on the floppy disk unit.

By referring to Fig. 2, upon running tests by the present invention on each and all pins from the notebook PC used to plug in more than one multi-purpose sinks of the floppy disk unit, the notebook PC sends a command of"Reset"to said multiple sinks to judge if said multi-purpose sinks have been connected to the floppy disk unit ; then a command of facilities identification is sent to said multi-purpose sinks connected to the floppy disk unit while reading type serials number and relevant parameters of the floppy disk unit for the reference by the subsequent tests.

Meanwhile, the notebook PC sends signals of interruption to test if the floppy disk unit connected executes the interruption normally; then by reading the hexadecimal character strings comprised of 0x01, 0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x20, 0x40, 0x80 and Ox55AA to detect whether each pin on the floppy disk unit or on the notebook PC used to plug in the multi-purpose sink of the floppy disk unit is off or short. If yes, it displays an error message of Off or Short and the location of the pin found with such error and the test procedure is interrupted for the service engineer to correct; if no, it displays normal condition for each pin and go to the next step of the test procedure.

(2) The notebook PC then sends commands to the floppy disk unit to perform Reset, Inquiry and Mode Sense to check for any defectives to the hardware circuit in the floppy disk unit depending on if the results of those commands executed are successful or not.

(3) By referring to Fig. 3, starting with track 0 on the notebook PC using sector as the unit of increment, digits are transmitted to a diskette inserted into the floppy disk unit, and preset serials character strings are written in one by one in sequential commencing from the first sector until the last one to check for any error to the floppy disk unit in executing the write-in procedure. If yes, an error message is displayed and if a selection to be made to interrupt the subsequent test procedures by the service engineer is determined.

If no error is identified, those same serials character strings are read out from the diskette by the notebook PC in the same sequence through the floppy disk unit to determine if there is any error taking place in the write-in procedure executed by the floppy disk unit. If yes, an error message is displayed and if a selection to be made to interrupt the subsequent test procedures by the service engineer is determined.

In the absence of such error message, the notebook PC makes comparison between digits read out and those preset ones having been written in earlier to determine if there is any error. If yes, an error message is displayed and if a selection to interrupt the subsequent test procedures by the service engineer is determined.

In the absence of such error message, it indicates normal read-out and writein test procedures in sequential. Then, in the same sequential, the notebook PC gives to the floppy disk unit a command of seeking the Track while determining if there is any error found in the seeking procedure executed by the floppy disk unit. If yes, an error message is displayed and if a selection to interrupt the subsequent test procedures by the service engineer is determined; if not, it indicates normal sequential seek test procedure and allows go to the subsequent test procedures.

(4) As illustrated in Fig. 4, a set of random numbers commencina from tract 0 up to the maximal track number generated by the notebook PC are used to run tests of read-out, write-in and seek on each of said track with those random numbers while determining if there is any error to the floppy disk unit in the test procedure. If yes, an error message is displayed; if not, go to the subsequent test procedures.

(5) The notebook PC then carries on read-out, write-in and seek in sequence on track 0, track n, track 1, track n-1, and so on (for example, in a test given to tracts 0-80, the sequence is 0e 80o le 79o 2o78... 40o41) of the diskette as illustrated in Fig. 5. In such a sequence, the head of the disk unit moves at the maximal distance which is then reduced until the head moves to the track of middle numbers so to complete the test on the functions of read-out, otite-in and seek by the head of the floppy disk unit at each different range.

During the tests on read-out, write-in and seek by the head of the floppy disk unit respectively described in the preceding paragraphs (3), (4) and (5), the present invention automatically identifies the type of the diskette inserted, then proceeds to the subsequent tests by type of diskette.

(6) The notebook PC depending on the specification of the diskette inserted carries on read-out, write-in and seek tests. Within, the substitution of the traditional disk unit with a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity is essentially to significantly promote its storage capacity; furthermore, said type of floppy disk unit is also compatible to those diskettes with small storage capacities, such as 720K, 1.44M, and even 120M. As the density of the surface magnetic media varies depending on the storage capacity of the diskette, tests conducted just on a particular type of diskette are not sufficient to cover all the features of the floppy disk unit. Therefore, the present invention provides additional tests to be conducted on fast read-out, write-in and seek capabilities of different types of diskette to ensure of the adaptability of the floppy disk unit having large storage capacity to various types of diskette.

(7) The notebook PC then runs a test on the command of Format for various types of diskette. Since executing Format on a diskette is one of the major functions by a floppy disk unit and various types of diskettes may be used by the floppy disk unit with large storage capacity, the test must be carried out to ensure its capability to execute the command of formatting various types of diskette.

(8) Finally, the not-book PC is used to test the automatic eject of the diskette inserted to the floppy disk unit. Whereas, in the set of commands for the floppy disk unit contains a command to require automatic eject of the diskette inserted into the floppy disk unit; the present invention provides this additional test on the ability to execute the command of automatic eject to conclude tests on all the functions available by the floppy disk unit.

Now referring to Fig. 6, those tests on the capabilities of the floppy disk unit described in the preceding paragraphs (7) and (8) are essentially carried out by the following procedures : First, the notebook PC sends a default to the port of the floppy disk unit, followed with a command to be executed by the floppy disk unit once the port is ready.

Then numeric values stored in a status register of the floppy disk unit are read out to determine the presence of any error. If yes, numeric values stored in an error register are read out for a more detailed error code, and cause (s) of such an error while an error message is displayed for the service engineer to refer to. The absence of any error indicates that the command has been successfully executed.

As described above, a number of commands of wtite-in and formatting a diskette must be executed in the process of the present invention, and that might damage existing data on the diskette. Therefore, those data justify protection. Before proceeding the test by the present invention, a backup of the existing data on the diskette must be made for later restoration upon the completion of the test. To a diskette with small storage capacity, the present invention duplicates through the notebook PC the existing data into a document on a hard disk unit, and rewrite such data back to the diskette upon the completion or the interruption of the test procedures of the present invention. However, in case of a diskette with large storage capacity (e. g. 120Mega), it is difficult to preserve such massive data; therefore, the present invention by restoring boot record, FAT and Directory on the diskette, makes the diskette becoming a blank one upon the completion of the test for normal usage.

Furthermore, precision of the operation including read-out, write-in and seek executed by the floppy diskette with large storage capacity is vulnerable to its surroundings, such as vibration caused by patting, or shaking, and error can easily take place. Therefore, the present invention allows setup of the times of re-test upon the failure of read-out, write-in or seek, to exclude errors resulted from environmental impacts and achieve an even more accurate test results.

Tests disclosed in the present invention sufficiently reflects all possible operation procedures and use requirements on the floppy disk unit by a general user, thus to warrant the full range of tests to be run on the floppy disk unit.

The scope of patent rights claimed by the present invention however is not limited by those preferred embodiments described above and any equivalent variation that can be easily become available based on the technical contents disclosed by anyone who is familiar with the field of this art shall be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims (9)

I Claim:

1. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC, within, tests are conducted in the following steps on the floppy disk unit installed to the notebook PC: (1) commands of Reset, Inquiry and Mode Sense are sent to the floppy disk unit to check for any defects to the hardware circuit in the floppy disk unit based on whether those commands have been successfully executed; (2) a diskette inserted into the floppy disk unit is tested for any error in the procedures of read-out, write-in and seek by tract; if yes, error message displays and a judgment is made on whether the service engineer should select to interrupt the subsequent test procedure; (3) the floppy disk unit is tested for its fast read-out, write-in and seek on each type of diskette; (4) the floppy disk unit is tested for its ability to execute the command of Format on each type of diskette; (5) finally, the notebook PC is tested for the function of automatic eject of the diskette inserted into the floppy disk unit.

2. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC as claimed in Claim 1 wherein before conducting tests on the floppy disk unit, each and all pins from the floppy disk unit and the notebook PC used to plug in those multiple-purpose sinks of the floppy disk unit are tested in the following steps: (1) a command of Reset is sent from the notebook PC to the multi-purpose sinks to determine if the floppy disk unit has been connected to those multi-purpose sinks; (2) a command of Facilities Identification then is given to those multi purpose sinks already connected with the floppy disk unit while reading out the type model number and relevant parameters from the floppy disk unit for the subsequent tests to refer to; (3) a signal of interruption is sent from the notebook PC to test if the floppy disk unit inserted to the notebook PC is capable of interrupting its task normally; and (4) by reading out those character strings with known status in the floppy disk unit to check for any Off or Short to each and all pins from the floppy disk unit or from the multi-purpose sinks on the notebook PC used to plug in the floppy disk unit; if yes, Off or Short error message displays, the location of the pin causing such error is indicated and the subsequent test procedures are interrupted, or resumed in case of each and all pins are in normal conditions.

3. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said character strings may be of hexadecimal ones comprised of 0x01, 0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x20, 0x40, 0x80 and Ox55AA.

4. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC as claimed in Claim lwherein in the process of read-out, write-in and seek by the notebook PC on each tract of the diskette inserted in the floppy disk unit, tests are carried out in the following steps commencing from Tract 0 with sector as the increment: (1) data are transmitted to the diskette inserted into the floppy disk unit, with the preset serials character strings to be written into the diskette in sequence starting from the fist sector until the last one to test the floppy disk unit for any error in the procedure of write-in, if yes, error message displays and a judgment is made on whether the service engineer should select to interrupt the subsequent test procedure; (2) in the absence of said error, the notebook PC reads out those serials character strings through the floppy disk unit in sequence from the diskette in the same procedure as that described in the preceding paragraph (1) to check for any error in the procedure of write-in executed by the floppy disk unit; if yes, error message displays and a judgment is made on whether the service engineer should select to interrupt the subsequent test procedure; (3) in the absence of said error, the note book PC make comparison between the data it has read and those preset data previously written into the diskette to check for any error; if yes, error message displays and a judgment is made on whether the service engineer should select to interrupt the subsequent test procedure; and (4) in the absence of said error, it indicates that the sequential read-out and write-in test procedures are normal; then the notebook PC gives the command of Seeking Tract to the floppy disk unit in the same sequential procedures to check for any error made by the floppy disk unit in executing the Seek procedure; if yes, error message displays and a judgment is made on whether the service engineer should select to interrupt the subsequent test procedure, or to resume the same in case that the sequential Seek test procedure is in normal conditions.

5. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC as claimed in Claim I wherein random numbers starting from Track 0 up to the maximal tract number on the diskette may be generated by the notebook PC in performing read-out, write-in and seek tests on each track of the diskette in the floppy disk unit to check for any error taking place in the floppy disk unit during the test procedures; if yes, error message displays or the test proceeds to the subsequent procedures.

6. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the notebook while proceeding to the procedures of read-out, write-in and seek on each track of the diskette in the floppy disk unit, the head of the floppy disk unit may move at the maximal distance, then at progressively reduced distance until the head moves to the middle tracts of the diskette in sequence commencing from Track 0, Track n, Track 1, Track n-1... and so on.

7. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC as claimed in Claims 1,2,4,5 or 6 wherein if any error message displays in the course of read-out, write-in and seek tests, the times of re-test may be set up to exclude those errors caused by the environmental impacts so to achieve even more accurate test results.

8. A methodology to test a floppy disk unit having large storage capacity on a notebook PC as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said methodology in testing the abilities in executing each and all relevant commands by the floppy disk unit is essentially carried on in the following steps: (1) default is sent to a port of the floppy disk unit by the notebook unit until the port is ready for the tests; (2) relevant command desired to be executed is then sent to the floppy disk unit which is ordered to execute the command ; (3) judgment is made for any error by reading those numeric values stored in the status Register of the floppy disk unit; if yes, those numeric values stored in the error Register are read out to get the more detailed error code, which then will be used to acquire the cause (s) for such error while error message displays for the service engineer to proceed the remedy; and (4) the absence of error message indicates the relevant command has been successfully executed.

9. A methodology to test a floppy disc unit substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.