JP2002236595A - Electronic equipment and its device and method for debugging assistance - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To leave information which is useful for analysis in case of various abnormalities occurring to a program placing a microcomputer in operation. SOLUTION: A program running on the computer stores the trace of its operation state in a RAM 4 and further stores it in a writable ROM 3 such as a flash memory. In an operation state, a time stamp from a timer 7 is also included. The result of self-diagnosis when an abnormality detection part 9 detects abnormality is also stored. The storage contents can be read out to a external personal computer 20, etc., converted into text data, etc., browsed and given notes, and sent and received as electronic mail 22 to and from remote places.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus having a microcomputer and operating according to a preset program, and a debugging support apparatus and method for the electronic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, microcomputers have been used in a great number of electronic devices such as electronic information devices such as personal computers and word processors, as well as various control devices. Advances in semiconductor manufacturing technology and the like have made it possible to use hardware such as high-performance microcomputers and large-capacity semiconductor memories at relatively low cost. A program for operating a microcomputer also has many functions and performs advanced processing in response to an increase in the capacity of a stored memory.

When newly developing an electronic device including a microcomputer, it is necessary to newly develop software such as a program together with hardware.
Since it takes time to develop large-scale software, it is necessary to conduct a thorough study by simulation, etc., prior to trial production of actual hardware. However, it is not negligible that there may be a problem that appears after being combined with the hardware actually used or that appears only under special conditions. Therefore, the electronic device itself is often provided with a self-diagnosis function for occurrence of an abnormality or the like.

[0004] Today, many electronic devices are also mounted on automobiles and used for various controls. The reliability of reliability of electronic devices mounted on automobiles is particularly important, and electronic devices are often provided with a function of self-diagnosing whether an abnormality has occurred. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-20261 discloses that a power steering device stores a detection signal for a power steering operation in a predetermined time range under a condition where a vehicle is moving, and stores the detection signal in response to a request from an external failure diagnosis device. There is disclosed a prior art for outputting the information as failure diagnosis data. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-181112, a plurality of child ECUs among a plurality of ECUs, which are electronic control units, always execute self-diagnosis, and when a failure is detected, the current date and time are sent to a parent ECU. Request, parent E
A prior art has been disclosed in which a date provided by a CU is stored in a memory as diagnostic information together with details of a failure.

[0005] The present applicant also discloses, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
Japanese Patent No. 8445 discloses a prior art in which it is determined whether or not a failure occurs in an ignition device of an internal combustion engine, and a diagnostic code is output if the failure is determined.

[0006] By analyzing the diagnostic code by the self-diagnosis, it is possible to identify the cause of the failure and to obtain effective information for correcting a failure of the program. Electronic devices with microcomputers and programs that operate microcomputers are debugged based on the results of analysis of diagnostic data, etc., even after they have been commercialized, and improvements called upgrades are made. There are many.

[0007]

The self-diagnosis function of the electronic device is also based on a preset program.
It responds only to past experience, defects and anomalies known during the development period. However, actual electronic devices are
Abnormalities can occur that are completely unexpected.
In addition, there is a possibility that a potential abnormality has occurred and becomes apparent under unexpected conditions. In particular, when used in combination with another device, there is a possibility that an abnormality that cannot be specified by analysis as a single electronic device may occur.

In a conventional electronic device, when an abnormality occurs,
We reproduce the abnormalities, analyze under what conditions they occur, and perform debugging to modify software such as programs and data based on the analysis results. Since an electronic device alone does not reproduce the same phenomenon as an operation abnormality or the like that occurs in combination with another device, it takes a very long time to analyze, or even when analysis is impossible. Further, conventional electronic devices are not provided with a means for finding an abnormality that occurs under a specific condition that is not expected at the stage of developing a program or a problem that is potentially created.

An object of the present invention is to prevent various abnormalities occurring in a program for operating a microcomputer.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of leaving information useful for analysis and a debugging support device and method thereof.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus including a microcomputer which operates according to a preset program.
During operation as an electronic device, the microcomputer executes a process of coding its own operation state according to a preset program, and includes a memory in which the coded operation state is stored. An electronic apparatus characterized in that a coded operating state stored in a memory can be output to an external device in response to a request from the external device.

According to the present invention, the electronic device is provided with a microcomputer that operates according to a preset program. The microcomputer, during operation as an electronic device, according to a preset program,
Executes a process of coding its own operation state. The coded operating state is stored in the memory. Therefore,
If a microcomputer program encodes specific information as milestones, for example, as a mark at a branch portion, the operating state at the branch portion of the program is analyzed with data stored in the memory. be able to. The data stored in the memory is
Since the data can be output to the outside in response to a request from outside the electronic device, the data can be analyzed outside the electronic device to debug the program. Since the operating state is coded, much information can be aggregated into a small amount of data. By changing the program, the operation state to be stored can be changed, and an abnormality or a latent abnormality that occurs under a specific condition can be easily reproduced by selecting an operation state to be stored.

In the present invention, the microcomputer determines whether or not an abnormality is detected in its own operation, and when an abnormality is detected, performs a self-diagnosis and reports a result of the self-diagnosis to the operating state. And stored in the memory.

According to the present invention, the software detects an abnormality in the self-operation and performs a self-diagnosis when the abnormality is detected. The result of the diagnosis is coded and stored in the memory. Internal abnormalities and potential abnormalities can be extracted.

Further, the present invention includes a nonvolatile storage means, wherein the microcomputer stores an operation state coded and stored in the memory in the nonvolatile storage means. .

According to the present invention, the microcomputer can store its operating state in the memory used for the program operation during the operation of the program, and further can store it in the nonvolatile storage means. The non-volatile storage means retains the stored contents even when the supply of power is stopped, so that it can be effectively used for later analysis. During the operation of the program, the operating state is temporarily stored in the memory,
In general, it is possible to avoid a direct storage in a non-volatile storage means which takes a long time to store, and to reduce a delay given to a program operation.

Further, the present invention includes time measuring means for measuring a time lapse, wherein the microcomputer includes a time stamp based on the time lapse measured by the time measuring means in the operation state stored in the memory. .

According to the present invention, since the operation state stored in the memory includes a time stamp based on the passage of time, the operation state stored in the memory can be analyzed as a trajectory of the operation state according to the passage of time. .

According to the present invention, there is provided a data reading means for reading the operation state stored in the memory from any of the electronic devices described above, and an operation state read by the data reading means as an information file. A data conversion means for converting the data into data of a predetermined format for handling.

According to the present invention, the memory of the electronic device includes:
Since the operation state of the electronic device is coded and stored, a lot of information can be included in the storage capacity of the memory. The operation state read from the memory of the electronic device is a predetermined format for handling as an information file,
For example, since the data is converted into data in a text format or the like, the data can be easily viewed and understood, and annotations can be written and processed by a tool such as an editor, and further, transmission and reception by e-mail can be easily performed.

Further, the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to function as the above-described debugging support apparatus for electronic equipment is recorded.

According to the present invention, a general-purpose computer can read a program recorded in a recording medium and can function as a debugging support device for an electronic device.

Further, according to the present invention, a program that operates on a microcomputer provided in an electronic device encodes a trajectory of its own operating state under predetermined conditions and stores it in a memory. A debugging support method for an electronic device, characterized by reading out to the outside of the electronic device.

According to the present invention, a program describing the operation of a microcomputer provided in an electronic device is coded according to predetermined conditions and stored in a memory, so that a large amount of information can be stored in a small storage area. Can be stored. The contents of the memory are
Since the data is read out of the electronic device, there is no need to provide the electronic device itself with an operation state analysis function, and a sufficient analysis can be performed by an external device.

[0024]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic electrical configuration relating to an on-vehicle electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 1 includes a microcomputer 2 that operates according to a preset program. The electronic device 1 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 3 and a RAM for causing the microcomputer 2 to perform a program operation.
(Random Access Memory) 4. In the program operation of the microcomputer 2, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which is a semiconductor integrated circuit for a specific application, is used.
Various processes and controls are performed via a ted circuit 5 or the like.

The microcomputer 2 is also manufactured as a semiconductor integrated circuit, and stores ROM and programs and data.
6, a timer 7 for measuring the passage of time, an I / F circuit 8 for interfacing with the outside, an abnormality detection unit 9 and the like. The ROM 6 in the microcomputer 2 stores in advance programs and data necessary for basic operations.
Programs and data directly related to the operation as the electronic device 1 are stored in the external ROM 6. External ROM6
At least some of them use devices that are electrically erasable and rewritable and are nonvolatile, such as flash memories. The RAM 4 is a work memory when the microcomputer 2 operates according to a program. An address and data bus 10 is provided between the microcomputer 2 and the ROM 3, the RAM 4, and the ASIC 5.
Connected via

In this embodiment, the microcomputer 2
Executes an encoding process of its own operation state according to a preset program during operation as the electronic device 1, and stores the encoded operation state in the trace area 11 of the RAM 4. The contents stored in the trace area 11 can be read out via the I / F circuit 8 of the microcomputer 2. The in-vehicle electronic device 1 is usually connected to the battery of the vehicle, and can use a RAM 4 such as an S-RAM (Static RAM) having a standby mode or the like to retain the stored contents. further,
When the power switch of the electronic device 1 is turned from ON to OFF, a part of the storage contents of the trace area 11 is not lost due to a power failure or the like. Before turning off, the program moves from the S-RAM to the trace storage area 12 of the ROM 3 realized by a flash memory or the like. The stored contents moved to the trace storage area 12 are not lost even when the power is turned off, unless an erasing or rewriting operation is performed. The information stored in the trace area 11 and the trace storage area 12 includes status information from the register 13 indicating the operation state inside the ASIC 5 and the like.

The microcomputer 2 has an abnormality detecting section 9 for judging whether or not an abnormality is detected in its operation. The abnormality detector 9 generates a signal indicating an error as an operation abnormality when the level of the task to be executed or the level of the interrupt processing is not appropriate. The error information is stored in the trace area 11 of the RAM 4 and also in the trace storage area 12 of the ROM 3. In this way, the software detects an abnormality in the self-operation, performs a self-diagnosis when the abnormality is detected, encodes the diagnosis result and stores it in the memory. Potential abnormalities can also be extracted.

Since the electronic device 1 of this embodiment includes the timer 7 as time measuring means for measuring the passage of time, the microcomputer 2 sets the operation state stored in the memory to the time measured by the timer 7. Include a timestamp based on progress. Since the operation state stored in the memory includes a time stamp based on the passage of time, it is possible to know the order and time of occurrence of changes in the operation state. That is, based on the data stored in the memory, it is possible to analyze the trajectory of the operation state according to the passage of time.

Trace area 11 and trace storage area 12
The microcomputer 2 of the electronic device 1 can output the operating state coded and stored in the electronic device 1 in response to a request from a personal computer 20 or the like outside the electronic device 1. I / F circuit 8 included in microcomputer 2 of electronic device 1 and personal computer 2
0 can be connected by an interface cable 21 such as RS-232C, for example. In the personal computer 20, an application program for supporting debugging with the electronic device 1 as a target device is installed by reading from a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a floppy disk, or by downloading via a communication network. The personal computer 20 reads the data of the trace result from the ROM 3 or the RAM 4. Since the data to be read is coded binary data, it is automatically converted into text data which can be easily viewed and edited by an editor or the like, and an annotation corresponding to the code is automatically entered. The converted data can be transmitted as an e-mail 22 via a communication network to a distant place, in some cases overseas, or printed out by a printer 23.

For example, if the electronic device 1 is a product to be exported, the electronic device 1 may be exposed to an environment or the like that cannot be expected in a test during development in Japan. By having a local technician take a portable personal computer 20 near the electronic device 1 in which the problem has occurred and send the data as an e-mail 22, the developer can actually go to the site. You can debug quickly without going.

As described above, during operation of the electronic device 1, the microcomputer 2 encodes its own operation state in accordance with a preset program and stores it in a memory such as the RAM 4 or the ROM 3. In the program of the microcomputer 2, for example, when a branch portion or the like is set as a milestone as a landmark and information on a specific operation state is coded when the operation of the landmark portion is performed, the information is stored in a memory. With this data, it is possible to analyze the operating state at the branch part of the program. Data stored in the memory can be analyzed outside the electronic device 1 to debug a program. Since the operating state is coded,
More information can be aggregated into less data. By changing the program, the operating state to be stored can be changed, and an operating state to be stored can be easily reproduced by selecting an operating state to store an abnormality or a latent abnormality that occurs under a specific condition.

The memory of the present embodiment includes a flash memory capable of erasing and rewriting electrical data in the ROM 3, which is a nonvolatile storage means. The microcomputer 2 stores the operation state coded and stored in the trace area 11 of the RAM 4 in a trace storage area 12 such as a flash memory. During operation of the program, the microcomputer 2 can store its own operation state in the RAM 4 which is a memory used for the program operation, and can further store it in a nonvolatile flash memory or the like. If the data is stored in a non-volatile flash memory, the stored data can be retained even when the power supply is stopped, and failures can be analyzed later, such as a flight recorder used in the event of an aircraft accident It can be used effectively when doing. Since the operation state is temporarily stored in the RAM 4 during the operation of the program, it is possible to avoid a direct storage in a flash memory or the like, which generally takes a long time, and to reduce a delay given to the operation of the program.

FIG. 2 shows a procedure for writing data in the trace storage area 12 of the flash memory as at least a part of the ROM 3 of FIG. The procedure is started from step a0, and data is written in step a0. When rewriting data in an area in which data has already been written, the data must be erased first. However, data must be erased in units of the entire memory element or partial blocks. After data writing, data reading is performed in step a2. In step a3, the read data is compared with the original data of the written data to perform a verify operation to confirm that they match. In this embodiment, the original data is stored in the trace area 1 of the RAM 4.
1 is stored. If there is a mismatch in the verification in step a3, the error code is stored in the trace area 11 of the RAM 4 in step a4. After the step a4 ends, or when the verification is OK in the step a3, the procedure ends in a step a5.

FIG. 3 shows various switches connected to the electronic device 1, for example, an O such as an ignition switch of a vehicle.
A procedure for storing the N / OFF state as a code will be described. The change in the state of the switch is notified to the microcomputer 2 by, for example, an interrupt signal. The operation starts from step b0, and the operation state is detected in step b1. In step b2, it is determined whether the state is ON. O
If it is determined to be N, the ON state is set in step b3, and a code representing the ON state is stored in the memory in step b4. If it is determined in step b2 that the state is not ON, the state is set to OFF in step b5, and a code representing the OFF state is stored in the memory in step b6. When step b4 or step b6 ends, the procedure ends in step b7.

FIG. 4 shows an outline of a memory map of the ROM 3 and the RAM 4. The ROM 3 and the RAM 4 are arranged in different areas of the address space of the microcomputer 2, and the inside is further divided into a plurality of areas. RO
In M3, management information 30, error trace storage area 3
1. An ASIC execution trace storage area 32, a power control state transition trace storage area 33, a program area 34, a data area 35, and the like are provided. In the RAM 4, management information 40, an error trace area 41, an ASIC execution trace area 42, a power control state transition trace area 43,
LAN (Local Area Network) command trace area 4
4, TAB (Telecontrol Audio Bus) command trace area 45, mode management unit trace area 46,
A TCB (Task Control Block) trace area 47, a buffer area 48, a memory pool area 49, a stack area 50, and the like are provided.

An error trace area 41, an ASIC execution trace area 42, a power control state transition trace area 43,
LAN (Local Area Network) command trace area 4
4, TAB command trace area 45, mode management unit trace area 46, and TCB (Task Control B
lock) The trace area 47 forms the trace area 11 of FIG. Of these, the error trace area 41, ASI
The data in the C execution trace area 42 and the power control state transition trace area 43 are stored in the error trace storage area 31,
Trace storage area 1 formed by ASIC execution trace storage area 32 and power supply control state transition trace storage area 33
2 is stored.

FIG. 5 shows the error trace area 41 of FIG.
4 shows a configuration of data indicating an operation state stored in the ASIC execution trace area 42 and the power control state transition trace area 43. The error trace shown in FIG.
The operation state detected when the task level error and the interrupt level error have occurred is stored by the abnormality detecting unit 9 of FIG. The self-diagnosis result is coded as “failure level”. The ASIC trace shown in FIG. 5B stores an operation state including a register value before access and a register value after access when accessing the register 13 of the ASIC 5 in FIG. The processing of the ASIC 5 is “processing type”
Coded as The power trace shown in FIG. 5C stores an operation state when a power-related event occurs. The event type is coded as an event number.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show the configurations of the LAN trace and the TAB trace stored in the LAN command trace area 44 and the TAB command trace area 45 of FIG. 4, respectively. By storing messages transmitted and received by LAN communication or TAB communication, it is possible to effectively debug a program related to communication.

FIG. 7 shows the structure of data stored in the mode management unit trace area 46 of FIG. The data structure is as follows: (a) macro execution,
The AVCLAN reception notification message of (b) or the reception message or timeout of (c) occurs. FIG.
The TCB trace area 47 stores the TCB indicating the executed task.

In the electronic device 1 of the present embodiment, the program operating on the microcomputer 2 stores the trajectory of its own operating state in a memory, reads out the contents stored in the memory to the outside of the electronic device 2, and debugs it. Can help. Since its own operation state is coded under a predetermined condition and stored in the memory, a code including a lot of information can be stored in a small storage area. Since the contents stored in the memory are read out of the electronic device 1, the electronic device 1 itself does not need to have an operation state analysis function, and sufficient analysis can be performed by an external device.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention, in an electronic device including a microcomputer that operates according to a preset program, the microcomputer operates in accordance with the preset program while operating as the electronic device. Is coded and stored in the memory.
If a microcomputer program encodes information indicating the operating status at a specific location as a milestone, the operating status at the milestone location of the program is analyzed from the data stored in the memory. be able to. Since the data stored in the memory is encoded and can be output to the outside in response to a request from outside the electronic device, the data can be analyzed outside the electronic device to debug the program. By changing the program, it is possible to change the operating state to be stored, and to detect abnormalities and latent abnormalities that occur under specific conditions,
It can also be easily reproduced.

According to the present invention, if the software detects an abnormality in the self-operation, a self-diagnosis is performed, and the diagnosis result is coded and stored in the memory. It is also possible to extract any abnormalities.

Further, according to the present invention, the microcomputer can temporarily store its own operation state in the memory during the operation of the program, and further store it in the nonvolatile storage means. Since the operating state is temporarily stored in the memory during the operation of the program, it is possible to avoid direct storage in the non-volatile storage means, which generally takes a long time to store.

Further, according to the present invention, the operating state stored in the memory can be analyzed as a trajectory of the operating state over time.

According to the present invention, the data read from the memory in which the operating state of the electronic device is coded and stored is converted into a predetermined format for handling as an information file, so that the data can be easily browsed. It is easy to understand. The information file can also be used to write and process annotations, and can also be transmitted and received by e-mail, so that debugging can be easily performed even at a position away from the usage environment of the electronic device. .

Further, according to the present invention, a general-purpose computer is made to read a program recorded in a recording medium, and a coded operation state stored in a memory of an electronic device is read and analyzed, and the electronic device is analyzed. Can be functioned as a debug support device that improves the program of the above.

Further, according to the present invention, in the electronic device itself,
Since the trajectory of the own operation state is encoded and stored in the memory, a large amount of information can be stored in a small storage area. Since the contents stored in the memory are read out of the electronic device, sufficient analysis can be performed by an external device to debug the program.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration related to an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure in which the microcomputer 2 in FIG. 1 writes data in a flash memory.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a microcomputer O of FIG.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for storing an N / OFF state.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a memory map of a ROM 3 and a RAM 4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of data indicating an operation state stored in an error trace area 41, an ASIC execution trace area 42, and a power control state transition trace area 43 in FIG.

6 is a diagram showing a configuration of data stored in a LAN command trace area 44 and a TAB command trace area 45 in FIG. 4, respectively.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of data stored in a mode management unit trace area 46 of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic device 2 Microcomputer 3, 6 ROM 4 RAM 5 ASIC 7 Timer 8 I / F circuit 9 Abnormality detection unit 11 Trace area 12 Trace storage area 13 Register 20 Personal computer 22 E-mail 23 Printer

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Isao Hamada 1-2-28 Goshodori, Hyogo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Ten Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroki Ito 1-chome, Goshodori, Hyogo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture No. 28 No. 28 F-term in Fujitsu Ten Limited (reference) 5B042 GA13 GB08 GC08 GC11 HH05 HH30 JJ11 JJ12 KK01 KK14 KK15 LA19 LA20 MA06 MA09 MB01 MC19 MC35 5B062 JJ07 JJ08 5H223 AA10 CC09 DD01 DD09 EE11 EE15 EE19

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An electronic device comprising a microcomputer that operates according to a preset program, wherein the microcomputer encodes its own operation state according to a preset program during operation as the electronic device. The microcomputer includes a memory in which the coded operation state is stored, and the microcomputer externally transmits the coded operation state stored in the memory in response to a request from outside the electronic device. An electronic device characterized by being capable of outputting. 2. The microcomputer determines whether or not an abnormality is detected in its own operation. When an abnormality is detected, the microcomputer performs a self-diagnosis and sets a result of the self-diagnosis as the operation state in the memory. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is stored in the electronic device. 3. The non-volatile storage means includes a non-volatile storage means, wherein the microcomputer stores an operation state coded and stored in the memory in the non-volatile storage means. Or the electronic device according to 2. 4. The microcomputer according to claim 1, further comprising: a timer for measuring a lapse of time, wherein the microcomputer includes a time stamp based on the lapse of time measured by the timer in the operation state stored in the memory. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. A data reading means for reading the operating state stored in the memory from the electronic device according to claim 1, and an operating state read by the data reading means in an information file. A data conversion means for converting the data into data of a predetermined format to be handled as an electronic device. 6. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to function as the debugging support device for an electronic device according to claim 5 is recorded. 7. A program that operates on a microcomputer provided in an electronic device encodes a trajectory of its own operating state under a predetermined condition and stores it in a memory.
A debugging support method for an electronic device, comprising reading out the contents stored in a memory to the outside of the electronic device.