JP2005149047A - Communication apparatus provided with self evaluation function and method for evaluating communication function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication apparatus capable of evaluating a communication function only by its own apparatus without connecting hardware for checking communication operation to its periphery. <P>SOLUTION: The communication apparatus is provided with a processor 110 for performing communication processing, a target communication part 160 for communicating with the external, a counter test communication part 170 capable of communicating with the target communication part 160 and a pass control part 180 having intersecting points arranged like a matrix by which connections among signal data passes from the target communication part 160, signal data passes from the counter test communication part 170 and signal data passes from the external can be optionally switched and constituted so as to perform a counter test of a communication function by controlling the counter test communication part 170 and the pass control part 180 by using counter test software on the basis of an evaluation scenario while performing usual communication by software for targets which is equivalent to software integrated into a product. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device and a communication function evaluation method capable of evaluating a communication function within the device itself.

  In recent years, various communication apparatuses have been built in a high-speed and high-function built-in microcomputer to perform various processes, thereby realizing miniaturization and high functionality. In particular, in developing a system using a microcomputer for embedding a communication device that performs a complicated communication function in accordance with various protocols, evaluation and debugging for confirming communication operation are indispensable.

  Conventionally, in the evaluation of microcomputers for embedded communication devices, software for controlling the target communication unit that performs communication operation confirmation was developed, and hardware connected to the periphery was prepared, and the input / output values compared. The method of evaluating by doing so is common.

  As described above, in the conventional evaluation method of the microcomputer for incorporating communication devices, it is necessary to develop software for controlling the target communication unit that performs communication operation confirmation and to prepare hardware connected to the periphery. there were.

  However, if it is necessary to perform evaluation in a short period of time, it may be necessary to perform evaluation at a stage where the hardware connected to the periphery other than the target communication unit that performs communication operation confirmation is not sufficient. There was a problem that the evaluation could not be carried out.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and prepares hardware connected to the periphery other than the target communication unit that performs communication operation confirmation in the evaluation of the communication device using the microcomputer for incorporating communication devices. An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device having a self-evaluation function that can be evaluated without any problems.

  The communication apparatus of the present invention includes a target communication unit that communicates with the outside, a counter test communication unit that can communicate with the target communication unit, a signal data path from the target communication unit, and the counter test communication unit And a path control unit having intersection points arranged in a matrix that can arbitrarily switch the connection between the signal data path from and the signal data path from the outside. According to this configuration, by making the target communication unit and the opposite test communication unit face each other via the path control unit, the communication function can be performed only with this apparatus without preparing hardware for confirming the communication operation connected to the periphery. Can be evaluated.

  In the communication device of the present invention, the intersection points arranged in a matrix of the path control unit are set so as to connect the signal data path from the target communication unit and the signal data path from the outside in a normal state. . According to this configuration, since the signal data path from the target communication unit is normally connected to the outside, for example, a communication including a microcomputer for embedding an apparatus, a target communication unit, a counter test communication unit, and a path control unit In the conventional semiconductor integrated circuit, the original communication function can be normally executed, and the opposite test can be executed by using the opposite test communication unit and the path control unit during the test.

  Further, the communication device of the present invention controls the target communication unit to perform normal communication, and controls the opposing test communication unit and the path control unit based on an evaluation scenario to control the communication function. Opposite test software that performs an opposite test and compares the execution result of the target communication unit with expected value data is installed. According to this configuration, normal communication can be performed by the target software, and the opposite test can be executed using the opposite test communication unit and the path control unit by the opposite test software. It is possible to check the operation according to various protocols.

  Furthermore, in the communication apparatus of the present invention, the target communication unit and the opposing test communication unit are connected to a processor that performs communication processing via mutually independent buses, and the target software and the opposing test software are executed simultaneously. . According to this configuration, the simultaneous operation performance of the target communication unit and the opposed test communication unit is improved by being connected to the processor via the buses independent from each other, enabling a high-speed communication protocol opposed test, Data collection and analysis performance during the oncoming test can be improved.

  In the communication apparatus of the present invention, the target software controls the path control unit, so that the role of the target communication unit and the role of the opposing test communication unit can be arbitrarily exchanged. According to this configuration, the role of the target communication unit and the role of the opposite test communication unit can be exchanged, so if a problem occurs in the opposite test, the problem can be solved by exchanging the roles and checking the operation In addition, backup is possible when a failure occurs in the target communication unit during normal operation.

  The communication function evaluation method of the present invention is a communication function evaluation method for evaluating a communication function using a communication device having the self-evaluation function of the present invention, and controls the target communication unit using target software. Perform normal communication, use the opposite test software to control the opposite test communication unit and the path control unit to perform the opposite test of the communication function, and compare and determine the execution result of the target communication unit with the expected value data .

  According to the above configuration, normal communication can be performed by the target software, and the opposite test can be executed using the opposite test communication unit and the path control unit by the opposite test software. It is possible to check the operation according to various protocols.

  According to the present invention, by making the target communication unit and the opposite test communication unit face each other via the path control unit, it is possible to evaluate the communication function without connecting the hardware for checking the communication operation. In addition, by providing target software equivalent to the software embedded in the product and test counter test software, it is possible to evaluate the communication operation of the product using the target communication unit in a form closer to the actual operation. Become.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a communication device 100 includes a CPU 110, which is a microcomputer for incorporating communication devices, a memory 120, a bus a130, a bus b140, an arbiter 150, a target communication unit 160, a counter test communication unit 170, a path control unit 180, an external input / output. The terminal unit 190 is configured.

  The CPU 110 arbitrarily switches the path setting of the intersection points arranged in a matrix in the path control unit 180 based on the opposing test software or the evaluation scenario. In addition, the external input / output terminal unit 190, the arbiter 150, the target communication unit 160, and the opposite test communication unit 170 are controlled.

  The memory 120 stores the input / output data, the execution result of the communication operation check in the target communication unit 160, the target software, and the evaluation scenario when the facing test is performed.

  The bus a130 connects the CPU 110, the memory 120, and the target communication unit 160. The bus b140 operates independently of the main a130, and connects the CPU 110, the memory 120, and the opposite test communication unit 170.

  The arbiter 150 is connected to the bus a130 and the bus b140 or a plurality of buses, and can set an arbitrary path route between the plurality of buses based on control from the CPU. Needless to say, arbitrary path routes are not necessarily connected one-to-one on the path.

  The target communication unit 160 is a block having a communication function for performing communication with the outside, and is a target of evaluation in the present invention. The opposing test communication unit 170 is a block having a communication function for performing communication with the target communication unit 160.

  The path control unit 180 allows the signal data paths from the target communication unit 160 and the opposite test communication unit 170 to be connected on the intersection point matrix under the control of the CPU 110, and connects the intersection points of the signal data paths in arbitrary directions. can do.

  Here, not only one intersection point connection is controlled at a time. Moreover, although this embodiment demonstrates the intersection point matrix with directionality, it does not necessarily have directionality.

  The external input / output terminal unit 190 is an interface terminal unit between hardware connected to the outside during actual operation and the target communication unit 160.

  Reference numeral 200 denotes a target communication unit common line, which is a directional bus for connecting the target communication unit 160 and the path control unit 180. Reference numeral 210 denotes a counter test communication unit segment line. This is a bus having a direction to connect the units 180.

  Next, the counter test software will be described. The opposing test software is based on a path control function for switching the path setting arbitrarily by controlling an intersection point matrix having directionality of the path control unit 180, and an evaluation scenario for confirming communication operation. And an evaluation function for controlling the external input / output terminal 190, the arbiter 150, the target communication unit 160, and the opposite test communication unit 170.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the path control function of the opposing test software. In FIG. 2, when controlling the intersection point matrix having directionality of the path control unit 180, the path control table data is downloaded to the memory 120 in step S1. The path control table data is a set value in a register for a path control unit described later.

  Next, in step S2, it is determined whether or not to set the path control unit register. When setting the path control unit register, the process proceeds to step S3, and when setting to the path control unit register is not performed. Terminates the path control means.

  For each intersection point of the path control unit 180, a number is determined as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the path control unit register assigns bits so as to correspond to the intersection point numbers in order from the MSB, and controls the connection of the intersection points according to the value of the bits.

  For example, for the signal from the external input / output terminal 190, when the corresponding bit is “0”, the data is passed in the predetermined direction of the target communication unit common line 200, and when the corresponding bit is 1, the opposite test communication unit segment line The data is passed in a predetermined direction 210.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the evaluation function of the opposing test software. In FIG. 5, first, in step S11, input data, expected value data, an execution result of the target communication unit, and an evaluation scenario are downloaded.

  In step S12, it is determined whether or not to set the path control unit register. If the path control unit register is set, the process proceeds to step S13. If the path control unit register is not set, step S14 is performed. Proceed to In step S13, path setting is performed by path control means.

  In step S14, input data is input to the target communication unit 160 based on the evaluation scenario. In step S15, the execution result and log from the target communication unit 160 are stored in the memory. At this time, it is assumed that the memory storage contents such as execution results and logs stored in the memory can be arbitrarily selected.

  In step S16, the input data to the opposing test communication unit 170 output from the target communication unit 160 is stored in the memory. In step S17, the output data from the opposite test communication unit 170 processed based on the evaluation scenario, the log, and the like are stored in the memory. At this time, it is assumed that the memory storage contents such as execution results and logs stored in the memory can be arbitrarily selected.

  In step S18, it is determined whether or not the evaluation scenario is completed. If the evaluation scenario is completed, the process proceeds to step S19. If the evaluation scenario is not completed, the process returns to step S12.

  In step S19, the execution result from the target communication unit 160 is compared with the expected value data downloaded in step S11. In step S20, it is determined whether or not the execution result and the expected value data all match in the comparison in step S19. If the execution result and the expected value data all match, the process ends, and the execution result and the expected value data are the same. If not all match, the process proceeds to step S21.

  In step S21, a difference file is created by extracting the difference in the comparison between the execution result in step S20 and the expected value data and outputting the difference to a file.

  Next, the evaluation scenario will be described. For example, when an evaluation scenario is described in a C language format that is widely used in general, the evaluation scenario has a format as shown in FIG.

  The TX described in the comment column of FIG. 6 indicates that the process described in the line is an output message or data setting means for the opposite test communication unit 170 to output to the target communication unit 160. ing. The data setting means is for setting a message or data in the data storage register.

  RX described in the comment column indicates an event waiting means for an output message or data from the target communication unit 160, that is, a received message or data to the opposite test communication unit 170.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining event waiting means for received messages or data. In FIG. 7, it is determined whether or not an expected event has occurred in step S30. If an expected event has occurred, the process is terminated. If an expected event has not occurred, step S30 is repeated. Although the flag control has been described as an example here, the flag control is not necessarily performed.

  As described above, the target communication unit, the opposing test communication unit, and the path control unit are built in the communication device, and by executing the opposing test software that controls them, the communication device is connected to the periphery other than the target that performs the communication operation check. It is possible to evaluate the communication function only with its own device without preparing hardware.

  The communication device and the communication function evaluation method having the self-evaluation function of the present invention are configured so that the target communication unit and the opposite test communication unit are opposed to each other via the path control unit without connecting the hardware for performing the communication operation check. It is possible to evaluate the communication function, and by providing target software equivalent to the software embedded in the product and test opposite test software, the communication operation of the product using the target communication unit This has the effect that the evaluation can be performed in a form that is closer to the actual operation, and is useful as a communication apparatus and a communication function evaluation method that can evaluate the communication function within the own apparatus.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the communication apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention Flow chart showing the processing procedure of the path control function of the opposite test software The figure which shows the number given to each crossing point of a path control part The figure which shows the bit allocation of the register for path control section Flow chart showing the processing procedure of the evaluation function of the counter test software List showing example description of evaluation scenario Diagram explaining event waiting means for received message or data

Explanation of symbols

100 communication device 110 CPU
120 memory 130 bus a
140 bus b
150 Arbiter 160 Target communication unit 170 Opposite test communication unit 180 Path control unit 190 External input / output terminal unit 200 Target communication unit common line 210 Opposite test communication unit segment line

Claims (7)

  A target communication unit that communicates with the outside; a counter test communication unit that can communicate with the target communication unit; a signal data path from the target communication unit; a signal data path from the counter test communication unit; A communication device having a self-evaluation function comprising: a path control unit having intersection points arranged in a matrix that can arbitrarily switch the connection between the signal data paths from.   2. The self-evaluation according to claim 1, wherein the intersection points arranged in a matrix of the path control unit are set so as to connect the signal data path from the target communication unit and the signal data path from the outside in a normal state. A communication device having a function.   Target software that controls the target communication unit to perform normal communication, and the opposite test communication unit and the path control unit are controlled based on an evaluation scenario to perform the opposite test of the communication function, and the target communication unit A communication apparatus having a self-evaluation function according to claim 1, further comprising opposing test software for determining and comparing the execution result of the test result with expected value data.   The self-evaluation function according to claim 3, wherein the target communication unit and the opposite test communication unit are connected to a processor that performs communication processing via mutually independent buses, and the target software and the opposite test software are simultaneously executed. A communication device provided.   The communication device having a self-evaluation function according to claim 3, wherein the target software can arbitrarily exchange the role of the target communication unit and the role of the opposing test communication unit by controlling the path control unit. A communication function evaluation method for evaluating a communication function using a communication device having the self-evaluation function according to claim 1,
The target communication unit is controlled using the target software to perform normal communication, and the opposite test communication unit and the path control unit are controlled using the opposite test software to perform the opposite test of the communication function, A communication function evaluation method for comparing the execution result of the target communication unit with expected value data.   A semiconductor integrated circuit on which a communication device having the self-evaluation function according to claim 1 is mounted.

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