JPH02176948A - Electronic computer with memory dumping function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable inexpensive constitution by providing a ROM stored with a program for memory dumping and a changeover switch and then analyzing the cause of abnormality without connecting external equipment such as a logic analyzer. CONSTITUTION:This electronic computer is equipped with the ROM 5 stored with the program for memory dumping and the switch 7 which switches and connects a ROM 3 or the ROM 5 to a bus 6. If abnormal operation is performed, the ROM 5 is connected to an electronic computer system by pressing the switch 7, an instruction executed by the CPU 1 is switched to the program stored in the ROM 5, and the contents of a RAM 2 are written on a floppy disk 4. Then the electronic computer system is started up again and the contents of the RAM 2 which are written on the floppy disk 4 are analyzed to investigate the cause of the abnormal operation. Consequently, an analysis of system abnormality can be taken only by the electronic computer without connecting any external equipment such as an in-circuit emulator and a logic analyzer, so the system price is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to electronic computers such as personal computers.

[Prior Art] In a conventional personal computer, when an abnormality occurs due to a software abnormality, an external device such as an in-circuit emulator or a logic analyzer is connected to the personal computer to analyze the cause.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention J] The conventional method described above has the disadvantage that it is expensive because it requires connecting external equipment such as an in-circuit emulator or logic analyzer when an abnormality occurs due to an abnormality in software etc. There is.

[Means to solve the problem J An electronic computer with a memory dump function according to the present invention.

a ROM storing a memory dump program for writing the contents of the RAM to an external storage device connected to the computer by the CPU; and a switch for connecting the ROM or the ROM, which is a program memory of the computer, to the CPU. has.

[Effect]

During normal operation, the ROM, which is the program memory, is connected to the CPU.
is connected to. If an abnormal operation occurs, when the user switches the switch to the ROM in which the dump program is stored, the ROM is connected to the CPU, the CPU executes the dump program, and the
The contents of AM are written to external storage. Thereafter, the computer is restarted and the analysis program analyzes the contents of the RAM written in the external storage device to determine the cause of the abnormal operation.

[Embodiment J] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an electronic computer with a memory dump function according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of processing of a memory dump program.

As shown in Fig. 1, this electronic computer (personal computer) consists of a CP tJ l, a RAM 2, a ROM 3 in which a system startup program, a basic staffing program, etc. are stored, a floppy disk 4, and a CPU.
1 is a ROM 5 in which a memory dump program for writing the contents of RAM 2 to a floppy disk 4 is stored;
With bus 6.

It consists of a switch 7 that switches and connects the ROM 3 or ROM 5 to the bus 6, and the device shown in the figure.

As shown in Figure 2, the memory dump program initializes the hardware related to the floppy disk 4 (step 8), saves the contents of the RAM 2 to the floppy disk 4, etc.
The processing of writing to CPLll (step 9) and stopping the execution of CPLll (step 10) are performed.

Next, the operation in this embodiment will be explained. In this computer system, the ROM 3 is connected to the bus 6 via the switch 7 during normal operation. When an abnormal operation occurs in the computer, when the user presses the switch 7, the ROM 5 is connected to the computer system and c
The instruction executed by pu i is switched to the program stored in ROM5. When the program is switched to the ROM 5, the contents of the RAM 2 are written to the floppy disk 4 according to the flowchart shown in FIG. Thereafter, the computer system is restarted, and the analysis program analyzes the contents of the RAM 2 written on the floppy disk 4 to determine the cause of the abnormal operation.

[Effect of the Invention J As explained above, the present invention stores a memory dump program in a ROM, and when an abnormal operation occurs in a computer, the ROM is connected to the computer and the contents of the RAM are transferred to an external computer. By writing to the storage device, analysis of system abnormalities can be reliably performed using only a computer without connecting external equipment such as an in-circuit emulator or logic analyzer, resulting in lower system prices. There is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an electronic computer with a memory dump function of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of processing of a memory dump program. l...CPU, 2...RAM, 3...
ROM, 4...floppy disk, 5
...ROM, 6...bus, 7...-switch, 8-10...step.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an electronic computer, a ROM that stores a memory dump program for causing a CPU to write the contents of a RAM to an external storage device connected to the computer; and the ROM or the computer. 1. An electronic computer with a memory dump function, comprising: a switch for connecting a ROM, which is a program memory, to a CPU.