JPH04142636A - Execution history display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to confirm a trace situation in the trace by providing an execution history display method with the function that when receiving a video signal from a video signal converting means the difference between the content of a instantaneous trace memory and the content of a delay trace memory can be visibly displayed by means of the difference in brightness. CONSTITUTION:An instantaneous trace memory updating means 22 sets an instantaneous trace memory in response to an address received from a data processor 1, and a transfer means 25 transfers the content of an instantaneous trace memory 23 to a delay trace memory 24. Further, a video signal converting means 26 reads both the content of instantaneous trace memory 23 and the content of delay trace memory 24, and converts them into a video signal. Furthermore, a display means 3 receives the converted video signal from the video signal converting means 26 and visibly displays the difference between the content of a instantaneous trace memory and the content of a delay trace memory by means of the difference in brightness. With this, a trace situation is the trace can be confirmed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a tracing method for a data processing device, and more particularly to an execution history display method for immediately visually displaying information being traced as a bitmap.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of tracer does not display data on the CRT while storing data in the trace memory, but instead displays data on the CRT by executing a trace memory display command after the trace is completed.
was displayed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, since no display is performed on the CRT during tracing, there is a drawback that when tracing is performed for a long time, the status of the tracing cannot be known until the tracing is finished.

[Means to solve the problem]

The execution history display method of the present invention includes an immediate trace memory in which 1 bit corresponds to one address to be traced, a delayed trace memory having the same capacity as the immediate trace memory, and a delay trace memory in which one bit corresponds to an address to be traced. immediate trace memory update means for setting one bit on the immediate trace memory to "1"; transfer means for transferring the contents of the immediate trace memory to the delayed trace memory at fixed time intervals; video signal converting means for reading and combining the contents of the delayed trace memory and converting the same into a video signal; and display means for visually displaying the information so that the difference can be identified.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 showing one embodiment of the present invention, a data processing device 1, a tracer 2, an address storage buffer 21, an immediate trace memory updating means 22, an immediate trace memory 2
3, a delay trace memory 24, a transfer means 25, a video signal conversion means 26, and a CRT 3. Further, the data processing device 1 includes a CPU 11, a control memory 12, a main memory 1
Consists of 3.

In the data processing device 1, a program consisting of a series of machine language instructions is stored in the main memory 13.

The CPU 1 reads machine language instructions one by one from the main memory 13, decodes them, executes the machine language instructions according to the instructions of the firmware instructions on the control memory 12 corresponding to the machine language instructions, and also controls the executed firmware instructions. The addresses on the memory 12 are sequentially sent to the tracer 2. The tracer 2 temporarily stores the address of the firmware instruction received from the CPU II in the address storage buffer 21. Here, address storage buffer 2
The firmware instruction address stored at 1 corresponds to 1 bit on the immediate trace memory 23. Therefore, the part of the firmware instruction address stored in the address storage buffer 21 excluding the lower three bits corresponds to the byte address on the immediate trace memory 23. Also,
The lower three bits of the firmware instruction address stored in the address storage buffer 21 are the bit positions within one byte on the trace memory 23, that is, the value 0 corresponds to the most significant bit, and the value 7 corresponds to the least significant bit. The instant trace memory update means 22 reads one byte on the instant trace memory 23 corresponding to the firmware instruction address,
An immediate trace memory 23 that sets "1" in the bit position corresponding to the lower three bits of the firmware instruction address and writes it back to the original location on the immediate trace memory 23.
Asynchronously with the update of , the transfer means 25 periodically transfers the contents of the immediate trace memory 23 to the delayed trace memory 24 at fixed time intervals. The video signal conversion means 26 constantly scans the immediate trace memory 23 and the delayed trace memory 24, and sequentially extracts data from the beginning of the immediate trace memory 23 and the beginning of the delayed trace memory 24, converts it into a video signal, and sends it to the CRT 3. At this time, 1 bit on the immediate trace memory 23 and the delayed trace memory 24 corresponds to 1 dot on the CRTB, and the value of the 1 bit on the immediate trace memory 23 and the delayed trace memory 24 is "0". ”, the video signal is not displayed, when both are “1”, it is displayed at normal brightness, and when only 1 bit in the instant trace memory 23 is “1”, the brightness is increased and the video signal is displayed brightly. Convert to C
RT3 displays the received video signal on the display.

With the above processing, the status is sequentially displayed on the CRT screen during tracing without interrupting the tracing. Here, the latest trace data is displayed brightly with increased brightness, and after a certain period of time has passed, it is displayed with normal brightness.6 Note that the same implementation can be performed by changing the color display instead of the brightness.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, by visually displaying the status by sequentially changing the brightness or color during tracing, which firmware commands are executed during the execution of a test program such as a random sequence test of a data processing device. You can see whether the test program is being executed, and you can see the progress of the firmware as a result of executing the test program.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Data processing device, 11...CPU, 12...
・Control memory, 13... Main memory, 2... Tracer,
21...Address storage buffer, 22...Immediate trace memory update means, 23...Immediate trace memory, 2
4... Delay trace memory, 25... Transfer means, 26... Video signal conversion means, 3... CRT.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An immediate trace memory whose 1.1 bits correspond to one address to be traced; a delayed trace memory with the same capacity as the immediate trace memory; and a delayed trace memory whose 1.1 bit corresponds to an address received from a data processing device. immediate trace memory update means for setting one bit on the trace memory to "1"; transfer means for transferring the contents of the immediate trace memory to the delayed trace memory at fixed time intervals; and the contents of the immediate trace memory and the video signal converting means for reading and combining the contents of the delayed trace memory and converting it into a video signal; An execution history display method comprising: a display means for visually displaying the difference so that it can be identified; and an execution history display method. 2. The execution history display method according to claim 1, wherein the display means uses a color display instead of visually displaying the difference in the content so that the difference can be identified by a difference in brightness.