JPH04156622A - Hardware diagnostic device for processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To learn the state of processor hardware without altering the state of processor hardware when an error occurs by permitting a diagnostic device to diagnose the state of hardware in a processor and to diagnose the stored content of a memory. CONSTITUTION:When a keyword and the like are inputted from a keyboard 1, CPU 10 reads a diagnostic program from ROM 11 and starts it. DGP 1 becomes a terminal for hardware diagnosis. A work area used for the execution of the program is set in RAM 12 and information showing the detected state of hardware in the processor 2 is stored. CPU 10 is loaded on DGP 1 and it can be operated independent of OS in the processor 2. It can be operated even if OS stops. The processor can record data for a floppy disk 33 and a magnetic tape 34 and a processing result and it can read data from the disk 33 and the tape 34. The processor 2 can communicate data with the other processor through a telephone line by connecting MODEM and an RS 232C terminal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing device hardware diagnostic device suitably implemented in a processing device such as a computer or a workstation.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, software called operating systems have been developed and are in actual use in order to make processing devices such as computers and workstations easier and more effective.

In a processing device running such an operating system, errors may occur due to specific behavior of a specific aggregation. In order to investigate the cause of this type of error, it is very effective to know the state of the processing device when the error occurs, that is, the state of the hardware.

Generally, when it is desired to know the hardware status of a processing device, the following two methods are implemented.

■Use a diagnostic program to determine the status of the hardware that does not operate under the operating system running on the processing device. Since this diagnostic program does not run under the operating system running on the processing device, the processing device must be started up again (so-called initialization) by operating a so-called reset switch, etc., and then the diagnostic program can be run. Run to diagnose hardware status.

■Diagnose the state of the hardware by running a diagnostic program that runs under the operating system running on the processing device.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the method (2) above, the processing device is initialized by restarting the processing device, and the state at the time of the error disappears.

With method ①, if the operating system is operating normally even after an error occurs, the diagnostic program can be executed without restarting the processing unit. Since the program operates as one processing program in the system, the state of the processing device when an error occurs is changed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hardware diagnostic device for a processing device that can easily determine the state of the hardware of the processing device when an error occurs.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention is provided in a processing device that executes processing operations based on a predetermined operating system, and when a predetermined operation is performed on the processing device, the device operates independently of the operating system. This is a hardware diagnostic device for a processing device, characterized in that it diagnoses the state of the hardware of the processing device.

According to the present invention, when a predetermined operation is performed on the processing device, the hardware diagnostic device diagnoses the state of the hardware of the processing device. This allows you to check the contents stored in the memory within the processing device, the status of peripheral devices such as display and printing devices, the setting status of switches on the board on which the CPU is installed, and the
It is possible to diagnose the operating state of the PU (whether it is in a HALT state or a parity error has occurred).

The hardware diagnostic device operates independently of the operating system running on the processing device, so if an error occurs in the processing device, the hardware diagnostic device can be operated to handle the error. without changing the hardware state of the device.
You can know the status of your hardware. This means that
It is effective in investigating the cause of errors in processing equipment.
Furthermore, it is useful for early recovery or improvement of processing equipment.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a diagnosis processor (hereinafter referred to as DGP) 1 which is a hardware diagnostic device which is an embodiment of the present invention.
1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a processing device 2 equipped with the following. The processing device 2 is called a workstation, for example, and is used as an OA (office automation) device.

The processing device 2 has a DGPL, a system bus 3, and a plurality of (
In this embodiment, 2) CPU (central processing unit) 4,
5, a CMU (central storage unit) 6, a keyboard interface 7, and a peripheral device interface 8.

DGP 1 has system bus interface 9 and C
PU10, ROM (read only memory) 11,
RAM (random access memory) 12 and 5IO (
Serial input output) interface 1
3, and data is exchanged with the system bus 9 via the system bus interface 9.

System bus interface 9, CPU 10, and R
oMll, RAM12, and SIO interface 1
3 are connected to each other by a data bus 14, and data can be exchanged with each other. The ROM II has a storage capacity of, for example, 128 KB, and stores a diagnostic program for diagnosing the state of the hardware of the processing device 2.

A keyboard 15 is connected to the SIO interface 13, and is normally used as a terminal for the operating system (hereinafter referred to as O8) of the processing device 2.

When a predetermined keyword or the like is input from the keyboard 15, the CPU I O reads out the diagnostic program from the ROMII and starts it up, thereby making the DGP 1 a hardware diagnostic terminal. RAM12 is, for example, 5
It has a storage capacity of 12 KB, in which a work area used when executing the diagnostic program is set, and information indicating the hardware status of the processing device 2 detected by diagnosis is stored. In this way, DGP 1 has C
It is equipped with POLO and can operate independently of O8 of the processing device 2, and can operate even when O8 is stopped.

A plurality of keyboards 1 to Kn are connected to the system bus 3 via a keyboard interface 7. The keyboard interface 7 includes a system bus interface 16 and an SIO interface 17, and the system bus interface 16 connects the system bus 3 and the SIO interface 17.
The SIO interface 17 controls the input and output of data to and from the IO interface 17, and the SIO interface 17
Controls input signals from Kn. The operator uses the keyboard15. By operating 1 to Kn, the CPU
It is possible to perform various arithmetic processing according to 4 and 5 or control a plurality of peripheral devices described below.

The CPUs 4 and 5 are connected to the system bus 3, respectively, and are also connected to the CMU 6 via local buses 18 and 19. 'The CPU 4 includes a system bus interface 20, a local bus interface 21, and an MPU (microprocessor unit) 22.
, a carriage memory 23 , and a main memory 24 .

The system bus interface 20 controls data input/output to/from the system bus 3, and the local bus interface 21 controls data input/output to/from the local bus 18. For example, the input data is 8
It is stored in the main memory 24 having a storage capacity of MB to 32 MB.

The MPU 22 stores data particularly necessary for calculation processing from the main memory 24 in the carriage memory 23, and accesses the carriage memory 23 during calculation processing.The access speed to the carriage memory 23 is faster than the access speed to the main memory 24. Because it's fast, M
The PU 22 can execute data writing/continuation control at high speed, and thereby can perform arithmetic processing at high speed. The CPU5 has the same configuration as the CPU4.

CM U '6 is the local bus interface 25
and a shared memory 26. The local bus interface 25 performs data input/output control between the local bus 18, 19 and the shared memory 26.
The shared memory 26 has a storage capacity of 8 MB, for example,
Data or CPU commonly used by CPUs 4 and 5
The data given from 4 and 5 are stored.

The peripheral device interface 8 includes a system bus interface 27, a printer interface 28, a floppy disk interface 29, a 5C3I interface 30, and an S10 interface 31.

The system bus interface 27 is the system bus 3
A printer 32 is connected to the printer interface 28, which controls data input/output between the printer interface 28 and the plurality of interfaces 28-31. With this printer 32,
The processing results of the processing device 2 can be printed on recording paper.

A floppy disk 33, which is a magnetic recording medium, is connected to the floppy disk interface 29. Similarly, a magnetic tape 34, which is a magnetic recording medium, is connected to the 5C3I interface 30. This enables the processing device 2 to record data or processing results onto the floppy disk 33 and magnetic tape 34, and to read data from the floppy disk 33 and magnetic tape 34. Also, SIO interface 31
A modem, RS 232C terminal, etc. are connected to the .

This enables the processing device 2 to perform data communication with other processing devices via the telephone line.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the processing device 2. In step a1, startup processing of the processing device 2 is executed, for example, by turning on the power. In step a2, O8 preset in the processing device 2 is executed, and in step a3, an application that operates under the O8 is executed. In step a4, it is determined whether an error has occurred. If no error occurs, the process returns to step a3 and aggregation is continued. If an error occurs, step a
Proceed to step 5.

In step a5, a predetermined keyword is input from the keyboard 15 as described above to start the diagnostic program preset in the DGPL. This makes the DGP 1 a hardware diagnostic terminal. Thereafter, the status of various hardware of the processing device 2 is diagnosed using the DGP 1, which is a hardware diagnostic terminal.

By operating this diagnostic terminal (DGPI),
The contents of the memory in the CPUs 4 and 5 and the memory in the CMU 6, the printer 32, the floppy disk 33,
The status of peripheral devices such as the magnetic tape 34, the setting status of switches on multiple boards on which the CPUs 4 and 5, keyboard interface 7, peripheral device interface 8, etc. are arranged, and the status of each board (HALT status and parity error) It can be used to diagnose whether something is happening or not.

DGP 1 also operates as a terminal for O8, so
It is also possible to create and execute a hardware diagnostic program that operates under O8 when an error occurs. Therefore, there is no need to use 1 to Kn on the keyboard, which is another O8 terminal, to execute the diagnostic program, and the processing device 2 can be diagnosed without interfering with the operations of other operators of the processing device 2. can.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the processing bag! DGP that can be operated independently of O8 operating in 2
1, it is possible to know the state of the hardware when the error occurs without changing the state of the hardware when the error occurs. This is effective for investigating the cause of errors in the processing device 2, and is also useful for early recovery or improvement of the processing device 2.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the hardware diagnostic device operates independently of the operator ink system operating in the processing device. By operating the hardware diagnostic device, it is possible to know the state of the hardware of the processing device at the time of error occurrence without changing it. This is effective in investigating the cause of errors occurring in the processing device, and is also useful for early recovery or improvement of the processing device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a processing device 2 equipped with a diagnosis processor 1 as a hardware diagnostic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the processing device 2. be. 1... Diagnosis processor (DGP), 2... Processing device, 9... System bus interface, 1°.
...CPU, 11...ROM, 12...RAM, 1
3...SIO interface, 14...Data bus, 15...Keyboard agent Patent attorney Number of strokes Keiichi Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] The device is installed in a processing device that executes processing operations based on a predetermined operating system, and when a predetermined operation is performed on the processing device, it operates independently of the operating system and diagnoses the state of the hardware of the processing device. A hardware diagnostic device for a processing device, characterized in that: