JPS61166641A - Program action analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To trace in a real action the confirmation of actuation at a data input/output part by providing a simulation circuit for data input/output to a program action analyzer and sending data to a microcomputer product from the simulation circuit. CONSTITUTION:When a tracing action is started and a program runs up to a desired time point set previously, a set synchronization control circuit 22 starts a simulation circuit 21. Then the circuit 21 delivers artificial data set by an operation display part 14. This artificial data is sent to an input/output circuit 33 set at the side of a microcomputer product 200' via a digital bus 301. The product 200' uses the artificial data sent from the circuit 21 as the input data to perform a sequence action. Here an emulation CPU19 fetches the data on the product 200' on a bus at an optional time point of the tracing action and displays the data on a display part 14. Thus an operator analyzes the data displayed at the part 14 and confirms the actual working at the data input/output part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is a program behavior analysis device that can trace program operations during the development and design stage of products with a built-in microprocessor (hereinafter referred to as microcomputer products). Regarding.

(Prior Art) A program behavior analysis device called an in-circuit emulator or an in-circuit debugger is known as a device for tracking program behavior in order to find defects in software and hardware during the development and design stages of microcomputer products. ing. FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram showing an example of this type of program behavior analysis device. In the figure, 10o is a program behavior analysis device, 200 is a microcomputer product, and 300 is a bus cable that interconnects the program behavior analysis device 100 and the microcomputer product 200.

11 is a master control CPU; 12 is a control memory; 13 is a program file interface that receives program transfer from an external device; This is an operation display section that displays the status, etc. As the operation display unit 14, for example, an operator console is used. 15 is an emulation control circuit, 16 is a trigger/break control circuit, 17 is an emulation RAM in which a program for emulation is stored, 18 is a trace control circuit and RAM that controls the trace mode of the microcomputer product 200, and 19 is an emulation CPU. .

2o is a probe for connection with the microcomputer product 200.

The trace control circuit and RAM 18 is attached with a memory section that continuously stores the binary values of the operating program, data, and other control signals of the microcomputer product (device under test) 200 during analysis operation. Each of the above-mentioned components is interconnected through an internal bus.

31 is a CPU, 32 is a memory, and 33 is an input/output interface.The CPU 31 is removed during inspection, and various control signals are sent from the program operation analysis device 100 via the bus cable 300 instead. The detailed internal configuration of the microcomputer product 200 is omitted. An overview of the operation of the device configured as described above is as follows.

First, as shown in the figure, connect the connection probe 20 of the program behavior analysis device 100 to the microcomputer product 2 to be traced.
00 CPU 31 is removed and connected to the relevant location. Thereafter, the test mode is determined by operating the operation display section 14. Then, the emulation CPU 19 in the program operation analysis device 100 is caused to control the microcomputer product 200. The test sequence program at this time is transferred from an external device under the control of the master control CPU 11 and emulated by '-2°'':
zRAM17”°゛ is v<':y>@4 items 200 6
・.

The data is stored in the internal RAM.

Alternatively, the test sequence program is stored as a program file in the memory section of the program operation analysis device 100, and is stored in the emulation RAM 17 or the RAM of the microcomputer product 200 when analyzing the operation of the microcomputer product (device under test). You can do it like this.

When performing such a test sequence, if the microcomputer product 200 does not have a memory such as a RAM, the emulation RAM 17 in the program behavior analysis device 100 can be used instead. This point is a major advantage of this type of program behavior analysis device.

By emulation CPU19, microcomputer product 2
00 is operated, and the binary values of the program, data, and other control signals generated during the program operation of the microcomputer product 200 are stored in the memory section (RA) in the trace control circuit and RAM 18 of the program operation analysis device 100.
The programs, data, and control signals in the RAM are displayed on the operation display section 14, with the program, data, and control signals stored in the RAM being taken in continuously into the RAM (M), and the program, data, and control signals stored in the RAM are displayed on the operation display section 14, with one break point at the time of interruption of the operation. By analyzing and examining the displayed data, the operator can discover and improve defective areas that do not meet the design specifications (hereinafter, this operation is referred to as tracing). The break control circuit 16 controls such delimitation and interruption points, and its operation is controlled by the operator from the master control CPU 11 at the start of the trace on the operation display section 14.
It is set based on the information set in advance.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, with current program behavior analysis devices, program behavior analysis of data input/output portions cannot be traced in actual operation. The reason for this is that the program behavior analysis device does not include a circuit part that corresponds to the data input/output part that is connected to the microcomputer product and performs actual operation, and the trace that moves with such a circuit part. This is because the commands and software for this are not available. Normally, such input/output parts are
□Since the hand side is not necessarily completed and prepared, the input/output part on the program behavior analysis device side will be operated in an open form.

For this reason, even if you have proceeded to debug the data input/output part of the program, you will have no choice but to skip that part and restart debugging from there, assuming that the operation of the data input/output part is complete.

As a result, confirmation of the operation of the data input/output portion is suspended and carried out last. However, when the data input/output part is actually connected for the last time, it is not always easy to confirm operation and complete the work, and new difficulties are often encountered there, and incomplete connections are made on the other side of the input/output part. This creates a heavy workload for engineers, as there may be some imperfections in the processing on the microcomputer product side after the input/output, or there may be a problem with the connection signal line between them. In particular, in the case of microcomputer products that cannot be connected to the other party until they are delivered to the site, there are also changes in the working environment (9 conditions), such as not being able to respond flexibly to equipment and jigs like in-house or in a factory. Furthermore, the remaining work time was generally scarce, and the burden on engineers became even more severe.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and
The purpose is to realize a program behavior analysis device that can trace program behavior analysis of data input/output portions in actual operation.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, tracks the program operation of a product with a built-in microprocessor to be tested.
In the program operation analysis device to be analyzed, a simulation circuit that simulates the operation of the data input/output part, input/output data and various operation modes of the simulation circuit are set, and the simulation circuit is activated at the necessary point of tracing. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a setting synchronization control circuit configured as follows.

(Example) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings ("□ explain.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Components that are the same as those in FIG. 2 are designated with the same numbers. In the figure, 100' is a program operation analysis device according to the present invention, 200' is a microcomputer product (equipment to be tested), 21 is a simulation circuit that simulates the operation of the data input/output part, and 22 is the simulation circuit 2.
1 is a setting synchronization control circuit configured to set input/output data and various operation modes, and to start the simulation circuit 21 at a necessary point in time for tracing.

33 is an input/output circuit for data input/output provided on the microcomputer product 200' side, and 301 is a digital bus connecting between the simulation circuit 21 on the program behavior analysis device ioo' side and the input/output circuit 33 of the microcomputer product 2oO'. It is. Specifically, as the input/output circuit 33, an input/output interface is used. A digital bus 3 connects the simulation circuit 21 and the input/output circuit 33.
As 01, for example, a bus cable is used.

The operation of the device configured as described above will be explained as follows.

First, the device of the present invention is connected to the target microcomputer product. That is, the emulation CPU instead of the CPU 31
At 19, a first bus cable 300 for operating the microcomputer product 200' and a second bus cable 301 for performing data input/output operations between the device 1oO' of the present invention and the microcomputer product 200' are connected. Connecting. Next, the operator uses the operation display section 14 to set input/output data corresponding to the other side of the data input/output part and to specify which part of the program to be traced is to input/output data.

After performing the above preprocessing, the tracing operation is started.

When the trace operation is started and the program progresses to a preset necessary point, the setting synchronization control circuit 22 starts up the simulation circuit 21. As a result, the simulation circuit 21 outputs the pseudo data set on the operation display section 14. This pseudo data is sent to the input/output circuit 33 on the microcomputer product 200' side via the digital bus 301. The microcomputer product 200' receives the pseudo data sent from the simulation circuit 21 as input data, and performs the following sequence.

The emulation CPU i 9 takes in data on the bus of the microcomputer product 200' at any time during such a trace operation, and displays it on the operation display section 14.

The operator can check the actual operation of the data input/output section by analyzing the data displayed on the operation display section 14.

That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform the same operation as when actually connected to a partner device of the data input/output section, and furthermore, it is possible to trace the operation state.

In the above explanation, we took as an example a case where the microcomputer product 200' traces data input operation when receiving data from the other device side (here, the device of the present invention acts on behalf of the device) in the operation sequence. . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied in exactly the same way to the case of sending data to the other device side, that is, the case of tracing the data output operation.

Furthermore, although input/output data was not specified in the above description, the data format is equally applicable to both parallel data and serial data. Therefore, if a switch is provided on the program behavior analysis device 100' side that can switch between parallel data and serial data, it is possible to trace both microcomputer products that handle parallel data and microcomputer products that handle serial data. can also be done. In this case, it goes without saying that the state of the internal bus also needs to be changed.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a simulation circuit for data input/output is provided on the program behavior analysis device side, and data is sent from the simulation circuit to a microcomputer product, or ``:''Product'' data 8 reception 6 structure 3. It is possible to trace the operation confirmation of the data input/output part in actual operation. These features of the present invention allow the development stage to be completed within the company or factory, even when the data input/output part is not yet completed, or when the product is a microcomputer product whose operation cannot be confirmed until it is delivered to the site. A similar operation can be confirmed using this method, and the practical effect is far greater.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a configuration block diagram showing an example of a conventional device. 11... Master control CPU 12... Control memory 13... Program file interface 14.
...Operation display section 15...Emulation control circuit 16...
・Trigger/break control circuit 17...Emulation RAM 18...Trace control circuit and RAM 19
...Emulation CPU 20...Connection probe 21...Simulation circuit 22...Setting synchronization control circuit 31...CPU 32...Memory 33...
・Input/output circuit 100, 100'...Program operation analysis device 200
．． 200' Microcomputer product 300...Bus cable 301...Digital bus Patent applicant Foster Electric Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Fuji Ijima 1 person

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a program behavior analysis device that tracks and analyzes the program behavior of a product with a built-in microprocessor to be tested, there is a simulation circuit that simulates the behavior of the data input/output part, and input/output data and various operations of the simulation circuit. A program behavior analysis device comprising a setting synchronization control circuit configured to set a mode and start the simulation circuit at a time when tracing is required. (2) The program behavior analysis device according to claim 1, wherein parallel data is used as the data. (3) The program operation analysis device according to claim 1, characterized in that serial data is used as the data.