Pre-OS Circuit Board Testing via Trigger Signal Interrupts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current test systems for circuit boards cannot efficiently diagnose errors before the operating system is loaded, hindering effective debugging and development.
Innovation Solution
A test system and method that involves a terminal host generating a trigger signal to initiate an interrupt on a circuit board's system chip, allowing the processor to execute a test program code stored in memory and generate results before the OS is loaded, enabling error detection and rapid debugging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If test software is executed after OS loading, then the test can be performed using conventional methods, but errors occurring before OS loading cannot be detected and debugged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by executing test programs before the OS is loaded. The test software is placed in a special memory region that is executed during the bootstrap phase, allowing error detection to occur prior to OS initialization. This enables the system to identify and report hardware or firmware errors before they can manifest during normal OS operation, thereby improving reliability while reducing the time needed for debugging.
2Ease of operation
If conventional test software is used after OS loading, then the testing process is simple, but the system cannot diagnose errors that occur during early initialization phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory into different regions, with a special region dedicated to storing test programs that are executed before OS loading. This segmentation allows the test functionality to be isolated from the main OS execution environment, enabling simple operation through a separate test interface while providing the capability to detect early errors that would otherwise be invisible to conventional testing methods.
3Productivity
If the system waits for OS loading before testing, then the conventional testing framework can be used, but the development efficiency is reduced due to inability to rapid-debug
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by enabling test program execution during the bootstrap phase before OS loading completes. This allows developers to immediately test hardware and firmware functionality as soon as the system initializes, eliminating the need to wait for OS loading and significantly reducing the time required for debugging and development iteration.
Data Source
AI summary
A test system includes a terminal host and a to-be-tested circuit board. The terminal host generates a trigger signal. The to-be-tested circuit board includes a system chip, a memory and a processor. The system chip receives the trigger signal from the terminal host and generates an interrupt. The memory stores a test program code corresponding to the interrupt. The processor receives the interrupt and executes the test program code corresponding to the interrupt stored in the memory to generate a test result. The system chip transmits the test result to the terminal host.