Patent · US Expired

Self testing data processing system with system test master arbitration

US4646298A · kind A · utility

53Cited by
7References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 1, 1984
Grant dateFeb 24, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 1, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/2221
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self testing data processing system which includes a communications bus enabling communication between nonintelligent data processing circuits and a plurality of intelligent data processing circuits. The communications bus has connection slots, each connection slot having a unique electrically readable slot number. Each data processing circuit connects to the communications bus via one of the connection slots. Each data processing circuit has an identity memory which indicates whether or not that circuit can be a system test master. In addition, all intelligent data processing circuits include within their identity memory an indication of whether or not they have passed a circuit self test. Upon initial application of electric power or upon system reset, each intelligent data processing circuit performs a circuit self test and then sets the identity memory to indicate whether or not they have passed this self test. The intelligent data processing circuits then arbitrate to determine which circuit is to become the system test master. If an intelligent data processing circuit has failed its circuit self test or if it determines that an intelligent d…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.