Patent · US Expired

Scan path diagnostic method

US5185745A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
11References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 14, 1990
Grant dateFeb 9, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 14, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/318583
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of diagnosing memory and CPU boards by using scan rings which are composed of interconnected shift registers. A maintenance processor (MP) down-loads vector files to the scan rings. The scan rings are transparently partitioned into subsections and each subsection and individual bits are then tagged using a high level language, i.e., a scan path diagnostic language (SPDL). The user of SPDL writes a program in SPDL language addressing a portion of the scan ring. Next, the high level commands are translated into low level machine code and run on the MP. Bits are then loaded into the scan ring and subjected to a test routine. Additional commands are given to correct any errors uncovered and the bits are then reloaded through the MP to the hardware element being tested.

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