Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for testing master logic units within a data processing apparatus

US6463488B1 · kind B1 · utility

231Cited by
3References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 14, 1999
Grant dateOct 8, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 14, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F13/364
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides a data processing apparatus and method of testing a master logic unit within a data processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus comprising one or more master logic units for accessing a bus in order to initiate processing requests, and a test controller for testing logic units of the data processing apparatus. Further, an arbiter is provided for receiving bus request signals from the test controller and the one or more master logic units, and for applying predetermined priority criteria to control access to the bus by the test controller and the master logic units, the predetermined priority criteria identifying the relative priority of each master logic unit and the test controller. In a normal test mode, the test controller has a higher priority than any of the master logic units to be tested. However, in a master test mode, when master functionality of a first master logic unit is to be tested by the test controller, the arbiter is arranged to receive a priority access signal to cause the arbiter to assign the first master logic unit a higher priority than the test controller, in order to allow the first master logic unit to have access to …

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