Error detection and repair for serially connected devices

A method for detecting connection failures for chains of serially connected worker modules (WMs), the method comprising:

• configuring each WM of a chain of serially connected WMs in a reverse propagation direction, wherein a default configuration for each WM of the chain of serially connected WMs is a forward propagation direction along a serial connection path between the WMs of the chain of serially connected WMs;
• driving a first voltage level in the reverse propagation direction along the serial connection path;
• and
• determining, based on detecting a second voltage level at an IO port of a particular WM of the chain of serially connected WMs, a location of a serial communication failure at a particular WM of the chain of serially connected WMs, wherein the second voltage level is different from the first voltage level.

An apparatus for detecting connection faults in serially connected worker modules (WMs), the apparatus comprising:

• a chain of serially connected WMs comprising:
• a first WM of the chain of serially connected WMs, the first WM comprising a first communication interface, a first chip select (CS) port, a first serial CS port, a first CS source select module, a first data storage device, and a first failure detection circuitry coupled between the first CS port and the first serial CS port;
• and
• a second WM of the chain of serially connected WMs, the second WM comprising a second communication interface, a second CS port coupled to the first serial CS port, a second serial CS port, a second CS source select module, a second data storage device and a second failure detection circuit coupled between the second CS port and the second serial CS port;
• and
• a command module (CM) comprising a CM communication interface coupled to the first communication interface and the second communication interface, wherein the CM is configured to:
• transmit one or more commands to the first WM and the second WM, wherein each command of the one or more commands correspond to a sequence of CS propagation directions, CS source selections, CS port drive states, serial CS port drive states, pull-up/pull-down states, and/or identifier update values;
• and
• detect one or more connection faults associated with a serial connection between the first WM and the second WM based on the one or more commands.