Method and apparatus for HASS testing of busses under programmable control

A testing apparatus for testing a bus system of an electronic device, the bus system including a bus interface coupled with a bus characterized by a number of parameters, the testing apparatus comprising:

• a mechanism embedded in the device for injecting a set of stimulus patterns on the bus;
• a mechanism embedded in the device for collecting information regarding operation of the electronic device corresponding to the stimulus patterns, including information identifying any error resulting from the set of stimulus patterns;
• a mechanism for comparing the collected information with corresponding information collected during baseline testing;
• a mechanism for determining, in cooperation with the comparing mechanism, whether the device is operating within a predetermined set of operating specifications;
• and
• a mechanism embedded in the device for adjusting values of one or more of the parameters by varying one or more electronic characteristics of the bus interface in response to a set of digital control signals to obtain a set of operating and signaling parameters of the bus interface that cause the device to operate within the predetermined set of specifications.

A tuning apparatus for testing and adjusting a bus system of an electronic device, the bus system including a bus interface coupled with a bus characterized by a number of parameters, the tuning apparatus comprising:

• a mechanism embedded in the device for injecting a set of stimulus patterns on the bus;
• a mechanism embedded in the device for collecting information regarding operation of the electronic device corresponding to the stimulus patterns, including information identifying any error resulting from the set of stimulus patterns;
• a mechanism embedded in the device for adjusting values of one or more of the parameters by varying one or more electronic characteristics of the bus interface in response to a set of digital control signals to obtain a set of operating and signaling parameters of the bus interface that cause the device to operate within the predetermined set of specifications;
• and
• a mechanism for selecting a set of values of the parameters that provide a desired performance of the bus system, and for causing the adjusting mechanism to adjust the parameters to the selected set of values.