Back to results
US 6,889,344 B2Granted
System and method for exposing hidden events on system buses
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorDerek Edward Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system. In accordance with the method of the present invention, an event that corresponds to a state associated with one or more internal chip signals is detected by embedded detection logic. In response to an asserted diagnostic enable flag, the event is recorded within a designated diagnostic transaction queue within an interface device that drives an off-chip system interconnect. The event is encoded within a diagnostic packet that is issued onto the off-chip system interconnect from the interface device.
Claims24
A method for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system, said method comprising:
- detecting an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- responsive to the detection of said event, recording an occurrence of said event within an interface device that drives a system address bus having active cycles during which data access transactions are delivered and inactive cycles during which data access transactions are not delivered;
- and
- broadcasting the detected event by issuing a packet denoting the occurrence of the event from said interface device to the system address bus, said issuing step comprising delivering the packet on said system address bus only during inactive cycles.
1 more element
A system for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system, said system comprising:
- detecting an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- responsive to said detecting an event, recording an occurrence of said event within a bus interface unit operating in a data storage system, said bus interface unit driving an off-chip system interconnect utilized to transmit non-diagnostic transactions within said data processing system, said bus interface unit programmed to identify a given packet on said system interconnect in accordance with a transaction type field encoded within said given packet, wherein said recording step comprises:
- identifying said packet as a diagnostic packet from data encoded within said transaction type field;
- and
- in response to said identifying step, storing said diagnostic packet within a diagnostic transaction queue;
- and
- broadcasting said detected event by issuing a packet from said bus interface unit denoting the occurrence of said event onto said off-chip system interconnect, said issuing step preceded by setting a transaction type identifier within said packet, wherein said transaction type identifier identifies said packet as a diagnostic packet.
4 more elements
A method for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system, said method comprising:
- detecting an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- broadcasting said detected event on an off-chip system interconnect that is utilized to transmit non-diagnostic transactions within said data processing system;
- retrieving said packet from said off-chip system interconnect at a diagnostic logging device;
- extracting diagnostic data from said packet;
- and
- delivering said diagnostic data to a trace array logic device or a logic analyzer.
3 more elements
A method for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system, said method comprising:
- utilizing a detection logic element to detect an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- responsive to detecting said event, recording an occurrence of said event within an interface device included within a data storage device, said interface device driving said off-chip system interconnect, said recording including delivering an event detection signal from said detection logic element to said interface device;
- and
- broadcasting said detected event on an off-chip system interconnect that is utilized to transmit non-diagnostic transactions within said data processing system.
1 more element
A system for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system, said system comprising:
- processing means for detecting an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- processing means responsive to the detection of said event for recording an occurrence of said event within an interface device that drives a system address bus having active cycles during which data access transactions are delivered and inactive cycles during which data access transactions are not delivered;
- and
- processing means for broadcasting the detected event by issuing a packet denoting the occurrence of the event from said interface device to the system address bus, said issuing step comprising delivering the packet on said system address bus only during inactive cycles.
1 more element
A system for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system said system comprising:
- processing means for detecting an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- processing means responsive to said detecting for recording an occurrence of said event within a bus interface unit operating in a data storage system, said bus interface unit driving an off-chip system interconnect utilized to transmit non-diagnostic transactions within said data processing system, said bus interface unit programmed to identify a given packet on said system interconnect in accordance with a transaction type field encoded within said given packet;
- processing means for identifying said packet as a diagnostic packet from data encoded within said transaction type field;
- and
- processing means responsive to said identifying said packet as a diagnostic packet for storing said diagnostic packet within a diagnostic transaction queue;
- and
- processing means for broadcasting said detected event by issuing a packet from said bus interface unit denoting the occurrence of said event onto said off-chip system interconnect said issuing step preceded by setting a transaction type identifier within said packet, wherein said transaction type identifier identifies said packet as a diagnostic packet.
4 more elements
A system for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system, said system comprising:
- processing means for detecting an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- processing means for broadcasting said detected event on an off-chip system interconnect that is utilized to transmit non-diagnostic transactions within said data processing system;
- processing means for retrieving said packet from said off-chip system interconnect at a diagnostic logging device;
- processing means for extracting diagnostic data from said packet;
- and
- processing means for delivering said diagnostic data to a trace array logic device or a logic analyzer.
3 more elements
A method for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system, said system comprising:
- a detection logic element for detecting an event responsive to a state within an integrated circuit chip;
- processing means responsive to detecting said event for recording an occurrence of said event within an interface device included within a data storage device, said interface device driving said off-chip system interconnect, said recording including delivering an event detection signal from said detection logic element to said interface device;
- and
- processing means for broadcasting said detected event on an off-chip system interconnect that is utilized to transmit non-diagnostic transactions within said data processing system.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.