Method and apparatus for transport of debug events between computer system components
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorRichard J. Glass
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Debug information is delivered over a general purpose interface. The debug information is delivered in packet format. These packets are referred to as Debug Event Packets (DEP). The debug event packets include a number of debug event bits that if set denote the occurrence of run-time programmable (selectable) debug events. The debug information packet also may include a debug parameter byte that allows one device to pass extra debug information to another device. The debug parameter byte may be associated with one of the debug event bits. The transfer of the debug event packets occurs in-band.
Claims23
An apparatus, comprising:
- an interface unit to transmit a debug event packet over a general purpose interconnect;
- logic to detect and accumulate any of a plurality of debug event assertions;
- logic to detect that at least one debug event assertion has been accumulated and to request transmission of the debug event packet;
- and
- an arbitration unit to arbitrate between the request for transmission of the debug event packet and requests for transmission of other types of packets via the general purpose interconnect, wherein the request for transmission of the debug event packet is assigned a priority higher than that of any other transmission request.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a local event detection and selection unit to detect the occurrence of debug events;
- and
- a debug event packet transmit logic unit, coupled to the local event detection and selection unit, to generate a debug event packet having one or more bits each indicating a detected debug event, wherein a request for transmission of the debug event packet is assigned a priority higher than that of any other transmission request;
- and
- an interface unit coupled to the device event packet transmit logic.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a debug event packet receive logic unit coupled to an interface unit to translate to receive a debug event packet and to translate the debug event packet into signal pulses, wherein a request for transmission of the debug event packet is assigned a priority higher than that of any other transmission request;
- and
- a local event select and response unit coupled to the debug event packet receive logic unit.
A system, comprising:
- a first device including an interface unit to transmit a debug event packet over a general purpose interconnect;
- and
- a second device coupled to the first device via the general purpose interconnect, the second device including:
- an interface unit coupled to the general purpose interconnect and the interface unit to receive the debug event packet;
- a debug event packet receive logic unit coupled to the interface unit to receive the debug event packet and to translate the debug event packet into signal a pulses, wherein the request for transmission of the debug event packet is assigned a priority higher than that of any other transmission request;
- a local event select and response unit coupled to the debug event packet receive logic unit.
A method, comprising:
- forming a debug event packet at a first device;
- arbitrating between a request for transmission of the debug event packet and requests for transmission of other types of packets via a general purpose interconnect, wherein the request for transmission of the debug event packet is assigned a priority higher than that of any other transmission request;
- and
- transmitting the debug event packet over the general purpose interconnect from the first device to a second device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.