Method to couple integrated circuit packages to bonding pads having vias
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorJenny M. Pelner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved method of testing a computer system comprises a sequence of tests that are performed when the computer system is first turned on, according to one embodiment. The operation of various components of the computer system, such as a chipset, a random access memory, a cache memory, a video controller, a keyboard controller, peripheral memory controllers, busses, and the like, is tested by a test program stored in read only memory (ROM). If the components successfully pass, an address is permanently changed in ROM, so that the test sequence is bypassed whenever the computer system is subsequently booted, saving significant time during future reboots. An improved computer system and a machine-accessible medium are also described.
Claims27
A method comprising:
- starting a computer system comprising at least one component;
- determining whether the at least one component has previously been successfully tested;
- if not, testing the at least one component, and
- otherwise, not testing the at least one component, wherein if the at least one component is successfully tested, permanently storing an indication that the at least one component has been successfully tested;
- and
- wherein storing the indication is deferred until the computer system has successfully been started a predetermined number of times.
A computing device having at least one component and executing a computer program comprising the operations of:
- upon receiving a command to start the computing device, determining whether the at least one component has previously been successfully tested;
- and
- if not, testing the at least one component, and
- otherwise, not testing the at least one component, wherein if the at least one component is successfully tested, permanently storing an indication that the at least one component has been successfully tested;
- and
- wherein storing the indication is deferred until the computing device has successfully been started a predetermined number of times.
An article comprising a computational machine-accessible medium having associated instructions, wherein the instructions, when accessed, result in a computational machine comprising at least one component performing:
- upon receiving a command to start the machine, determining whether the at least one component has previously been successfully tested;
- if not, testing the at least one component, and
- otherwise, not testing the at least one component, wherein if the at least one component is successfully tested, permanently storing an indication that the at least one component has been successfully tested;
- and
- wherein storing the indication is deferred until the machine has successfully been started a predetermined number of times.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.