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US 7,096,385 B1Granted
Method and system for testing a microprocessor
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsRichard G. Fant, Kevin E. Ayers, Paul B. Hokanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for testing a microprocessor. The method includes executing debug application software on an external device, downloading diagnostic program instructions from the external device to a cache memory within the microprocessor via a serial test interface. Once the diagnostic program instructions are loaded into the cache memory, the method includes executing the diagnostic program instructions from within the cache memory.
Claims10
A method for testing a microprocessor comprising:
- executing debug application software on an external device;
- downloading diagnostic program instructions from said external device to a cache memory within said microprocessor via a serial test interface;
- executing said diagnostic program instructions from within said cache memory;
- wherein executing said diagnostic program instructions includes setting execution flags within a general-purpose register within said microprocessor prior to executing a breakpoint;
- returning execution control to said debug application software in response to executing said breakpoint;
- and
- said debug application software reading said execution flag settings and executing predetermined tasks including displaying a predetermined text string on a display in response to reading a corresponding string ID value from said general-purpose register based upon said execution flag settings.
4 more elements
A system for testing a microprocessor comprising:
- an external device configured to execute debug application software;
- and
- a motherboard including a test port coupled between said external device and said microprocessor via a communication link;
- wherein said debug application software is configured to cause diagnostic program instructions to be transmitted through said communication link to a cache memory within said microprocessor via a serial test interface;
- wherein said debug application software is further configured to cause said microprocessor to execute said diagnostic program instructions from said cache memory;
- wherein said diagnostic program instructions are configured to set execution flags within a general-purpose register within said microprocessor prior to executing a breakpoint, and to return execution control to said debug application software in response to executing said breakpoint;
- and
- wherein said debug application software is further configured to read said execution flag settings and based upon said execution flag settings, to execute predetermined tasks including displaying a predetermined text string on a display of said external device in response to reading a corresponding string ID value from said general-purpose register.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.