Detecting floating point hardware failures
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorJohn W. Curry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for testing floating point hardware in a processor while executing a computer program is disclosed. The method includes executing a first set of code of the computer program without employing the floating point hardware. The first set of code has a first floating point operation, thereby obtaining an emulated result. The method also includes executing the first floating point instruction utilizing the floating point hardware, thereby obtaining a hardware-generated result. The method also includes comparing the emulated result with the hardware-generated result.
Claims27
A method for testing floating point hardware in a processor while executing a computer program, comprising:
- executing a first set of code of said computer program without employing said floating point hardware, said first set of code having a first floating point instruction, thereby obtaining an emulated result;
- executing said first floating point instruction utilizing said floating point hardware, thereby obtaining a hardware-generated result;
- and
- comparing said emulated result with said hardware-generated result.
A method for detecting failure in floating point hardware of a processor while executing a computer program, comprising:
- entering a diagnostic mode, including
- executing a first floating point operation of said computer program by emulating said floating point operation with a set of non-floating point operations, thereby obtaining an emulated result,
- executing said first floating point operation utilizing said floating point hardware, thereby obtaining a hardware-generated result, and
- comparing said emulated result with said hardware-generated result to detect said failure to detect said failure;
- determining whether diagnostic mode is to be continued;
- and
- resuming execution of said computer program in a non-diagnostic mode if said diagnostic mode is to be discontinued, said non-diagnostic mode involving performing floating point operations of said computer program without emulating with non-floating point operations.
An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code being configured to test floating point hardware in a processor while executing a computer program, comprising:
- computer readable code for executing a first set of code of said computer program without employing said floating point hardware, said first set of code having a first floating point instruction, thereby obtaining an emulated result;
- computer readable code for executing said first floating point instruction utilizing said floating point hardware, thereby obtaining a hardware-generated result;
- and
- computer readable code for comparing said emulated result with said hardware-generated result.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.