JPS5916360B2 - Storage device diagnostic method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a diagnostic method for a storage device that avoids destruction of stored information.

A method of inspecting the storage area of a normal storage device is a method of inspecting stored information, for example, a method of indirectly diagnosing by adding a check code such as a parity bit or CRC to the information and inspecting this information. A method is used in which a predetermined test pattern is written in an area to be inspected of a storage device, and then immediately read out, and it is verified that the read data corresponds to the predetermined test pattern. However, the former method has a drawback that, for example, when a parity bit is added, if the data at two locations are reversed, it becomes normal, so the area to be inspected is not inspected.

In the latter method, although the area to be diagnosed is certainly inspected, the data of the test pattern is written in the area to be diagnosed, so the stored information is destroyed.

This can be applied to devices equipped with a program loading function such as initial program loading, for example, but it is also applicable to CMOS devices that are battery supported. In a device that stores programs in RAM,
It has the disadvantage that 0 processing cannot be continued thereafter. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to eliminate the above drawbacks, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage device diagnostic method that can reliably diagnose each storage area of a storage device without destroying stored information. 5
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a save section for saving stored information, saves the information in the diagnosis area immediately before diagnosis, and stores it again in the diagnosis area when the diagnosis is completed. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 0 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, in which CpU
is the processor, MEM is the memory, ■ is the keyboard, RE
G1 to n are registers, AB and DB are address buses and data buses respectively, COMP is a comparator, SV is a save area, ADS is a start address data area, 5ADE is an end address data area, TPD is a test pattern data storage area, IPR is Initial program area, A1-A
x is an address. l■■0 - In the case of this example, A1
The area from Ai to Ai is allocated as the area to be diagnosed, and address A1 is stored in the start address data area ADS, and Ai is stored in the end address data area ADE. Also, both the address bus AB and the data data bus DB are buses for one word. A line exists.

Therefore, each unit storage area in the memory MEM (1 word) is stored in the initial program area 1PR.The program indicating the diagnostic procedure is stored in the initial program area 1PR, and can be accessed from the keyboard KB when the power is turned on or to execute the diagnostic program. It is read out to the processor CPU when it is activated.In addition, each number 1 to [phase] in the figure indicates the order of operation.The operation will be explained next. When activated, the processor CPU reads the address A1 from the start address data area ADS via the data bus DB into, for example, the register REGl.The two processor CPUs read the address A1 stored in this register REGl.
1 to address bus AB to designate address A1 of memory MEM.

3. The information stored in the storage area at address A1 of the memory MEM is stored in a register of the processor CPU, for example, register RE.
Read into G2.

The processor CPU transfers the address bus A so that the memory information read into the 4 register REG2 is saved to the save area SV.
The storage information is output to the address Ajl data bus DB at address B and written into the memory.

5. Next, the address AP is designated to read the test pattern data from the storage area TPD to the register REG3.

Address A1 stored in register REG1 is output to address bus AB, and register REG3 is output to address bus AB.
The test pattern data selectively stored in the memory MEM is outputted to the data bus DB and written to the address A1 of the memory MEM.

Memory MEM in the next cycle of 7 write cycles (6)
The test pattern data written to the address A1 is stored in the read register REG4.

Comparator COMP inside the 8-processor CPU register R
Combine the contents of EG4 and REG3.

9, the information saved from the address Aj of the save area SV is read into the register REG2.

[Phase] Transfer the saved information read to the register REG2 to the storage area at address A1 and rewrite it. In the next cycle after the fifth write cycle, the number of units is added to the address data stored in the register REGl, in this case address A1, so that the address indicates the next area of the area that has been diagnosed.

In this embodiment, one address can specify one word and the test pattern data is also composed of one word, so the address is incremented by +1. When +1 is added to the @address data to become the address A2, the address Am is specified on the address bus AB, and the data in the end address data area ADE, in this case 0 address Ai'', is stored in the read register REG4.

◎Next, end address 6A stored in register REG4
i'' and the address A2 of the next area to be diagnosed stored in the register REGl are compared by the comparator COMP.

O If they do not match here, the address data of the register REGl is output to the address bus AB in the same manner as in step 2, and steps 2 to 9 are repeated in the same manner. O [Phase] The address of the register REGl is the end address data area AD.
If it matches the address indicated by E, the diagnostic program is terminated after diagnosing the area of address Ai.

In addition, if the test pattern data and read data do not match the predetermined ones, an alarm etc. will be generated,
It is also possible to display on a display (not shown) which bit position has been erroneous. As described above, according to the present invention, the memory contents are not destroyed and the diagnosis can be made reliably, so it is very effective in practical use. It is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is an explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, in which CPU is a processor, KB is a keyboard, MEM is a memory, AB,
DB is an address bus and a data bus, respectively.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 After writing predetermined test pattern data to each storage area of the storage device that stores information,
In a diagnostic method for a storage device that compares the test pattern data before writing and the test pattern data after reading, the storage area of the storage device includes a storage section for a diagnostic program, a storage section for the test pattern data, and an information storage section. A storage area for the area diagnosis means consisting of a save section, a diagnosis start area designation part, and a diagnosis end area designation part is provided, and the diagnosis start area designation part and the diagnosis end area are stored in areas other than the storage area in the storage device. The range of the area to be diagnosed in the storage area is specified by the area data written in the area specification section, and from the time when the test pattern data is written until the diagnosis of the area to be diagnosed in which the test pattern data is written is completed. A diagnostic method for a storage device, characterized in that information of the area to be diagnosed is saved in the saving section.