GB1516538A - Arrangement for testing a peripheral associated with a data processing - Google Patents

Abstract

1516538 Testing data processing peripheral units COMPAGNIE INTERNATIONALE POUR L'INFORMATION CII-HONEYWELL BULL 15 Oct 1975 [28 Oct 1974] 42333/75 Heading G1U [Also in Division G4] Faulty peripheral equipment of a data processing unit is tested under the control of a stored programme which provides excitation signals to the circuits in the peripheral equipment, digital and analogue signals at test points therein being converted to logic levels and fed via multi-plexing to an analyzing arrangement which identifies the fault. The peripheral P1 e.g. a disc store has circuitry TEST controlling its various functions e.g. analogue circuitry for disc rotation control, digital circuitry for read/write head control, position sensing and write/scan control, Fig. 7 (not shown). These circuits have associated test points e.g. PA 1 PA 2 (analogue) and PL 1 - PL 8 (digital). The data processor central unit P2 has stored therein a test programme operative when the peripheral malfunctions Figs. 6a, 6b (not shown). Programme signals are sent to a control circuit COM Fig. 4 (not shown) which in response triggers setting circuit INIT to reset stores M1, M2 to zero, and signal back to control COM. Multi-plexers MULT are then set to relay selected information from their inputs SPA1, SPA2 and SPL1-SPL8 to the central unit P2 which contains analysis unit EXAM. Control COM also supplies excitation signals STi to the circuit under test, these being equivalent to normal operating conditions. The digital signals (logic levels or pulses) at the digital test points PL1-PL8 pass via circuit TRANS which converts them to logic levels and feeds them to the multi-plexers MULT. The analogue test point signals are compared to reference levels in comparators El, E2, stored Ml, M2 and also fed to the multi-plexers. The selected information is passed to analysis unit EXAM which compares the results to a list TAB representing correct responses and fault responses. If a fault response is detected, a stored dictionary DIC is consulted, which provides an identification of the fault. If no fault is found, the stored programme progresses to monitor other test points or alter the input conditions.