Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing architecture – Array processor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-06
2001-02-13
Pan, Daniel H. (Department: 2783)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing
Processing architecture
Array processor
C712S027000, C712S032000, C712S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189084
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a debugging method and a monitoring method for an analysis instrument having detectors such as an infrared gas concentration detector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Concentrations of impurity elements (analysis value) in a metal have been determined with a metal analysis instrument by carrying out arithmetic operations with a microcomputer according to a specific arithmetic operation program on detected value obtained by a detector. In such a metal analysis instrument, there is present noise due to high-frequency emissions or large electric currents handled therein. Consequently, data stored in a hard disk or the like may easily be destroyed. As a result, analysis value may involve errors due to faults in software such as the arithmetic operation program.
One of the measures which can be taken in such a case is to dispatch a developer's programmer in the field. Another corrective measure is to investigate the cause of the problem which requires debugging through telephone communications between the programmer and the user, with the programmer using the developer's metal analysis instruments at the programmer's site to reproduce the problem in question.
However, dispatching a programmer requires a significant amount of expenditure and time. When the trouble is reproduced on the metal analysis instrument at the programmer's site, precise information cannot be communicated over the telephone, and it is difficult to reproduce the subtleties of the situation in detail. Further, after a remedy has been made, a medium for storing the software must be sent, thus incurring a transportation expenditure. Consequently, such measures as described above are not economical and are not capable of providing quick fixes for bugs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the situation described above, the present invention provides a method of on-line debugging for the metal analysis instrument, wherein a monitoring computer is connected to the metal analysis instrument via communication means such as public access networks. However, before debugging the arithmetic operation program, it is necessary to check hardware such as the detector to make sure there is no trouble therein by directly operating the metal analysis instrument. Such a problem occurs not only when debugging but also when installing.
Thus a major object of the invention is to provide a debugging method for an analysis instrument which makes it possible to debug a user's analysis instrument from a remote developer's premise.
Another object of the invention is to provide a monitoring method for an analysis instrument which is capable of remotely checking the hardware of a detecting system as to determine whether trouble exists or not.
The debugging method of the invention can be applied to an analysis instrument provided with a feeder which supplies samples to be analyzed to a detector, with the detector analyzing the sample and outputting a detected value, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer processes the detected value according to contents stored in a storage device of the microcomputer, thereby calculating an analysis value. According to the debugging method for the analysis instrument, a debugging computer is connected to the microcomputer of the analysis instrument via remote communication means and is checked as to whether a problem exists in the detector or the feeder via the communication means. The content of the storage device for calculating the analysis value is then debugged by the debugging computer via the communication means.
According to the invention, the word “analysis” refers to determining a part or all of the chemical constituents of a substance qualitatively, or quantitatively. The “remote communication means” includes radio communication means as well as telephone circuitry which connects the microcomputer of the analysis instrument and the debugging computer. Also, the word “connect” refers to making a device accessible.
The word “bug” refers to an error in a program, or an error in a variable or function related to the program. “Debugging” refers to correcting a bug. “Content of storage device” to be debugged refers to the arithmetic operation program stored in the storage device or data or function used in executing the arithmetic operation program. Data and function used in executing the arithmetic operation program include correction coefficients intrinsic to the analysis instrument, gas correction coefficients and calibration curves.
According to the invention, an analysis instrument can be debugged via communication means. Consequently, it is not necessary to dispatch a programmer to the site where the analysis instrument is used, or to reproduce the problem on a (developer's) analysis instrument at the programmer's site. It is also economical because transportation expenditure is not incurred after correction. Also, because there is no time spent in dispatching personnel or sending the debugged object, troubles can be corrected quickly.
Also according to the invention, there is a check as to whether trouble exists in the detector or the feeder before debugging the contents of the storage device. As a result, errors in the analysis value can be limited to bugs in the contents of the storage device, and, therefore, unnecessary time and labor can be eliminated.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, intermediate variables which are handled after the detected value is obtained and before the analytical value is obtained are sent to an output device of the debugging computer via the communication means. In this embodiment, the intermediate variables which cannot be sent by the microcomputer of the analysis instrument can be sent to an output device of a debugging personal computer. Therefore, the location of a bug in the software during the analysis process can be precisely determined.
It is also unnecessary to add a debugging program, which is used for checking the intermediate variables irrelevant to the essential functions of the analysis instrument, to the contents of the storage device of the user's microcomputer. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the analysis instrument of the invention.
The analysis instrument to which the monitoring method of the invention is applied has a furnace for generating gas from a metal which includes impurities, a gas concentration detector which detects the impurities in the gas and outputs a detected value, a feeder which supplies the gas generated in the furnace to the gas concentration detector, a microcomputer and multiple types of detecting means for checking operation status. The microcomputer processes, according to the detected value from the gas concentration detector, an arithmetic operation program stored in a storage device, thereby calculating the concentration of the impurity element included in the metal and outputs the value of concentration. The detecting means for checking operation status checks the operation status of each component device of the gas concentration detector and the feeder. The monitoring method of the analysis instrument is comprised of a step of connecting a monitoring computer to the microcomputer via remote communication means, a step of transmitting testing information from the detecting means for checking operation status via the communication means to the monitoring computer, and a step of sending the testing information to an output device of the monitoring computer.
According to the invention, the method for “generating gas from a metal” includes, in addition to the generation of gas through chemical reaction such as burning of the metal in a furnace, generation of gas through a change in status by evaporating substances included in the metal.
“The detecting means for checking operation status” is not limited to detectors and measuring devices installed in the component devices of the metal analysis instrument, but also includes means for judging the operation status from preset values stored in the micr
Horiba Ltd.
Nguyen Dzung C.
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
Pan Daniel H.
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