Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Testing or debugging
Reexamination Certificate
1997-02-18
2003-09-09
Lao, Sue (Department: 2126)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Testing or debugging
Reexamination Certificate
active
06618854
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of microprocessor and microcontroller evaluation and testing, and in particular it relates to an integrated evaluation and debug environment that can be remotely accessed over the Internet or other data communication system.
BACKGROUND
Integrated Debug Environments (IDE) are well known in the art of electronic design and integrated circuit testing and evaluation. An IDE is a combination of hardware and software elements that permits an engineer to operate and test an integrated circuit such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller (collectively referred to as “processors”), which is usually incorporated into an electronic system including other connected elements such as, for example, memory, clocks, and input/output circuitry (hereinafter referred to as the “target system”). An IDE typically provides an engineer or programmer with a substantial amount of control and insight into the detailed workings of the target system, allowing the user to control the input signals, the memory contents, the speed of operation, and other aspects of the target's operation. An IDE typically also allows the user to observe the operation of the target in detail, typically using a logic analyzer and other devices to monitor various externally observable circuit elements, as well as the processor state at selected points during program execution. An IDE may also interface with in-circuit emulation functionality that may be built into the target system, which can allow the user to obtain information regarding even the internal operation of an integrated circuit, such as a microprocessor. An IDE provides an interface for a user to do something as simple as running a program on the target system and observing the output, or as complex as debugging a sophisticated program that is run by a microcontroller that is installed in an operating product, such as a computer or a printer. Debugging may include determining where a program is not behaving as expected and why, and may involve taking control of the clock, memory, I/O and other aspects of the target system and comprehensively analyzing the behavior of the processor in response to various combinations of stimuli. An engineer can also use an IDE to “tune” a system to optimize performance.
Setting up an IDE can be a costly undertaking. Each person or company who wants to evaluate a processor or to debug a program running on a certain processor must set up and configure an IDE for that processor. Referring to
FIG. 1
, an IDE typically includes a host computer
104
including target control software and appropriate software toolsets (compilers, linkers, library files, locators, etc.), a target system
108
(which is often a printed circuit board holding the target device and peripheral components), memory emulator
110
, debug monitor
112
, logic analyzer
114
, appropriate connectors
116
, and a user interface
106
(typically a computer or workstation with appropriate software) having a connection
106
to the host computer. Memory emulator
110
may alternatively be a ROM emulator or an overlay memory, and it may be connected to the target system
108
directly or through a debug monitor or other means familiar to those skilled in the art. The software toolset must be available for producing code that is executable on the target system. Such a toolset typically includes compilers, linkers, locators, interpreters and debuggers, which are typically specialized for taking a program from a particular high level language (e.g. C++) and turning it into code that can be executed on a particular target (e.g. a 486-class microprocessor). Additional capabilities may be provided by browsers, profilers and assorted libraries. In order to evaluate a target device or to debug a program, a complete IDE system must be obtained or constructed for each target to be tested or debugged, at the cost of acquiring all of the required hardware and software, plus the (often substantial) cost of installing, configuring, and debugging the IDE system. This cost is often too high to allow an engineer to evaluate how a program will run on each of several different microcontrollers, so the engineer has to select one or a few target devices to test, because the cost of setting up an IDE to test additional target devices is prohibitive. A system is needed where a shared IDE can be set up at a central location to perform test and debug functions for a particular target system, or a class of target systems, such that the IDE can be accessed by remote users. The desired system would allow the debug operation to be completely controlled by the user from a remote location, as though the user were physically operating the IDE host machine locally.
The user interface of a modern IDE is itself a complex computer program, or a collection of programs. The user interface of an IDE is typically installed on a computer that is dedicated, at least in part, to operating the IDE. The user interface computer is usually either directly connected to the IDE host computer (or it may be the host computer), or it is connected to the host computer by a private network. Interface software is typically platform specific, so that a different user interface program is typically required for each type of computer (e.g. x86, Sparc, HP, Macintosh) that may be used as an interface. Furthermore, the user must locate, acquire, install and debug the user interface software on a suitable computer before the IDE can be used. A user interface is desired that can be easily located, downloaded over a network and installed on a user's machine so that it will be a simple task to set up a fully functional user interface at a location remote from the host computer, so that the interface could communicate with the host over a network, eliminating the need for the user to be physically proximate to the host machine.
FIG. 2
shows a prior, remotely accessible target device testing system
200
, known to the inventor, in which host computer
204
was located in a central location. Referring to
FIG. 2
, several different processors were configured into target systems
202
A-D which were attached to host computer
204
, such that programs generated by the host could be executed on target systems
202
as selected by a user. A user could connect a remote computer
206
to host system
204
, using modems
208
A-B to communicate across telephone network
210
. The user would use a command line interface to have a computer program run on a selected target system
208
under the control of host
204
. The program's output was then returned to user's computer
206
via the modems
208
A-B and phone system
210
. To use this system, the user only needed basic telecommunication software and a modem; the interface permitted only limited control of the debug environment. While this system was useful for certain limited applications, it was not a substitute for a full-fledged debug environment, and it did not lend itself well to allowing customers to dial-in to experiment with the target devices.
It is desired to provide a full-featured IDE, with one or more associated target systems, that is fully operable from a remote location. In other words, it is desirable for a remote user to have an interface to a comprehensive debug system that is similar or identical to an interface that is typically used with a local IDE system. Such a system is not known to exist in the prior art. It is further desirable for a remote user to be able to obtain the interface software that is required at the remote location by downloading it from a host computer, and it is desirable that the interface software be operable on many types of computers that remote users may be using. It is further desirable for a system that provides a familiar interface to a remote user who is accustomed to operating IDE systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above-referenced deficiencies in the prior art are addressed by the present invention, which provides a remotely accessible, fu
Advanced Micro Devices , Inc.
Fletcher Yoder
Lao Sue
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