JPH0324636A - Fault detecting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain highly reliable fault detection even when a fatal fault occurs in a device whose fault is to be detected by reading out the contents of a non- volantile storage medium capable of writing fault information detected in a advice and attachably/detachably connected with another device. CONSTITUTION:The fault of an electronic device 1 whose fault is to be detected is detected by a storage medium 2 attachably/detachably mounted on the device 1 through a built-in CPV or the like and a detected result is written in the medium 2. When the medium 2 is fixed to an electronic device 3 for displaying a fault and the stored contents are read out, a fault detecting method capable of highly accurately detecting the fault can be obtained even when the fatal fault occurs in the device 1.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a failure detection method, and more particularly to a failure detection method for detecting a failure occurring in an electronic device.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in this type of fault detection method, faults have been detected by displaying fault information of a fault occurring in an electronic device by the device itself.

In such conventional fault detection methods, faults were detected by displaying fault information on the electronic device itself. If a failure occurs in the output circuit for detecting failure and failure information cannot be displayed, there is a drawback that failure detection cannot be performed.

Furthermore, it is necessary to provide a means for indicating a failure for each electronic device, which is disadvantageous in that it is costly.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional devices as described above, and is capable of highly reliable failure detection even if a fatal failure occurs in the device to be detected. The purpose of this invention is to provide a failure detection method that can reduce costs.

Structure of the Invention The failure detection method according to the present invention includes a nonvolatile storage medium that can be freely attached to and removed from a device, and a writing means for writing failure information detected in the device to the storage medium, The present invention is characterized in that the failure information written in the storage medium by the writing means is read out by another device to detect a failure.

Embodiment Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a horizontal view of one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, in an electronic device 1 targeted for failure detection, a CPU (central processing unit) 10 is connected to a human power signal line lo.
The A/D (analog/digital) converter (not shown) in the human interface 11 due to disconnection or short circuit of t.
detects a signal at an abnormal level, or the output signal detection circuit 13 detects a signal at a level inconsistent with the signal from the CPU 10 due to a failure of a transistor (not shown) in the output interface 12 or a disconnection or short circuit in the output signal line 102. When a signal is detected, a failure is determined, and a code corresponding to each failure is sent to the storage medium 2 via the bus line 103.
write to.

The storage medium 2 is detachable from the electronic device 1, and the storage medium 2 is a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read from the CPUIO, such as an IC card equipped with a non-volatile memory or an EEPROM (Electrical Calculator).
iy Brasable Programw+able
Read Only Memory), etc.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. The operation of one embodiment of the present invention will be explained using these FIGS. 1 to 3.

When a failure occurs in the electronic device 1 to be detected, the CPUIO detects the failure (Step 2 in Figure 2).
1).

When the cpuio detects the failure, it encodes the failure information of the failure according to predetermined rules and writes it into the storage medium 2 (step 22 in FIG. 2).

The storage medium 2 storing the encoded failure information is removed from the electronic device 1 as necessary and replaced with the electronic device 3 for failure display.

The electronic device 3 reads the failure information stored in the storage medium 2 and displays the failure information (Stennob 23 in FIG. 2). Thereby, a failure of the electronic headpiece 1 is detected from the failure information.

In this way, the r111
- writes the failure information of the failure detected by the CPU 10 to the non-destructive storage medium 2, and causes the failure information stored in the storage medium 2 to be continuously displayed on the failure display electronic device '3. As a result, even if a fatal failure occurs in the fJr device 1, reliable detection of the fault can be performed.

In addition, since there is no need to add a device for indicating a failure to each electronic device to be detected, the device can be made smaller and
Cost can be reduced.

Further, by reading out the failure information stored in the storage medium 2 with the electronic device 3 for failure display, it is also possible to perform detailed and sophisticated analysis of the failure information.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the CPUIO is used to detect failures and write failure information to the storage medium 2, but it is also possible to detect failures and write failure information to the storage medium 2 by dedicated means. You may do so, but you are not limited to this.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, failure information detected in the apparatus is written in a nonvolatile storage medium that can be freely attached to and removed from the apparatus, and the failure information written in this storage medium is written. By detecting failures by reading them with other devices, even if a fatal failure occurs in the device to be detected, highly reliable failure detection can be performed and costs can be reduced. There is an effect.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of symbols of main parts 1...Electronic device to be detected for failure 2...
Storage medium 10...CPU3...
Electronic device for fault indication

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) It has a non-volatile storage medium that can be freely attached to and removed from the device, and a writing means for writing failure information detected in the device to the storage medium, and the writing means writes information to the storage medium. 1. A failure detection method characterized in that a failure is detected by reading the received failure information by another device.