JPS62145331A - Fault detecting device for information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fine the fault of an electronic circuit accurately in a short time by varying a source voltage automatically in several stages and measuring a voltage supplied to the specific part of a logic circuit at every time. CONSTITUTION:A source voltage indicating means 4 sets the source voltage to an upper-limit, lower-limit, and several intermediate levels in consideration of the margin of the source voltage of the logic circuit 1, and the set voltage is outputted from a source voltage varying means 3. The voltage at the specific part of the logic circuit 1 is measured by a voltage measuring means 5, whose measured value is digitized and supplied to a comparing circuit 6. The comparing means 6, on the other hand, is supplied with an expected value from decision means and compares it with the digital value from said voltage measuring means 5. Then, the result of coincidence or dissidence between the both is stored in a storage part which is not shown in a figure and employed as diagnostic data.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a failure detection device for an information processing device.

[Conventional technology]

In an information processing device composed of a large number of logic circuits,
The power supply circuit that supplies driving power to these devices and the line that supplies the power supply voltage are required to have sufficient reliability.

Therefore, its functionality is inspected constantly or periodically.

For example, a device called a service processor for operation monitoring is attached to an information processing device, and if a large fluctuation in the power supply voltage occurs, certain measures are taken to prevent malfunction of each part of the device. Countermeasures are being taken, such as:

In addition to this, the service processor has the function of monitoring various abnormalities such as fluctuations in environmental temperature and taking countermeasures. It also has a maintenance diagnostic function to check whether the logic circuit is operating normally.

Logic circuits used in such information processing devices are usually designed with sufficient margin against fluctuations in power supply voltage. In other words, in the power supply or power supply voltage supply line,
It is designed to operate normally even if there is some voltage drop due to initial instability, aging, or changes in environmental conditions.

However, if a major abnormality occurs in the power supply voltage supply line or the like, malfunction may occur even within the allowable fluctuation range of the power supply voltage, that is, within the voltage margin.

In order to detect such a decrease in the voltage margin at an early stage, a test operation is performed in which the power supply voltage is changed as necessary and a diagnostic program or program for the operation of the logic circuit is executed.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the past, in this inspection work, the operation of the logic circuit was diagnosed while monitoring the output voltage of the power supply, and if a malfunction was discovered, it was not possible to immediately determine that the defect was in the comparator circuit or peripheral circuit. There were times when I couldn't do it.

This is the case when there is some kind of fault in the line from the power supply to this logic circuit. This may be caused by electric wires, connectors, etc., or may be caused by internal wiring of other nearby logic circuits.

Therefore, in the past, this inspection work involved connecting voltage measuring instruments to each part of the information processing equipment and performing the complicated work of checking whether the power supply voltage was being supplied normally. Ta.

The present invention has been made with attention to the above points, and is a fault detection device for an information processing device that can automatically diagnose whether or not an appropriate power supply voltage is being supplied to a predetermined portion of a logic circuit. The purpose is to provide the following.

[Means for solving problems]

A failure detection device for an information processing device according to the present invention includes a logic circuit;
a power supply voltage supply means for supplying a predetermined power supply voltage to the logic circuit; a power supply voltage changing means for raising or lowering the power supply voltage to change the power supply voltage; a power supply voltage instructing means for instructing the change width of the power supply voltage; a power supply voltage measuring means for measuring the power supply voltage supplied to a predetermined portion of the power supply voltage measuring means; a comparison means for comparing the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measuring means with a voltage corresponding to the instruction of the power supply voltage indicating means; and a comparison result thereof. The present invention is characterized in that it has a determining means for detecting a failure in the logic circuit from the above.

[Effect]

In this way, this device automatically changes the power supply voltage in several steps and measures the voltage supplied to a predetermined portion of the logic circuit each time. The measurement result is compared with the power supply voltage output from the power supply.

This makes it possible to check for faults such as an abnormal drop in the power supply voltage actually supplied to the logic circuit, and to promptly take countermeasures.

〔Example〕

The figure is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a failure detection device for an information processing device according to the present invention.

This device includes a logic circuit 1, a power supply voltage supply means 2 for supplying power supply voltage to the logic circuit 1, and a power supply voltage changing means 3.
, a power supply voltage indicating means 4 , a power supply voltage measuring means 5 for diagnosing the state of the voltage supplied to the logic circuit 1 , a comparing means 6 , and a determining means 7 .

The logic circuit 1 is composed of a large number of logic elements, and is composed of electric wires for supplying power supply voltage and various peripheral circuits.

The power supply voltage supply means 2 is a so-called constant voltage power supply, and is composed of known power supply circuit elements and the like that step down and rectify the commercial power supply.

A substantially constant power supply voltage 2a is output from here.

The power supply voltage changing means 3 is constituted by, for example, a so-called series regulator circuit consisting of a transistor (not shown) inserted in series with this power supply line.

This circuit is a circuit that can change the output voltage 3a within a certain range in response to a voltage instruction signal 4a manually input from the power supply voltage instruction means 4. Since the voltage instruction signal 4a inputted from the power supply voltage instruction means 4 is a digital signal, the power supply voltage changing means 3 also has a built-in D/A converter.

The power supply voltage indicating means 4 is stored in the maintenance/diagnosis device 10 together with the determining means 7, and the device power supply voltage measuring means 5, which is composed of a microprocessor and various peripheral circuits for its operation, is a power supply voltage changing means. This circuit is connected to a line for supplying power supply voltage from 3 to the logic circuit 1 or to a predetermined portion of the logic circuit 1, and measures the voltage.

This circuit is composed of a voltage conversion circuit, an A/D converter, etc., and outputs a digital signal corresponding to the measured voltage to the comparison means 6.

The comparison means 6 compares the output signal of the power supply voltage measurement means 5 with the
It compares the output signal of the determining means 7 and outputs, for example, a high level "1" signal when the two match, and a low level "O" signal when they do not match, and is composed of a multiplexer and the like.

The determination means 7 outputs a comparison signal corresponding to the voltage instruction signal 4a outputted from the power supply voltage instruction means 4 to the power supply voltage change means 3 to the comparison means 6, and compares the comparison result of the comparison means 6. This is a circuit that determines whether or not there is a fault in the logic circuit 1 based on the logic circuit 1.

The above device operates as follows.

Normally, when the information processing device uses the logic circuit 1 to perform calculations, the power supply voltage instruction means 4 changes the power supply voltage to a predetermined voltage instruction signal 4a so that the rated voltage is supplied to the logic circuit 1. Output to means 3.

On the other hand, the inspection work on the logic circuit proceeds as follows.

First, the power supply voltage instructing means 4 takes into account the margin of the power supply voltage of the logic circuit 1 and sets the power supply voltage at several intermediate levels between the upper and lower limits of the power supply voltage.

Then, a corresponding voltage instruction signal 4a is outputted so that the power supply voltage is outputted from the power supply voltage changing means 3.

The power supply voltage measuring means 5 measures the voltage of a predetermined portion of the logic circuit 1, converts it into a digital value, and outputs it to the comparing means 6.

Further, when the power supply voltage 3a corresponding to the voltage instruction signal 4a is output from the power supply voltage changing means 3, the determination means 7 calculates the predicted value of the voltage to be measured at the voltage to be measured part to the comparison circuit 6. A comparison result 6a with the actual measured value is received from the comparison means 6.

Then, the results of agreement and disagreement between the two are stored in a storage device (not shown) or the like.

Similar operations are repeated as many times as necessary within the above voltage margin.

The inspection results thus obtained are reported to the maintenance diagnosis device 10.

The maintenance diagnosis device 10 analyzes this result, and if, for example, the degree of discrepancy between the predicted value of the power supply voltage and the actual measured value is significant, it takes measures such as displaying a display or sounding an alarm buzzer to notify the operator of the occurrence of a fault. conduct.

[Modified example]

The failure detection device for an information processing device according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

The above inspection work may be performed in parallel with processing for determining malfunction of the logic circuit.

Further, the voltage measurement may be performed using a large number of measurement lines connected to each part of the logic circuit, and a changeover switch may be provided to connect the measurement lines and the power supply voltage measurement means.

In this case, by sequentially switching the connections of the switches and proceeding with the test, the above test can be performed on a wide area around the logic circuit.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The failure detection device for an information processing device according to the present invention described above includes:
Since it is possible to easily detect power supply voltage failures without having to attach or detach instruments for voltage measurement or perform various complicated operations, the reliability of the information processing device can be further improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a failure detection device for an information processing device according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Logic circuit, 2...Power supply voltage supply means, 3...Power supply voltage changing means, 4...Power supply voltage instruction means, 5... . . . power supply voltage measuring means, 6 . . . comparison means, 7 . . . determination means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A logic circuit, a power supply voltage supply means for supplying a predetermined power supply voltage to the logic circuit, a power supply voltage changing means for changing the power supply voltage by raising or lowering the power supply voltage, and a power supply voltage instructing means for instructing a change width of the power supply voltage. , a power supply voltage measuring means for measuring the power supply voltage supplied to a predetermined portion of the logic circuit, and a comparison means for comparing the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measuring means and the voltage corresponding to the instruction from the power supply voltage indicating means. , a failure detection device for an information processing apparatus, comprising a determining means for detecting a failure in the logic circuit from the comparison result.