Diagnostic data generation apparatus, integrated circuit and method of generating diagnostic data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10049428-B2
Application number	US-201214390193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2012
Priority date	Apr 5, 2012
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A diagnostic data generation apparatus for a display controller comprises an underrun detector arranged to monitor, when in use, buffer depletion in order to detect an underrun condition. The underrun condition results from a data feed lag associated with a mismatch between a buffer fill rate and a predetermined output data rate. The underrun detector is arranged to generate diagnostic data in response to detection of the underrun condition, the diagnostic data identifying the underrun condition and a location in an array of pixels associated with the underrun condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A diagnostic data generation apparatus for a display controller, the apparatus comprising:
a buffer to store pixel data; and
an underrun detector coupled to the buffer, the underrun detector to monitor buffer depletion in order to detect an underrun condition, to generate diagnostic data in response to detection of the underrun condition, wherein the diagnostic data identifies the underrun condition and a location in an array of pixels associated with the underrun condition, and the location in the array of pixels associated with the underrun condition is X and Y coordinates of a viewable area of a display that are affected by the underrun condition.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the underrun detector is arranged to calculate the location in the array of pixels associated with the underrun condition.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the location in the array is calculated by identifying expected pixel data that is not available in response to a memory access.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the underrun detector is arranged to determine a plane associated with the underrun condition.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the diagnostic data includes data identifying the plane identified.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the underrun detector is arranged to determine a layer associated with the underrun condition.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the diagnostic data includes data identifying the layer identified.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the underrun detector is arranged to store the diagnostic data.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the stored diagnostic data is accessible by a debug unit.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the underrun detector is arranged to generate an interrupt in response to the detection of the underrun condition.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is included in a display controller.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:
an input buffer;
a memory access unit capable of loading image data from a memory into the input buffer at a memory access rate; and
an output at which processed image data is provided at the predetermined output rate.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is included in a system-on-chip.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , the system-on-chip comprising a display controller which includes the apparatus.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , the system-on-chip further comprising:
a processing unit; and
a memory.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the underrun condition results from a data feed lag associated with a mismatch between a buffer fill rate of the buffer and a predetermined output data rate.

17. A method of generating diagnostic data for a graphics controller, the method comprising:
monitoring buffer depletion in order to detect an underrun condition; and
generating diagnostic data in response to detection of the underrun condition, the diagnostic data identifying the underrun condition and a location in an array of pixels associated with the underrun condition, and the location in the array of pixels associated with the underrun condition is X and Y coordinates of a viewable area of a display that are affected by the underrun condition.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the underrun condition results from a data feed lag associated with a mismatch between a buffer fill rate of the buffer and a predetermined output data rate.

19. A method of generating diagnostic data for a graphics controller, the method comprising:
monitoring buffer depletion in order to detect an underrun condition resulting from a data feed lag associated with a mismatch between a buffer fill rate and a predetermined output data rate; and
generating diagnostic data in response to detection of the underrun condition, the diagnostic data identifying the underrun condition and a location in a viewable area of a display associated with the underrun condition, and the location of the viewable area of a display associated with the underrun condition is in X and Y coordinates.

Assignees

• Staudenmaier Michael
• Bajaj Kshitij
• Kumar Mehul
• Mcaslan Steven
• Mittal Sarthak
• Nxp Usa Inc

Inventors

• Staudenmaier Michael
• Bajaj Kshitij
• Kumar Mehul
• Mcaslan Steven
• Mittal Sarthak

Classifications

• G09G3/2092

  Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto (suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165) · CPC title

• G09G5/393

  Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory · CPC title

• G09G3/20 Primary

  for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix {no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters} · CPC title

• G09G5/005

  Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal · CPC title

• G09G5/36

  characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory · CPC title