Automatic part testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11436114-B2
Application number	US-202117379442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2021
Priority date	Dec 16, 2019
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

Automatic part testing includes: booting a part under testing into a first operating environment; executing, via the first operating environment, one or more test patterns on the part; performing a comparison between one or more observed characteristics associated with the one or more test patterns and one or more expected characteristics; and modifying one or more operational parameters of a central processing unit of the part based on the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of automatic part testing, the method comprising:
booting a computing system into a first operating system of a plurality of operating systems;
executing one or more test patterns on a part under testing within the computing system while in the first operating system;
performing a comparison between one or more observed characteristics associated with the one or more test patterns and one or more expected characteristics;
modifying one or more operational parameters of a central processing unit of the computing system based on the comparison; and
booting the computing system into a second operating system of the plurality of operating systems.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the one or more observed characteristics to one or more of a basic input/output system (BIOS) or a system management unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the one or more operational parameters of the central processing unit comprises applying an offset or a modification to a voltage frequency curve.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more observed characteristics comprise a failure state; and
modifying the one or more operational parameters comprises modifying the one or more operational parameters to avoid the failure state.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first operating system comprises a micro operating system separate from a primary operating system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second operating system comprises a primary operating system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein booting into the first operating system comprises loading the first operating system from basic input/output system read-only memory (BIOS ROM).

8. An apparatus for automatic part testing comprising at least one processor and memory, the apparatus configured to:
boot a computing system into a first operating system of a plurality of operating systems;
execute one or more test patterns on a part under testing within the computing system while in the first operating system;
perform a comparison between one or more observed characteristics associated with the one or more test patterns and one or more expected characteristics;
modify one or more operational parameters of a central processing unit of the computing system based on the comparison; and
boot the computing system into a second operating system of the plurality of operating systems.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further configured to provide the one or more observed characteristics to one or more of a basic input/output system (BIOS) or a system management unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein modifying the one or more operational parameters of the central processing unit comprises applying an offset or a modification to a voltage frequency curve.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the one or more observed characteristics comprise a failure state; and
wherein modifying the one or more operational parameters comprises modifying the one or more operational parameters to avoid the failure state.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first operating system is a micro operating system separate from a primary operating system.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second operating system is a primary operating system.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein booting into the first operating system comprises loading the first operating system from basic input/output system read-only memory (BIOS ROM).

15. A computer program product for automatic part testing, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform steps comprising:
booting a computing system into a first operating system of a plurality of operating systems;
executing one or more test patterns on a part under testing within the computing system while in the first operating system;
performing a comparison between one or more observed characteristics associated with the one or more test patterns and one or more expected characteristics;
modifying one or more operational parameters of a central processing unit of the computing system based on the comparison; and
booting the computing system into a second operating system of the plurality of operating systems.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the steps further comprise providing the one or more observed characteristics to one or more of a basic input/output system (BIOS) or a system management unit.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein modifying the one or more operational parameters of the central processing unit comprises applying an offset or a modification to a voltage frequency curve.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein:
the one or more observed characteristics comprise a failure state; and
wherein modifying the one or more operational parameters comprises modifying the one or more operational parameters to avoid the failure state.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the first operating system comprises a micro operating system separate from a primary operating system.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the second operating system comprises a primary operating system.

Assignees

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc

Inventors

• Mehra Amitabh
• Harwani Anil
• Alverson William R
• Ley Grant E
• Ahrens Jerry A
• Pratapgarhwala Mustansir M
• Swanstrom Scott E

Classifications

• G06F11/3668

  Testing of software · CPC title

• G06F11/263

  Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences {; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers} · CPC title

• G06F11/2289

  by configuration test · CPC title

• G06F11/2284

  by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST] · CPC title

• G06F11/2236 Primary

  to test CPU or processors · CPC title