|Publication number||US8065576 B2|
|Application number||US 12/611,775|
|Publication date||Nov 22, 2011|
|Filing date||Nov 3, 2009|
|Priority date||Dec 22, 2000|
|Also published as||US7139947, US7627797, US20020083387, US20060248426, US20100050019|
|Publication number||12611775, 611775, US 8065576 B2, US 8065576B2, US-B2-8065576, US8065576 B2, US8065576B2|
|Inventors||David E. Miner, Steven J. Tu, Scott W. Murray|
|Original Assignee||Intel Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (35), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (2), Classifications (8), Legal Events (1)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/477,837, filed Jun. 29, 2006, entitled “TEST ACCESS PORT”, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,627,797 on Dec. 1, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/746,676, filed Dec. 22, 2000, entitled “TEST ACCESS PORT”, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,139,947 on Nov. 21, 2006.
This disclosure relates to the testing of multi-core processors.
2. Background Information
A Test Access Port (TAP) typically comprises a 4 or 5-pin serial test interface that is compliant with the IEEE 1149.1 specification. IEEE Standard Test Access Port and Boundary-Scan Architecture, IEEE Std 1149.1 a-1993. It may be used as an access mechanism to implement a boundary scan architecture, as well as other test modes employed to implement the Design For Testability (DFT) methodology on a given integrated circuit (IC). Traditional microprocessor designs have employed a TAP as a mechanism for testing.
A TAP typically has multiple uses. For example, when testing a chip, it is used in a test and manufacturing environment to help debug the chip. As another example, in a system environment, a TAP is used to perform board level interconnect testing between two or more board level components.
As the trend towards higher integration on a given piece of silicon continues, a new class of microprocessors, multi-core microprocessors, have appeared. Traditional microprocessors typically include a block of circuitry which substantially includes the core functions of the processor (hereafter, the “processor core”) and one or more circuit blocks which substantially contain non-core functions, such as, for example, comprising cache, front side bus logic, pads, etc. (hereafter, the “non-processor core” or “non-core”). In contrast, multi-core processors may contain or include a plurality of processor cores and one or more non-processor cores.
Typically, the processor core houses a TAP for the processor. By substantially duplicating the processor core on the integrated circuit (IC), the number of TAPs will, therefore, be increased in this situation. This would potentially increase the number of pins for the IC package. In addition, there may potentially be increases in test time and test vector depth, in order to test each processor core independently. A need, therefore, exists for an improved apparatus or method for implementing an IEEE 1149.1 compliant test access port for a multi-core IC processor.
The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portions of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and the method of operation, together with objects, features and advantages thereof, may be best understood by a reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:
In the following detailed description, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as to not obscure the present invention.
To provide a context for the invention, a Test Access Port (TAP) typically comprises a 4 or 5-pin serial test interface that is compliant with the IEEE 1149.1 specification. It may be used as an access mechanism to implement the boundary scan architecture, as well as other test modes typically employed to implement the Design For Testability (DFT) methodology on a given integrated circuit. Traditionally, microprocessor designs have employed a TAP as a mechanism for testing.
A TAP, in accordance with the IEEE 1149.1 specification, is employed by a large number of integrated chip designers and manufacturers. One of the purposes of a TAP is to facilitate testing of an integrated circuit. For example, a board manufacturer, attempting to verify that their board's components are properly coupled, may couple a number of the board's integrated chips' TAPS into a serial chain and shift data through that chain. This procedure is frequently referred to as ‘boundary-scan’, because data is scanned across the pin boundary of the board's integrated chips.
In another example, an integrated circuit designer may, as an example, wish to adjust the speed of the circuit's clock during specific logic stages. While the IEEE 1149.1 specification does not contain a specification regarding this form of testing, in order for the integrated circuit designer to accomplish this, one may, as one of many possible design choices, leverage the TAP specification to allow access to this test feature. Instructions substantially regulating the speed and timing of the clock may be scanned or shifted into the integrated circuit via the TAP. An integrated circuit designer may leverage a test access port that is substantially IEEE 1149.1 compliant to facilitate a variety of testing features, of which the above is merely one possible example.
The IEEE 1149.1 standard specifies a possible 4 pin interface which may be utilized to allow test instructions and associated test data to be fed into a component and, subsequently, may allow the results of execution of such instructions to be read out of the component. For testing features enumerated in the IEEE 1149.1 specification, information is communicated in a serial format. However, additional testing features that utilize a test access port, which is substantially IEEE 1149.1 compliant, may not be restricted in this fashion.
An IEEE 1149.1 compliant test access port includes the following 4-pin interface:
A Test Access Port Controller (TAPC) usually controls the interaction between the TAP's 4-pin serial interface and the circuit's testing features. A TAPC may control this interaction based on the current state of a TAP's 16-state FSM and the active instruction in the TAP's Instruction Register.
In addition to the state of the FSM, access to a TAP's data and control registers is conditioned on the active instruction in the TAP's Instruction Register. The Instruction Register (IR) may be accessed when the TAP FSM is placed in one of the states in state grouping 801. In state grouping 801 an instruction may be shifted into the Instruction Register. In an IEEE 1149.1 compliant TAP, an instruction usually places one data or control register serially between the TDI and TDO pins. A single register may be selected by multiple instructions depending on the design of the IC's particular TAP.
Generally, but not always, a TAP's data and control registers contain both a serial and parallel component, as seen in
Below is an illustrative example of a basic access of a data or control register. However, due to special testing or implementation goals, a TAP may incorporate additional actions that may or may not occur during the operation of a TAP. The following is merely one possible example, of the operation of a sample TAP and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or to represent the operation of all TAPs included within the scope of the present invention.
When in the CAPTURE-DR state, an active register may normally load, in a parallel method, the contents of its parallel component into its serial component. It is normally said that the parallel component is being “read” or “captured.” When in the SHIFT-DR state, an active register may serially shift data from TDI to TDO across its serial component. During this time, the parallel register will generally not be affected. When in the UPDATE-DR state, an active register may normally load, in a parallel fashion, the contents of its serial component into its parallel component. It is normally said that the parallel component is being “written to” or “updated.”
The IEEE 1149.1 specification details the base level of functionality for a TAP, however, integrated chip (IC) designers frequently add additional functionality to a TAP. This additional functionality may, for example, address certain testing aspects of the IC, be hidden from the customer or board manufacturer, allow access to non-test related functions of the IC, etc.
Typically, the TAPC and the plurality of data and control registers are placed together in a particular location on the IC. However, some registers, for example those dealing with scan testing, are dispersed throughout the chip. In addition, it may be desirable for the TAPC to communicate with other functional units blocks (FUBs) on the IC, e.g. floating-point unit, instruction fetch unit, memory, etc. This dispersion may at times create a large number of control signals, which may radiate from the TAPC to the dispersed registers. Because ICs have a limited amount of space for routing signals, dedicating a large portion of this routing space to testing, instead of core functionality, may result in routing and other problems during chip design and manufacture.
As the trend towards higher integration on a given piece of silicon continues, a new class of microprocessors, multi-core microprocessors, have appeared. Conventional microprocessors typically include a block of circuitry which substantially includes the core functions of the processor (hereafter, the “processor core”) and one or more circuit blocks which substantially include non-core functions, possibly comprising cache, front side bus logic, pads, etc. (hereafter, the “non-processor core” or “non-core”). In contrast, multi-core processors may include a plurality of processor cores and one or more non-processor cores.
Typically, the processor core houses the TAP controller of the processor. Substantially duplicating the processor core on the integrated circuit (IC) will, therefore, increase the number of TAP controllers. This, increase in the number of processor cores, may potentially increase the number of pins employed on the IC package, as well as potentially increase the test time and the test vector depth utilized to test multiple processor cores. In addition, if it is desired that a multi-core processor be a “plug-in” replacement for a single-core processor, the pin out of the multi-core processor should substantially match the pin-out of the single-core processor. Therefore, the number of pins for TAP access on a multi-core processor may be limited to the number of pins on the single-core processor. A need, therefore, exists for an improved apparatus or method for implementing an IEEE 1149.1 compliant test access port for a multi-core processor.
A technique for providing a improved IEEE 1149.1 compliant test access port for a multi-core processor may include: providing a TAPC on at least two processor cores, providing a TAP configuration register in the non-processor core, coupling the multiple core TAPCs and the non-processor core configuration register such that one of multiple routing and control configurations may be dynamically selected during operation. Such a device may reduce the number of pins employed on the IC package, and provide opportunities for reducing the number of testing vectors and time utilized to test the multi-core device. In addition, such a device may allow a multi-core processor to be “plug-in” compatible with a single-core processor.
In light of the above illustrative context for the invention, it may be understood that
In the embodiment illustrated in
Both TAPCs 110 & 120 may produce their own TDO signals 113 & 123, which may be routed in accordance with one of many selectable configurations by TAP Control Switch 139. TAP Control Switch 139 provides a single TDO to external TDO signal 153. External TDI signal 152 may be routed in accordance with one of many selectable configurations by TAP Control Switch 139. TAP Control Switch 139 provides TAPCs 111 & 121 with independent TDIs 112 & 122. TAP Control Switch 139 may route the TDI/TDO signals using multiplexer (MUX) or demultiplexer (DeMUX) components, however, one skilled in the art will instantly recognize that a variety of electrical components may be used to perform the desired routing operation.
TAP Control Switch 139 may be controlled by TAP Core Configuration Register 135. TAP Core Configuration Register 135 may be readable and writeable by, as taught by the IEEE 1149.1 specification, serially shifting data into and out of the register with the entering bit being TDI and the exiting bit being Register TDO 133. However, a variety of access mechanisms, either compliant or non-compliant with the IEEE 1149.1 specification, may be employed in order to read and/or write to Register 135. In this embodiment, TAP Core Configuration Control Logic 138 may receive ITBs 114 & 124, one from each TAPC. Alternately, in another possible embodiment, TAP Core Configuration Control Logic 138 may receive control signals that are more detailed and specialized than the generic signals employed in ITBs 114 & 124. MUX 136 may determine which processor core has control of non-processor core 130 and supplies TAP Core Configuration Control Logic 138 with the controlling ITB, ITB 134. Of course, any grouping of components, instead of MUX 136, may be used to perform the desired routing operation.
If multiple data and control registers are employed in the non-processor core, in accordance with the IEEE 1149.1 specification, each register will provide a TDO to the TAPCs. It may be desirable to reduce the number of TDOs returned to TAPCs 111 & 121 from the non-processor core. MUX 137 may be utilized to select which of the multiple TDOs is to be returned from non-processor core 130 to TAPCs 111 & 121. Of course, any grouping of components, instead of MUX 137, may be used to perform the desired reduction operation. While the embodiment in
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in
In the embodiments of the invention illustrated in
In contrast to
Although in these embodiments the processor-cores are substantially identical, the invention is not limited to embodiments with identical processor-cores. It may be useful to test the processor-cores in parallel and determine if the testing results are not substantially identical. To aid in this, a comparison mechanism may be used.
It is noted that, while
While the embodiment illustrated in
While TAP Core Configuration Register 135 is illustrated as being a unified register, the invention is not limited to this embodiment. TAP Core Configuration Register 135 provides a variety of control functions and may, for example, be divided into smaller registers or, in another example, may be part of a larger register. In the embodiments shown, the contents of TAP Core Configuration Register 135 may be altered during TAP operation. This may allow the controlling TAPC to change during operation or the TDI/TDO routing configuration to change during operation. However, other embodiments in accordance with the invention may not allow any or some of these features to be changed during operation.
An embodiment of the invention may include a computing platform including a multi-core processor, in which the multi-core processor includes a test control mechanism, such as, in one embodiment, for example, circuit 100 in
An additional embodiment of the invention may comprise a technique for testing a multi-core processor, which includes providing an indicator to identify a desired testing option. This indicator may be serially shifted into and stored in a register. Based upon the testing option selected by the provided indicator, the routing of signals between a plurality of test access ports (TAPs) may be dynamically arranged. The available testing options may involve, but are not limited to, routing the signals to allow the TAPs to operate in either a serial, parallel or independent fashion. In addition, there may be a testing option, which allows an error signal to be generated if the output of two or more TAPs is not equivalent or substantially equivalent. The dynamic arrangement the signal routing may, but is not required to, involve only arranging the routing of signals that exist externally to the processor cores of the multi-core processor.
While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.
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|International Classification||G06F11/267, G01R31/28, G01R31/3185|
|Cooperative Classification||G01R31/318552, G06F11/267|
|European Classification||G06F11/267, G01R31/3185S4|