Extended host controller test mode support for use with full-speed USB devices

1. A USB (Universal Serial Bus) host controller comprising:

an enhanced host controller adapted to control a USB high-speed data traffic;

at least one companion host controller adapted to control a USB full-speed and/or low-speed data traffic; and

a USB transceiver macrocell connected to said enhanced host controller to handle the data transfer to and from a USB device;

wherein the enhanced host controller comprises a register file, the register file including first registers adapted to store data with respect to host controller capabilities and operational modes and second registers adapted to store data with respect to at least one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions, wherein at least one of said second registers is a control register storing data indicating one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions, wherein said control register is adapted to store a flag indicating whether said one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions is currently being performed;

wherein said enhanced host controller comprises a test circuit for controlling said USB transceiver macrocell to perform full-speed and/or low-speed test functions;

wherein said USB transceiver macrocell is configured to handle an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions comprise a test function forcing said USB transceiver macrocell to repetitively transmit a full-speed or low-speed test pattern until an exit action is taken; and

wherein said full-speed or low-speed test pattern is a concatenation of four KJ state pairs, two single-ended-zero signals, and two J states.

2. A southbridge device having USB (Universal Serial Bus) functionality, comprising:

a USB enhanced host controller adapted to control a high-speed data traffic;

a USB transceiver macrocell connected to said USB enhanced host controller to handle the data transfer to and from a USB device; and

a transceiver test circuit for controlling said USB transceiver macrocell to perform full-speed and/or low-speed test functions;

wherein said USB enhanced host controller has a register file comprising registers storing data with respect to at least one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions;

wherein at least one of said registers is a status register adapted to store data indicating a status when said USB transceiver macrocell is controlled to perform one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions;

wherein said USB transceiver macrocell is configure to handle an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions comprise a test function forcing said USB transceiver macrocell to repetitively transmit a full-speed or low-speed test pattern until an exit action is taken; and

wherein said full-speed or low-speed test pattern is a concatenation of four KJ state pairs, two single-ended-zero signals, and two J states.

3. A host controller for controlling the transfer of data to and from peripheral devices over a serial bus, the host controller comprising:

a first control circuit adapted to control a data transfer at a first data transmission speed;

a second control circuit adapted to control a data transfer at a second data transmission speed lower than said first data transmission speed; and

a transceiver circuit connected to said first control circuit to handle the data transfer to and from said peripheral devices at said first and second data transmission speeds;

wherein said first control circuit comprises a test circuit for controlling said transceiver circuit to perform test functions to test the operation of said transceiver circuit at said second data transmission speed;

wherein said transceiver circuit is configure to handle an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said test functions comprise a test function adapted to force said transceiver circuit to repetitively transmit a second-speed test pattern until an exit action is taken; and

wherein said second-speed test pattern is a concatenation of four KJ state pairs, two single-ended-zero signals, and two J states.

4. The host controller of claim 3 , wherein said transceiver circuit is capable of handling an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said test functions comprise at least one of a test-J function forcing said transceiver circuit to enter the J state and remain in that state until an exit action is taken, and a test-K function forcing said transceiver circuit to enter the K state and remain in that state until an exit action is taken.

5. The host controller of claim 3 , wherein said transceiver circuit is capable of handling an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer, and said test functions comprise a single-ended-zero test function forcing said transceiver circuit to enter a second-speed receive mode and remain in that mode until an exit action is taken.

6. A method of operating a USB (Universal Serial Bus) host controller, the method comprising:

operating an enhanced host controller to control a USB high-speed data traffic;

operating at least one companion host controller to control a USB full-speed and/or low-speed data traffic; and

handling the data transfer to and from a USB device in a USB transceiver macrocell;

wherein the method further comprises:

operating a test circuit in said enhanced host controller to control said USB transceiver macrocell to perform full-speed and/or low-speed test functions;

storing data with respect to at least one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions in a register file of said enhanced host controller, wherein said data comprises control data indicating one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions, and wherein said control data comprises a flag indicating whether said one of said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions is currently being performed;

wherein handling the data transfer to and from said USB device comprises handling an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions comprise a test function forcing said USB transceiver macrocell to repetitively transmit a full-speed or low-speed test pattern until an exit action is taken; and

wherein said full-speed or low-speed test pattern is a concatenation of four KJ state pairs, two single-ended-zero signals, and two J states.

7. A USB (Universal Serial Bus) host controller comprising:

an enhanced host controller adapted to control a USB high-speed data traffic;

at least one companion host controller adapted to control a USB full-speed and/or low-speed data traffic; and

a USB transceiver macrocell connected to said enhanced host controller to handle the data transfer to and from a USB device;

wherein said enhanced host controller comprises a test circuit for controlling said USB transceiver macrocell to perform full-speed and/or low-speed test functions;

wherein said USB transceiver macrocell is configure to handle an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions comprise a test function forcing said USB transceiver macrocell to repetitively transmit a full-speed or low-speed test pattern until an exit action is taken; and

wherein said full-speed or low-speed test pattern is a concatenation of four KJ state pairs, two single-ended-zero signals, and two J states.

8. A southbridge device having USB (Universal Serial Bus) functionality, comprising:

a USB enhanced host controller adapted to control a high-speed data traffic;

a USB transceiver macrocell connected to said USB enhanced host controller to handle the data transfer to and from a USB device; and

a transceiver test circuit for controlling said USB transceiver macrocell to perform full-speed and/or low-speed test functions;

wherein said USB transceiver macrocell is configure to handle an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions comprise a test function adapted to force said USB transceiver macrocell to repetitively transmit a full-speed or low-speed test pattern until an exit action is taken; and

wherein said full-speed or low-speed test pattern is a concatenation of four KJ state pairs, two single-ended-zero signals, and two J states.

9. A method of operating a USB (Universal Serial Bus) host controller, the method comprising:

operating an enhanced host controller to control a USB high-speed data traffic;

operating at least one companion host controller to control a USB full-speed and/or low-speed data traffic; and

handling the data transfer to and from a USB device in a USB transceiver macrocell;

wherein the method further comprises:

operating a test circuit in said enhanced host controller to control said USB transceiver macrocell to perform full-speed and/or low-speed test functions

wherein handling the data transfer to and from said USB device comprises handling an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) data transfer of K and J states, and said full-speed and/or low-speed test functions comprise a test function forcing said USB transceiver macrocell to repetitively transmit a full-speed or low-speed test pattern until an exit action is taken, wherein said full-speed or low-speed test pattern is a concatenation of four KJ state pairs, two single-ended-zero signals, and two J states.