Computer chip set having on board wireless interfaces to support test operations
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus are provided for an embedded wireless interface that is embedded in, for example, one of an input and output controller device for controlling input and output communications with off-board devices, within a memory controller device and a processor motherboard. The embedded wireless interface may be utilized as a wireless test access point to provide signal stimulations for test purposes or to monitor communications over a specified wired communication link.
1. A computer system with embedded wireless test logic, comprising:
a processor motherboard including a processor for controlling operations and prompting communications within the computer system;
a memory controller device connected to the processor motherboard by a wired link for controlling access to memory and operable to communicate on a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus within the computer system;
an input and output controller device for controlling input and output communications with off-board devices, the input and output controller device operable to communicate on the PCI bus with the memory controller device wherein the PCI bus provides a primary communication link between the memory controller device and the input and output controller device; and
at least one wireless access test point (WATP) embedded within and formed as a part of at least one of the processor motherboard, the memory controller device and the input and output controller device, the WATP operable to support test and monitoring operations.
2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein each device having a WATP includes logic for monitoring communications over a corresponding primary wired communication link.
3. The computer system of claim 1 further including at least one external device operably coupled to communicate with the at least one WATP.
4. The computer system of claim 3 wherein the at least one WATP is operable to receive control commands from the at least one external device and, responsive to the control commands, to produce at least one of sampled signal values and communication data.
5. The computer system of claim 3 wherein the at least one WATP is operable to receive a signal value over a wireless link from the at least one external device and, responsive to the received signal value, to produce a signal based upon the received signal value to a specified node or circuit element within the computer system.
6. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the at least one WATP is operable to measure a response based upon the produced signal and to transmit the response to the at least one external device.
7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the at least one WATP includes one of an embedded Bluetooth protocol or an embedded IEEE 802.11 standard based on a compatible wireless access device.
8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the at least one WATP includes a Bluetooth protocol wireless access point operable to establish a personal area network with one of a test/monitor device, an emulation device or a memory controller device.
9. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the at least one WATP is operable to produce one of an internal data stream coupled to the at least one WATP or a signal value from a circuit element coupled to the at least one WATP to a memory controller device over a wireless communication link.
10. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the at least one WATP is operable to emulate a specific hardware device protocol as a part of transmitting one of an internal data stream coupled to the at least one WATP or a signal value from a circuit element coupled to the at least one WATP to one of a memory controller device, an emulation device or a test/monitor device.
11. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the at least one WATP is operable to emulate a hard disk drive device protocol as a part of transmitting an internal data stream coupled to the at least one WATP.
12. A method in a computer system with embedded wireless test logic, comprising:
controlling operations and prompting communications within the computer system;
controlling access to memory and communicating on a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus within the computer system;
controlling input and output communications with off-board devices and communicating on the PCI bus with a memory controller device wherein the PCI bus provides a primary communication link between the memory controller device and an input and output controller device; and
providing, by at least one wireless access test point (WATP) formed within at least one of a processor motherboard, a memory controller device and an input and output controller device, over a wireless communication link, a monitored signal of communications over a corresponding primary wired communication link.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the monitored signal is an equivalent of the communications over the corresponding primary wired communication link.
14. The method of claim 12 further including receiving control commands from at least one external device and, responsive to the control commands, producing at least one of sampled signal values and communication data.
15. The method of claim 12 further including receiving a signal value over a wireless link from the at least one external device and, responsive to the received signal value, producing a signal based upon the received signal value to a specified node or circuit element within the computer system.
16. The method of claim 15 further including measuring a response based upon the produced signal and transmitting the response to the at least one external device.