Embedded microcontroller and buses
View Patent ↗A system can include a power supply unit; a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; a chipset operatively coupled to the processor; diagnostic information memory; and a microcontroller operatively coupled to the chipset via a first diagnostic data transfer bus and the microcontroller operatively coupled to the power supply unit and to the diagnostic information memory via a second diagnostic data transfer bus.
1. A system comprising:
a power supply unit;
a processor;
memory operatively coupled to the processor;
a chipset operatively coupled to the processor;
diagnostic information memory;
a port hub operatively coupled to the diagnostic information memory;
a microcontroller operatively coupled to the chipset via a first diagnostic data transfer bus and the microcontroller operatively coupled to the power supply unit and to the diagnostic information memory via a second diagnostic data transfer bus; and
sensors operatively coupled to the microcontroller,
wherein the microcontroller analyzes at least a portion of sensor data to generate a thermal management status for storage in the diagnostic information memory and for output via the port hub, and
wherein the microcontroller analyzes at least a portion of diagnostic data to generate a diagnostic result for storage in the diagnostic information memory and for output via the port hub.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller comprises an embedded microcontroller of a super I/O.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second diagnostic data transfer bus comprises an I2C bus.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second diagnostic data transfer bus comprises a SMBus bus.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic information memory comprises EEPROM.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic information memory comprises flash memory.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the second diagnostic data transfer bus operatively couples the port hub and the diagnostic information memory.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic result is based at least in part on a status of the power supply unit and based at least in part on a status of the processor.
9. A method comprising:
sensing information associated with one or more components of a computer;
receiving diagnostic information via a diagnostic data transfer bus wherein the diagnostic information pertains to a power supply unit operatively coupled to the diagnostic data transfer bus;
analyzing at least a portion of the diagnostic information to generate a diagnostic result that pertains to the power supply unit;
analyzing at least a portion of the sensed information to generate a thermal management status that pertains to operation of the computer;
transferring the diagnostic result to memory via the diagnostic data transfer bus;
transferring the thermal management status to the memory via the diagnostic data transfer bus; and
transferring the diagnostic result, the thermal management status or the diagnostic result and the thermal management status from the memory to a port hub via the diagnostic data transfer bus.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the analyzing comprises executing instructions on a microcontroller embedded in a Super I/O.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the port hub comprises a USB port hub.
12. The method of claim 9 further comprising switching a switch associated with a port associated with the port hub and transferring the diagnostic result to the port in a manner that bypasses the port hub.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the switching comprises issuing a switch signal from a microcontroller embedded in a Super I/O to the switch.
14. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving from a chipset, diagnostic information that pertains to a processor operatively coupled to the chipset.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising analyzing the diagnostic information that pertains to the processor to generate a diagnostic result and transferring the diagnostic result to the memory via the diagnostic data transfer bus.
16. A system comprising:
a Super I/O that comprises a first data transfer interface operatively coupled to a power supply unit and a second data transfer interface operatively coupled to at least one sensor;
a memory unit that comprises memory and a data transfer interface;
a bus that operatively couples the first data transfer interface of the Super I/O to the data transfer interface of the memory unit;
a port hub that comprises a data transfer interface that is operatively coupled to the bus; and
a microcontroller embedded in the Super I/O that comprises circuitry to receive data via the first and second data transfer interfaces of the Super I/O, to analyze at least a portion of the data to generate a result, and to transfer the result to the memory unit via the bus for output via the port hub, wherein the result comprises one of a thermal management status based at least in part on sensor information and a diagnostic result based at least in part on power supply information.
17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a port switch that switches a connection state of a port operatively coupled to the port hub.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the microcontroller embedded in the Super I/O comprises circuitry to transfer information to the port hub, circuitry to control the connection state of the port switch, and circuitry to transfer information from the Super I/O to the port in a manner that bypasses the port hub.