CN102479126A - Startup debugging device and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a startup debugging device and a method thereof, wherein the device comprises a substrate management controller, a substrate management controller debugging port and an RS232 converter. The baseboard management controller has a low pin number interface and a universal asynchronous receiving and transmitting transmitter interface, and receives a port 80 debugging information from the basic input and output system through the low pin number interface, and converts the port 80 debugging information into a universal asynchronous receiving and transmitting transmission packet. The fault detection port of the baseboard management controller receives the universal asynchronous receiving and transmitting transmission packet. In addition, the RS232 converter receives the universal asynchronous receiving and transmitting transmission packet through the debugging port of the substrate management controller so as to convert the universal asynchronous receiving and transmitting transmission packet into an RS232 signal and transmit the RS232 signal to a communication port of a first remote device.

Description

Boot error detection device and method thereof

technical field

The invention relates to an error detection device and method, and in particular to an error detection device and method for starting a computer system.

Background technique

In the current computer system, when the user presses the start button on the computer, the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) in the computer will be started first, and a complete inspection of the hardware devices in the computer will be carried out. And testing, this inspection and testing action is also called power-on self-test (Power-On Self Test, POST). When the hardware devices in the computer pass the inspection and testing, the BIOS will hand over the hardware information in the computer to the operating system, allowing the operating system to continue to complete the booting process. However, if a certain part of the computer malfunctions during the booting process, the booting process will stop at a certain level and the computer cannot be booted normally.

In order to speed up system development and debugging in the early days, IBM defined a special input/output port (I/O Port) for checking and debugging when planning the computer system, and this special I/O Port The corresponding I/O address is 80h. The actual application of the I/O port 80h is to pre-store multiple POST codes in the BIOS to represent different POST stages. And whenever the computer enters a stage of POST, the POST code represented by this stage will be sent to the I/O Port whose address is 80h. Therefore, when the booting process does not enter the operating system, when the booting is not normal, you only need to find out the code in the I/O address 80h, and then find out the inspection phase corresponding to this code, you can detect it. Which part of the computer is not functioning properly.

The above POST codes will be sent to the light emitting diodes (Light Emitting Diode, LED) arranged on the main board or debug card for display, so that engineers can find out the problematic system components from the displayed codes. However, due to design considerations, the BIOS debug port and light-emitting diodes will be removed when the product is shipped. Therefore, when a problem occurs on the client side, the cause of the error can only be guessed through the behavior of the customer. It will take a lot of time to find out the cause of the error.

Contents of the invention

The invention provides a startup error detection device and its method, which can greatly reduce the time spent on error detection.

The present invention proposes a startup error detection device, which includes a baseboard management controller, a baseboard management controller error detection port and an RS232 converter. Wherein the baseboard management controller has a low pin count interface and a general asynchronous transceiver interface, the base board management controller receives a port 80 error detection information from the basic input and output system through the low pin count interface, and detects the port 80 The error message is converted into a general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet. The debug port of the baseboard management controller receives the general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet. In addition, the RS232 converter receives the general asynchronous transmission packet through the error detection port of the baseboard management controller, converts the general asynchronous transmission packet into an RS232 signal, and transmits the RS232 signal to a communication port of a first remote device.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned baseboard management controller further includes a memory, and the baseboard management controller creates an event record file and stores the error detection information of the port 80 in the memory.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned boot error detection device further includes a second remote device, which is connected to the baseboard management controller through a network, and sends a log file read command to the baseboard management controller to read The event record file stored in the memory, wherein the command to read the record file is an intelligent platform management interface command.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned baseboard management controller is a single-chip microprocessor.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned baseboard management controller error detection port has a power pin, a ground pin, an input pin, and an output pin, and the above-mentioned general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet is transmitted by the output pin bit output.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the baseboard management controller receives the port 80 error detection message, the baseboard management controller sends a completion command to the BIOS to notify the BIOS that the port 80 detection has been received. Error information, wherein the completion command is an intelligent platform management interface command.

The present invention also proposes a boot error detection method, which includes the following steps: converting error detection information from a port 80 of a basic input output system into a general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet; transmitting the general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet to a substrate The error detection port of the management controller; receiving the general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet through the error detection port of the baseboard management controller, so as to convert the general asynchronous transmission and reception transmission packet into an RS232 signal; and transmitting the RS232 signal to a first remote device communication port.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above port 80 error detection information is an intelligent platform management interface command.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned startup error detection method further includes making port 80 error detection information as an event record file and storing it in a memory; and reading the stored event in the memory through a second remote device Event log file.

Based on the above, the present invention transmits the port 80 error detection information DM1 to the remote device through the error detection port of the baseboard management controller, so that the user can perform error detection on the motherboard or the LED on the error card or the basic input and output system. When the port is removed, the debugging information contained in the debugging information of the port 80 can still be read by the remote device, thereby greatly reducing the time spent on debugging.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the following specific embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a power-on error detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a power-on error detection device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a boot error detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of main component symbols

100, 200: boot error detection device

102: Baseboard Management Controller

104: BMC debugging port

106: RS 232 converter

108: First remote device

202: second remote device

110: Basic Input Output System

LPC: Low Pin Count Interface

UART: Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter Interface

DM1: Port 80 debugging information

PU1: Universal Asynchronous Transceiver Transmission Packet

CM1: Completion of command

S302-S308: Process steps of the boot error detection method

Detailed ways

FIG. 1 is a power-on error detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the boot error detection device 100 includes a baseboard management controller 102 , a baseboard management controller error detection port 104 , an RS232 converter 106 and a first remote device 108 . Wherein the baseboard management controller 102 can be, for example, a single-chip microprocessor, which mainly receives or responds to a basic input/output system 110 (Basic Input/Output System, BIOS) through an intelligent platform management interface (Intelligent Platform Management Interface, IPMI) communication protocol. ), and can provide system motherboard management through the intelligent platform management interface, such as local and remote diagnosis, console support, configuration management and hardware management, etc.

Specifically, the baseboard management controller 102 has a low pin count (Low Pin Count, LPC) interface and a universal asynchronous transceiver transmitter (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter, UART) interface. A port 80 of the I/O system 110 detects the error message DM1, and converts the port 80 error detection message DM1 into a universal asynchronous transceiving transport packet PU1. In addition, after receiving the error detection information DM1 from the port 80 of the BIOS 110, the BMC 102 will send a complete command CM1 back to the BIOS 110 to inform the BIOS 110 that the Port 80 debug message DM1. The above-mentioned port 80 error detection information DM1 and completion command CM1 are all smart platform management interface commands.

After the baseboard management controller 102 converts the error detection information DM1 of the port 80 into a universal asynchronous transceiver transmission packet PU1, and then transmits the universal asynchronous transceiver transmission packet PU1 to the baseboard management controller error detection port 104, so as to pass the baseboard management controller to detect The wrong port 104 transmits the UAS transport packet PU1 to the RS232 converter 106 . The BMC error detection port 104 has four pins: power supply pin, ground pin, input pin, and output pin. The universal asynchronous transceiver transmission packet PU1 is output to the RS232 converter 106 through the output pin.

After the RS232 converter 106 receives the universal asynchronous transceiver transmission packet PU1, it converts it into an RS232 signal, and transmits it to the communication port (COMport) of the first remote device 108, so that the user can pass the first remote The end device 108 reads the port 80 error detection information DM1 converted into an RS232 signal.

As mentioned above, by making the communication protocol between the BIOS 110 and the BMC 102 conform to the specification of the intelligent platform management interface, the port 80 debugging information can be performed between the BIOS 110 and the BMC 102 The transfer of DM1, in addition, through the baseboard management controller debug port 104, the basic input and output system 110 can transmit the port 80 debug information DM1 to the communication port of the first remote device 108, allowing the user to connect to the motherboard or the debug card In the case where the light-emitting diode or the debug port of the BIOS 110 is removed, the debug information contained in the port 80 debug information DM1 can still be read by the first remote device 108, so The cause of the problem on the client side can be quickly found out, and the time spent on debugging can be greatly reduced.

FIG. 2 is a power-on error detection device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the difference between the boot error detection device 200 of this embodiment and the boot error detection device 100 of the embodiment in FIG. 1 is that the boot error detection device 200 of this embodiment also includes a second remote device 202, The second remote device 202 is connected to the BMC 102 through a network. In this embodiment, when the baseboard management controller 102 receives the error detection information DM1 from the port 80 of the BIOS 110, the baseboard management controller 102 creates an event record file and stores the event record file memory (not shown) inside the baseboard management controller 104 . The second remote device 202 can send a log file read command to the baseboard management controller 102 to read the event log file stored in the memory of the baseboard management controller 102, wherein the log file read command is an intelligent platform management Interface instructions. Therefore, even when the LED on the motherboard or the debug card or the debug port of the BIOS 110 is removed, the user can still read the port through the second remote device 202 80 The debugging information included in the debugging information DM1 greatly saves the time spent on debugging.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a boot error detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 3 , as mentioned above, the boot error detection method of the boot error detection device can be summarized into the following steps. Firstly, the error detection information from the port 80 of the BIOS is converted into a GATS transport packet (step S302). Next, the GATS transport packet is sent to a BMC error detection port (step S304). Then, receive the UART packet through the error detection port of the BMC to convert the UART packet into an RS232 signal (step S306 ). Finally, the RS232 signal is transmitted to the communication port of the first remote device (step S308). In this way, the user can use the first remote device to read the port 80 for debugging when the light-emitting diode on the motherboard or the debugging card or the debugging port of the basic input and output system is removed. Debugging information contained in the message.

In addition, in some embodiments, if the baseboard management controller in the boot error detection device is connected to another remote device (such as the second remote device 202) through the network, a record can also be sent through this remote device. The file read command is sent to the baseboard management controller to read the event log file stored in the memory of the baseboard management controller, and then read the error detection information contained in the port 80 error detection information DM1.

To sum up, the present invention sets the communication protocol between the basic input and output system and the baseboard management controller to meet the specifications of the intelligent platform management interface, so that the basic input and output system and the port 80 can transmit the error detection information to the baseboard management controller, and transmits the port 80 error detection information DM1 to the first remote device through the error detection port of the baseboard management controller, so that the user can detect the light-emitting diodes or the basic input and output system on the motherboard or the error detection card When the wrong port is removed, the first remote device can still read the debugging information contained in the debugging information of the port 80, thereby greatly reducing the time spent on debugging. In addition, when the baseboard management controller is connected to the second remote device through the network, the event log file stored in the baseboard management controller can also be read through the second remote device to obtain the port 80 error detection information. Debugging information to quickly find out the problems that occur on the client side.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with the embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any person skilled in the art may make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A startup error detection device, comprising: A baseboard management controller having a low pin count interface and a general asynchronous transceiver interface, the baseboard management controller receives a port 80 error detection information from a basic input output system through the low pin count interface, and converting the error detection information of the port 80 into a general asynchronous transmission and reception transmission packet; a baseboard management controller error detection port for receiving the general asynchronous transceiving transmission packet; an RS232 converter, receiving the general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet through the error detection port of the baseboard management controller, so as to convert the general asynchronous transmission and reception transmission packet into an RS232 signal, and transmit the RS232 signal to a first remote end The communication port of the device. 2. The boot error detection device according to claim 1, wherein the baseboard management controller further comprises: A memory, the baseboard management controller makes the error detection information of the port 80 as an event record file and stores it in the memory. 3. The boot error detection device according to claim 2, further comprising: A second remote device, connected to the baseboard management controller through the network, sends a log file read command to the baseboard management controller to read the event log file stored in the memory, wherein the log file is read The instruction is an intelligent platform management interface instruction. 4. The boot error detection device according to claim 1, wherein the port 80 error detection information is an intelligent platform management interface command. 5. The boot error detection device according to claim 1, wherein the BMC is a single-chip microprocessor. 6. The boot error detection device according to claim 1, wherein the baseboard management controller error detection port has a power pin, a ground pin, an input pin and an output pin, the general asynchronous transceiver transmission Packets are output by this output pin. 7. The boot error detection device according to claim 1, wherein after the baseboard management controller receives the port 80 error detection information, the baseboard management controller sends a completion command to the BIOS to notify the The BIOS has received the port 80 error detection information, wherein the completion command is an intelligent platform management interface command. 8. A boot error detection method, comprising: converting a port 80 error detection message from a basic input output system into a general asynchronous transceiver transport packet; sending the general asynchronous transceiver transmission packet to a baseboard management controller error detection port; receiving the UART packet through the error detection port of the BMC to convert the UART packet into an RS232 signal; and The RS232 signal is sent to a communication port of a first remote device. 9. The boot error detection method according to claim 8, wherein the port 80 error detection information is an intelligent platform management interface command. 10. The boot error detection method according to claim 8, further comprising: making the port 80 error detection information as an event log file and storing it in a memory; and The event record file stored in the memory is read through a second remote device.

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