8051 BIT

Hi,
Looking for what's out there in terms of built-in self-test
C language code for an 8051 product. Code snippet pointers
or even ideas on what would constitute a good BIT test
for an 8051 product. Already have in mind, a RAM test.
Any ideas on what else we can test for boot?

On 17 May 2004 21:42:41 -0700, ffled@yahoo.com (Stu Cazzo) wrote in
comp.arch.embedded:

> Hi,
> Looking for what's out there in terms of built-in self-test
> C language code for an 8051 product. Code snippet pointers
> or even ideas on what would constitute a good BIT test
> for an 8051 product. Already have in mind, a RAM test.
> Any ideas on what else we can test for boot?

Are you talking about internal or external RAM?  You can write a test
for the internal RAM, but the chances of a processor being damaged in
just such a way that some of the internal RAM is damaged but the core
still operates well enough to execute the test code and detect the
error is probably vanishingly small.

In any case, my basic sequence for POST in embedded systems has been
something like this for more than twenty years:

1.  Disable all interrupts, so the rest of the POST runs continuously.

2.  Set all outputs to their default, fail-safe condition.  If your
product controls motors, lasers, high voltages, etc., and the reset
was caused by a power glitch or watchdog, the first thing you need to
do is make sure all outputs are safely in an off condition.

3.  Validate the firmware image, either the entire thing or, if there
is some boot down loader and application, then at least the boot
loader.  Some form of checksum or CRC algorithm should match a
precomputed value stored at a specific place in the image.

4.  Test RAM (internal and/or external).

5.  Initialize important peripherals, on-chip and off, and test them
as far as is possible.  This would include initializing the timer you
will use for periodic interrupts and verify that it and the interrupt
controller deliver interrupts properly.  Other peripherals, for
example external UARTs, often provide loop-back or other test modes
that you can exercise.

If any critical test fails, your processor should fall back to a
fail-safe mode with interrupts disabled and use whatever means are
available to signal the user and/or service technician what the
problem is.

-- 
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
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ideas:
timer test
watchdog test
i/o test
speed test
computation test
data validity tests
i/o wrap around tests
....

> Hi,> Looking for what's out there in terms of built-in self-test
> C language code for an 8051 product. Code snippet pointers
> or even ideas on what would constitute a good BIT test
> for an 8051 product. Already have in mind, a RAM test.
> Any ideas on what else we can test for boot?