CP/M/CPM_CDROM.iso/simtel/sigm/vols000/vol005/memdiag.doc

Text File | 1984-04-29 | 12KB | 381 lines

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         OPERATORS MANUAL FOR THE MICROCOSM ASSOCIATES
                 MEMORY DIAGNOSTIC, VERSION 1.0
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          COPYRIGHT 1979,1980 BY MICROCOSM ASSOCIATES

     DONATED TO THE "SIG/M" CP/M USER'S GROUP, BY KELLY SMITH

       CP/M IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF DIGITAL RESEARCH


1.0

DIAGNOSTIC TEST "START-UP" EXECUTION

1.1

 THE  TEST  WILL INITIALLY "SIGN ON",WITH THE FOLLOWING  MESSAGE
DISPLAYED ON THE REMOTE CONSOLE:


MICROCOSM ASSOCIATES MEMORY DIAGNOSTIC VER.1.0 (C) 1979
TOP OF MEMORY=NNNN

MEMORY QUALIFICATION TEST IS IN PROGRESS


 ANY ERRORS OCCURING DURING THE "MEMORY QUALIFICATION TEST" WILL
BE DISPLAYED AS FOLLOWS:


ERROR AT ADDRESS=NNNN  PATTERN STORED=NN  PATTERN READ=NN
BIT(S) IN ERROR=N,N,N,N,N,N,N,N

 THE  DIAGNOSTIC  PROGRAM  WILL  NOW  PROCEED  TO  DISPLAY   THE
FOLLOWING MESSAGE ON THE REMOTE SYSTEM CONSOLE:


MEMORY TEST IN AUTO MODE (Y OR N)?


(REFERENCE SECTION 2.1 C FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

2.0

DIAGNOSTIC COMMAND MONITOR

2.1

 WHEN  THE  "-"  PROMPT CHARACTER IS  DISPLAYED,  THE  FOLLOWING
KEYBOARD ENTRIES MAY BE MADE FOR TEST/DIAGNOSTIC SELECTIONS.

A.  "G" CAUSES "GO ADDRESS=",  ALLOWING EXECUTION OF CODE AT ANY
    ADDRESS IN ROM/RAM MEMORY.

B. "M" CAUSES "MEMORY ADDRESS ", TO ALLOW DISPLAYING ANY ADDRESS
   IN ROM/RAM MEMORY. FOR EXAMPLE:

    -MEMORY ADDRESS=NNNN (CR)
     NNNN=NN    (SP)
     NNN1=NN AA (WHERE "AA" IS AN OPERATOR ENTRY)
     NNN2=NN  ^ (WHERE  "^" IS AN  OPERATOR  ENTRY  TO  EXAMINE
                "PREVIOUS")
     NNN1=AA    (SP)
     NNN2=BB E  (WHERE "E" INDICATES "MEMORY ERROR" ON ENTRY)
     NNN3=NN    (CR)
   -            (WHERE  "-"  IS  A  RETURN  TO  THE  MONITOR  BY
                CARRIAGE-RETURN)

C.  "T"  CAUSES  "TEST  MEMORY IN AUTO MODE (Y  OR  N)?"  TO  BE
   DISPLAYED  ON  THE REMOTE CONSOLE.ENTERING "Y" ON THE  REMOTE
   CONSOLE KEYBOARD WILL CAUSE THE FOLLOWING DISPLAY TO APPEAR:

NO MEMORY BLOCKS DROPPED

TESTING MEMORY FROM 1000 TO 2000
PASS=0000  TOTAL ERRORS=0000
RANDOM PATTERNS TEST


 THE  TEST  WILL PROCEED TO TEST WITH "WRITE  SATURATION  TEST",
"GALLOPING  PATTERNS TEST","STATIC CHECK  CYCLE","CHECKING  DATA
RETENTION","GALLOPING  COLUMNS  TEST",   AND  "WALKING  PATTERNS
TEST".  THE  TEST  WILL THEN PROCEED TO THE NEXT 4K BYTE  MEMORY
BLOCK.

 A  "N"  RESPONSE TO "TEST MEMORY IN AUTO MODE (Y OR  N)?"  WILL
CAUSE THE FOLLOWING DISPLAY TO APPEAR ON THE REMOTE CONSOLE:

TEST "ALL","SELECT",OR "MONITOR" (A,S OR M)?

 ENTRY  OF  "S" ON THE KEYBOARD ALLOWS  "SELECTION"  OF  TESTING
MEMORY  FROM  ADDRESS  1000 HEX TO FFFF HEX,WITH  THE  FOLLOWING
DISPLAY  APPEARING  ON THE REMOTE  CONSOLE:  (NOTE:   A  MINIMUM
ADDRESS DIFFERENTIAL OF THREE ADDRESS'S MUST BE UTILIZED BY  THE
OPERATOR,  AND MEMORY MAY NOT BE TESTED BELOW RAM MEMORY ADDRESS
1000 HEX.

LOW MEMORY ADDRESS=NNNN (CR)
HIGH MEMORY ADDRESS=NNNN (CR)

TEST OPTIONS ARE:

01-GALLOPING PATTERNS TEST
02-GALLOPING COLUMNS TEST
03-WALKING PATTERNS TEST
04-RANDOM PATTERNS TEST
05-WRITE STAURATION TEST
06-STATIC CHECK CYCLE TEST

ENTER TEST NUMBER(01,02,03,04,05 OR 06)=NN
ENTER PATTERN (00-FF)=NN TEST IS IN PROGRESS


 PROGRAM TEST EXECUTION BEGINS AT THE TWO DIGIT ENTRY FOR "ENTER
PATTERN (00-FF)=" BY DISPLAYING "TEST IS IN PROGRESS".  ENTERING
"A" FOR "ALL",AUTOMATICALLY BEGINS EXECUTION BY DISPLAYING "TEST
OPTIONS  ARE:",ASSUMING THAT THE TEST ADDRESS RANGE IS FROM 8000
HEX TO BFFF HEX.

 ENTERING  "M"  FOR  "MONITOR",CAUSES  EXITING  TO  THE  COMMAND
MONITOR   (SEE   SECTION  1.1  FOR   DETAILED   EXPLANATION   OF
OPERATION),AND  WILL  PROMPT  WITH A "-" CHARACTER  TO  INDICATE
MONITOR MODE.

3.0

RAM MEMORY TEST ERROR MESSAGES

A. RANDOM PATTERNS MEMORY TEST

 MEMORY ERRORS OCCURING DURING THE RANDOM PATTERNS TEST WILL  BE
DISPLAYED ON THE REMOTE CONSOLE AS FOLLOWS:


ERROR AT ADDRESS=NNNNN PATTERN STORED=NN  PATTERN READ=NN
BIT(S) IN ERROR=N,N,N,N,N,N,N,N


 NOTE, THAT ON TRANSIENT/DYNAMIC TYPE ERRORS, THE PATTERN STORED
MAY  MATCH  THE PATTERN READ AND NO BITS WILL BE IN  ERROR.  THE
ERROR  DETECTION  LOGIC OF THE TEST SOFTWARE IS  SUCH  THAT  ANY
IMMEDIATE  MISMATCH IS DETECTED BUT THE ERROR CELL STATE IS  NOT
SAVED.  SUBSEQUENT SOFTWARE PROGRAM DELAYS LATER, THE ERROR CELL
ADDRESS  CONTENT  IS  AGAIN  EXAMINED FOR  THE  MISMATCH  TO  BE
DISPLAYED,  BUT  THE CELL IS NOW CORRECT.  THIS INDICATES THAT A
TRANSIENT/DYNAMIC  ERROR HAS OCCURRED.  THE TEST SEQUENCE IS  AS
FOLLOWS:

1.   RANDOM  DATA PATTERNS ARE WRITTEN THRUOUT THE 4K BYTE  CELL
MEMORY BLOCK.

2.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE READ.

3.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE COMPLEMENTED.

4.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE READ.

5.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE ALTERNATELY WRITTEN WITH 55 HEX AND AA
   HEX.

6.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE READ.

7.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE COMPLEMENTED.

8.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE READ.

9.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE WRITTEN WITH ALL 1'S.

10.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE READ.

11.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE COMPLEMENTED.

12.  ALL 4K BYTE CELLS ARE READ.


B.    WRITE SATURATION TEST

 MEMORY ERRORS OCCURING DURING THE WRITE SATURATION TEST WILL BE
DISPLAYED ON THE REMOTE CONSOLE AS FOLLOWS:


ERROR AT ADDRESS=NNNN  READ BACK NN ,EXPECTED NN


 THE FAILURE TYPE REVEALED IS SLOW SENSE AMPLIFIER RECOVERY  DUE
TO SUSTAINED "CHARGING" OF 0'S OR 1'S ON THE SENSE AMPLIFIER
CIRCUITRY.

THE TEST SEQUENCE IS AS FOLLOWS:

1.  WRITE  A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 0'S IN A 4K BYTE  BLOCK
   REPEATEDLY FOR 100 WRITE PASSES

2. WRITE ALL 1'S IN A 4K BYTE BLOCK FOR 1 WRITE PASS ONLY.

3. SEQUENTIALLY READ ALL BYTES IN THE 4K BYTE BLOCK.

4.  WRITE  A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 1'S IN A 4K BYTE  BLOCK
   REPEATEDLY FOR 100 WRITE PASSES.

5. WRITE ALL 0'S IN A 4K BYTE BLOCK FOR 1 WRITE PASS ONLY.

6. SEQUENTIALLY READ ALL 4K BYTES IN THE 4K BYTE BLOCK.


C.    GALLOPING PATTERNS MEMORY TEST

 MEMORY  ERRORS  OCCURING DURING THE GALLOPING  PATTERNS  MEMORY
WILL BE DISPLAYED ON THE REMOTE CONSOLE AS FOLLOWS:


ERROR READING OTHER CELL
TEST CELL=NNNN,  OTHER CELL=NNNN
PATTERN STORED=NN  PATTERN READ=NN


 THE  "OTHER" CELL (WRITTEN FROM A BACKGROUND PATTERN OF 0'S  OR
1'S) HAS BEEN DISTRUBED BY WRITING INTO THE "TEST" CELL.

ALTERNATELY,THIS MESSAGE MAY APPEAR:


ERROR READING TEST CELL
TEST CELL=NNNN,  OTHER CELL=NNNN,
PATTERN STORED=NN  PATTERN READ =NN

 THE  TEST CELL HAS BEEN DISTURBED BY WRITING INTO SOME  "OTHER"
CELL.   THE  FAILURE  TYPE  REVEALED  IN  EITHER  ERROR  MESSAGE
INDICATES EITHER UNSATISFACTORY ADDRESS TRANSITIONS BETWEEN EACH
CELL  AND  EVERY OTHER CELL,  SLOW SENSE AMPLIFIER  RECOVER,  OR
DESTRUCTION OF DATA DUE TO NOISE COUPLING BETWEEN CELLS WITHIN A
COLUMN. THE TEST SEQUENCE IS AS FOLLOWS:

1.  A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 1'S IS WRITTEN INTO A 256 BYTE
   PORTION OF A 4K BYTE BLOCK OF MEMORY.

2.   THE  COMPLIMENT OF THE TEST CELL IS WRITTEN INTO  THE  TEST
   CELL,  AND  ALTERNATELY THE TEST CELL IS READ AND EVERY OTHER
   CELL.

3.  THE TEST CELL IS WRITTEN TO IT'S ORIGINAL STATE.

4.  THE NEXT SEQUENTIAL CELL IS TESTED AS IN STEP 2 AND 3.

5.   A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 0'S IS WRITTEN INTO THE  SAME
   256 BYTE PORTION OF THE 4K BYTE BLOCK OF MEMORY.

6.  STEPS 2,3, AND 4 ARE REPEATED.

7.  STEPS 1 THRU 6 ARE REPEATED FOR THE NEXT SEQUENTIAL 256
         BYTES IN THE 4K BYTE BLOCK.


D.  STATIC CHECK CYCLE.

 UTILIZED IN THE MEMORY TEST AUTOMATIC MODE ONLY, A STATIC CHECK
CYCLE WILL OCCUR AS FOLLOWS:

 ANY  FURTHER MEMORY READ OR WRITE OPERATION IS  TERMINATED  FOR
ONE  MINUTE.   AFTER THIS DELAY TIME,  THE LAST STATE OF  MEMORY
TESTING PATTERNS FROM THE GALLOPING PATTERNS MEMORY TEST IS READ
FOR  THE  4K  BYTE  BLOCK TO TEST FOR  POSSIBLE  ERRORS  DUE  TO
RETENTION  LOSSES.  THE  FOLLOWING  MESSAGE WILL APPEAR  ON  THE
REMOTE CONSOLE:


CHECKING DATA RETENTION


ANY  DATA  RETENTION  ERROR DETECTED WILL BE  DISPLAYED  ON  THE
REMOTE CONSOLE AS FOLLOWS:


DATA RETENTION ERROR AT ADDRESS=NNNN
EXPECTED "00" DATA, READ BACK NN


E. GALLOPING COLUMNS MEMORY TEST

 ERROR  MESSAGES  ARE  IDENTICAL  TO  THOSE  DISPLAYED  FOR  THE
GALLOPING PATTERNS MEMORY TEST. THE TEST SEQUENCE IS AS FOLLOWS:

1.  A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 1'S IS WRITTEN INTO A 64 BYTE
   BYTE PORTION OF A 4K BYTE BLOCK OF MEMORY.

2.  THE COMPLEMENT OF THE TEST CELL IS WRITTEN INTO THE TEST
   CELL, FOR THE CURRENT TEST COLUMN.

3.   TEST  CELL ROW'S ARE READ BY ALTERNATELY READING  THE  TEST
   CELL  AND  LOCATIONS +64 ADDRESS'S FROM THE TEST  CELL  (E.G.
   TEST CELL +64 (N), WHERE N=1,2,3,.... ,63).

4.   READ  THE TEST CELL,  THEN WRITE THE TEST CELL'S COMPLEMENT
   INTO  THE  TEST  CELL,   SO  THAT  IT  IS  IN  IT'S  ORIGINAL
   "BACKGROUND" STATE.

5.  READ TWO CELLS FOLLOWING THE TEST CELL FOR REFRESH CHECK.

6.   REPEAT STEP 5 FOR ALL CELLS OF THE CURRENT TEST COLUMN, AND
   EVERY   OTHER   COLUMN   (E.G.   READ   CELLS   3,6,9,....63;
   2,4,9,...62; 1,4,7,.....61; ETC., ETC.)

7.  REPEAT STEPS 2 THRU 6 FOR ALL COLUMNS.

8.  WRITE A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 0'S FOR 64 BYTES IN THE
   4K BYTE MEMORY BLOCK.

9.  REPEAT STEPS 2 THRU 7.

10.   REPEAT STEPS 1 THRU 9 FOR THE NEXT SEQUENTIAL 64 BYTES  IN
   THE 4K BYTE MEMORY BLOCK.

 ALL  FAILURE  TYPE  REVEALED  INDICATES  EITHER  UNSATISFACTORY
ADDRESS  TRANSITIONS BETWEEN EVERY CELL AND THE POSITION OF  THE
CELL'S  ROW,  DESTRUCTION  OF STORED DATA DUE TO NOISE  COUPLING
AMOUNG CELLS IN THE SAME COLUMN, OR REFRESH ERRORS.


F.  WALKING PATTERNS MEMORY TEST

 MEMORY  ERRORS  OCCURRING DURING THE  WALKING  PATTERNS  MEMORY
TEST WILL BE DISPLAYED ON THE REMOTE CONSOLE AS FOLLOWS:

ERROR AT ADDRESS=NNNN READ BACK NN, EXPECTED NN
LAST ADDRESS WRITTEN WAS NNNN, PATTERN WAS NN


THE TEST SEQUENCE IS AS FOLLOWS:

1.   WRITE A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 1'S FOR 256 BYTES IN  A
  4K BYTE MEMORY BLOCK.

2.  WRITE THE COMPLEMENT OF THE TEST CELL INTO THE TEST CELL.

3.  READ THE REMAINING 256 BYTES, IN THE 4K BYTES OF THE BLOCK.

4.  READ THE TEST CELL.

5.   WRITE THE COMPLEMENT OF THE TEST CELL BACK TO IT'S ORIGINAL
  "BACKGROUND" STATE.

6.  REPEAT STEPS 2 THRU 5.

7.  WRITE A "BACKGROUND" PATTERN OF ALL 0'S FOR 256 BYTES IN THE
  4K BYTE MEMORY BLOCK.

8.  REPEAT STEPS 2 THRU 6.

9.   REPEAT  STEPS 1 THRU 8 FOR THE NEXT SEQUENTIAL 256 BYTES IN
  THE 4K BYTE MEMORY BLOCK.

 THE  FAILURE  TYPES  REVEALED  ARE  INTERNAL  MULTIPLE  ADDRESS
SELECTION,DESTRUCTION  OF  STORED  DATA DUE  TO  NOISE  COUPLING
WITHIN A COLUMN,AND SLOW SENSE AMPLIFIER RECOVERY.


G.  OPERATOR ERROR MESSAGES

 ANY NON-HEXIDECIMAL KEYBOARD ENTRIES ON THE REMOTE CONSOLE WILL
BE  PROMPTED WITH A "?" CHARACTER,  AND A RETURN TO THE  COMMAND
MONITOR.   ANY  ATTEMPT  TO  TEST  "OUT  OF  RANGE"  OF  ADDRESS
SELECTIONS WILL PROMPT WITH:


INVALID MEMORY ADDRESS


TESTING  OF MEMORY IS NOT ALLOWED BELOW ADDRESS 1000,  OR  ABOVE
FFFF,  ALSO  THE LOW MEMORY ADDRESS MAY NOT BE GREATER THAN  THE
HIGH MEMORY ADDRESS, ANY ADDRESS RANGE FROM 1000 HEX TO FFFF HEX
MAY BE TESTED .HOWEVER,  A MINIMUM DIFFERENCE IN ADDRESS OF 3 IS
REQUIRED  DUE  TO THE "PUSH/POP" METHOD OF MEMORY  TEST  BY  THE
RANDOM  PATTERNS  MEMORY TEST ("PUSH AND POP"  INSTRUCTIONS  ARE
UTILIZED  FOR  MEMORY  ACCESS'S BECAUSE THESE  TWO  INSTRUCTIONS
PERFORM THE FASTEST ACCESS OF MEMORY).