Patents by Inventor Bryan Thome

Bryan Thome has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8296607
    Abstract: A method and/or a system of a processor-agnostic encoded debug architecture in a pipelined environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a processor includes processing an event specified by a data processing system coupled to the processor to determine a boundary of the event, generating a matrix having combinations of the event and other events occurring simultaneously in the processor, capturing an output data of observed ones of the event and other events, and applying the matrix to generate an encoded debug data of the output data. The method may also include determining which of the combinations are valid based on an architecture of the processor. The event may be a trace-worthy event whose output value cannot be reliably predicted in an executable file in the data processing system and/or a sync event that is specified by a user of the data processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Dipan Kumar Mandal, Bryan Thome
  • Patent number: 7797685
    Abstract: During a trace the timing stream has the active and stall information, PC stream has all the discontinuity information, and the data stream has all the data log information. The various streams are synchronized using markers called sync points. The sync points provide a unique identifier field and a context to the data that will follow it. After data corruption a sync point is inserted into the data stream. The ID of this sync point may repeat a previous sync point ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Manisha Agarwala, John M. Johnsen, Bryan Thome
  • Patent number: 7463653
    Abstract: In a test and debug system, a plurality of trace streams, including a timing trace stream, are transmitted from the target processing unit to the host processing unit for analysis. The timing trace stream, the trace stream that indicates activity or non-activity of the program counter each clock cycle, can occupy a large percentage of the bandwidth of the transmitted data. The transmitted data is organized into groups of packets, each packet having a control signal portion and a payload portion. Each information packet has a logic signal stored at each location indicating an activity or a non-activity of the program counter. By identifying portion of the timing trace stream wherein the activity or non-activity does not change for one or more groups of timing packets, the information in a plurality of packets can be represented by a header and an information packet that describes a number of packets in which the activity or non-activity of the program counter does not change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome
  • Patent number: 7428666
    Abstract: When an INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE (SECONDARY) CODE FLUSH signal is generated in a target processor during a test procedure, a sync marker is generated in a program counter trace stream. The sync marker includes a plurality of packets, the packets identifying that the sync marker is has been generated as a result of the INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE CODE FLUSH signal. The interrupt service routine code flush sync marker identifies the absolute program counter address at the time of the generation of the INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE CODE FLUSH signal and relates the INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE CODE FLUSH signal sync marker to a timing trace stream. The INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE CODE FLUSH signal is generated at the transition between the interrupt service routine (secondary) code instructions being removed from the pipeline flattener and the program (primary) code instructions being removed from the pipeline flattener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome, Manisha Agarwala
  • Patent number: 7325169
    Abstract: When a plurality of simultaneous, preselected target processor events are detected, a multiple-event sync marker is generated that identifies the preselected events and relates the occurrence of these events to timing trace stream. The sync marker for the plurality of preselected events differs from a single event sync marker by including at least one additional packet. The additional packet includes logic signals stored at locations related to each identified event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome
  • Patent number: 7318176
    Abstract: A method of tracing program counter activity in a data processor periodically transmits a program counter sync point including the current program counter address. Between sync points the program counter address is indicated by a program counter offset relative to the last program counter sync point. The program counter offset is sent as integral number of sections of a predetermined number of bits. Program counter sync points are transmitted often enough so that the program counter offset requires at most one less section than the program counter address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Manisha Agarwala, Bryan Thome, John M. Johnsen, Gary L. Swoboda, Lewis Nardini, Maria B. H. Gill
  • Publication number: 20070294585
    Abstract: A method and/or a system of a processor-agnostic encoded debug architecture in a pipelined environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a processor includes processing an event specified by a data processing system coupled to the processor to determine a boundary of the event, generating a matrix having combinations of the event and other events occurring simultaneously in the processor, capturing an output data of observed ones of the event and other events, and applying the matrix to generate an encoded debug data of the output data. The method may also include determining which of the combinations are valid based on an architecture of the processor. The event may be a trace-worthy event whose output value cannot be reliably predicted in an executable file in the data processing system and/or a sync event that is specified by a user of the data processing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Dipan Mandal, Bryan Thome
  • Patent number: 7310749
    Abstract: When a DEBUG HALT signal is generated in a target processor during a test procedure, a debug halt sync marker is generated in a program counter trace stream. The debug halt sync marker includes a plurality of packets, the packets identifying that the sync marker is the result of a DEBUG HALT signal. The packets also identify the program counter address at the time of the generation of the DEBUG HALT signal and relate the debug halt sync marker to a timing trace stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome, Lewis Nardini, Manisha Agarwala
  • Patent number: 7237151
    Abstract: When a RESET signal is generated in a target processor during a test procedure, a reset sync marker is generated in a program counter trace stream. The reset sync marker includes a plurality of packets, the packets identifying that the reset sync marker is the result of a RESET signal. The packets identify the program counter address at the time of the generation of the RESET signal and relate the reset sync marker to a timing trace stream. When the RESET signal is removed, a second (reset-off) sync marker is generated identifying the removal of the RESET signal, identifying the program counter address, and relating the second sync marker to the timing trance stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome, Manisha Agarwala
  • Patent number: 7225365
    Abstract: When a NEW SECONDARY CODE EXECUTION START POINT signal is generated in a target processor during a test procedure after the return from an interrupt service routine (i.e., an original secondary code sequence), a sync marker is generated in a program counter trace stream. The sync marker includes a plurality of packets, the packets identifying that the sync marker is has been generated as a result of the NEW SECONDARY CODE EXECUTION START POINT signal. The new secondary program code start point sync marker identifies the absolute program counter address at the time of the generation of the NEW SECONDARY CODE EXECUTION START POINT signal and relates the NEW SECONDARY CODE EXECUTION START POINT signal sync marker to a timing trace stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome, Manisha Agarwala
  • Patent number: 7210072
    Abstract: When a PROGRAM CODE FLUSH signal is generated in a target processor during a test procedure, a sync marker is generated in a program counter trace stream. The sync marker includes a plurality of packets, the packets identifying that the sync marker is has been generated as a result of the PROGRAM CODE FLUSH signal. The program code flush sync marker identifies the absolute program counter address at the time of the generation of the PROGRAM CODE FLUSH signal and relates the PROGRAM CODE FLUSH signal sync marker to a timing trace stream. The PROGRAM CODE FLUSH signal is generated at the transition between the program (primary) code instructions being removed from the pipeline flattener and the interrupt service routine (secondary) code instructions being removed from the pipeline flattener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome, Manisha Agarwala
  • Publication number: 20070011662
    Abstract: A method of tracing program counter activity in a data processor periodically transmits a program counter sync point including the current program counter address. Between sync points the program counter address is indicated by a program counter offset relative to the last program counter sync point. The program counter offset is sent as integral number of sections of a predetermined number of bits. Program counter sync points are transmitted often enough so that the program counter offset requires at most one less section than the program counter address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Manisha Agarwala, Bryan Thome, John Johnsen, Gary Swoboda, Lewis Nardini, Maria Gill
  • Publication number: 20060262787
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for multiplexing multiple data sources Some illustrative embodiments include a method for combining multiple data sources, including building one or more single-source data words by iteratively selecting a data source, writing data from the data source to each data section within a single-source data word if enough data is available to fill the single-source data word, copying a data bit of the single-source data word to a data bit within a start word, and clearing the data bit of the single-source data word; and including transmitting the one or more single-source data words after transmitting both a start word and one or more multi-source data words within the same data frame The data written into the one or more single-source data words and the data most recently written into the one or more multi-source data words originate from the same data source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary Swoboda, Bryan Thome
  • Publication number: 20060255985
    Abstract: During a trace the timing stream has the active and stall information, PC stream has all the discontinuity information, and the data stream has all the data log information. The various streams are synchronized using markers called sync points. The sync points provide a unique identifier field and a context to the data that will follow it. After data corruption a sync point is inserted into the data stream. The ID of this sync point may repeat a previous sync point ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Manisha Agarwala, John Johnsen, Bryan Thome
  • Patent number: 7047451
    Abstract: A method of tracing program counter activity in a data processor periodically transmits a program counter sync point including the current program counter address. Between sync points the program counter address is indicated by a program counter offset relative to the last program counter sync point. The program counter offset is sent as integral number of sections of a predetermined number of bits. Program counter sync points are transmitted often enough so that the program counter offset requires at most one less section than the program counter address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Manisha Agarwala, Bryan Thome, John M. Johnsen, Gary L. Swoboda, Lewis Nardini, Maria B. H. Gill
  • Patent number: 6948155
    Abstract: A method of tracing activity of a data processor includes collecting and transmitting trace data. An epause marker is embedded in the trace stream upon detection of an emulation halt. This epause marker includes a little offset indicating a number of latency instructions within trace collection hardware since a program counter exception. This permits the utilization emulation device to annulling trace data corresponding to the latency instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Manisha Agarwala, Bryan Thome, Gary L. Swoboda
  • Publication number: 20050022181
    Abstract: A multiprogrammer system, for monitoring and optimizing implant performance, includes at least two programmers and an implant. Each programmer may perform inquiry and programming operations on the implant. In an inquiry operation, the programmer retrieves some or all of the configuration parameters from the implant. In a programming operation, the programmer provides one or more modified parameters to the implant. As part of the programming operation, the programmer is configured to verify that it is aware of the implant's current parameters before sending modified parameters. The current programmer verifies that the implant's parameters have not been altered since the current programmer's last interaction with the implant. If the parameters have been altered, the current programmer aborts the programming operation and provides notification. The verification may be performed by the implant, i.e.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: James Fox, William Rottenberg, Bryan Thome
  • Publication number: 20040170169
    Abstract: In a test and debug system, a plurality of trace streams, including a timing trace stream, are transmitted from the target processing unit to the host processing unit for analysis. The timing trace stream, the trace stream that indicates activity or non-activity of the program counter each clock cycle, can occupy a large percentage of the bandwidth of the transmitted data. The transmitted data is organized into groups of packets, each packet having a control signal portion and a payload portion. Each information packet has a logic signal stored at each location indicating an activity or a non-activity of the program counter. By identifying portion of the timing trace stream wherein the activity or non-activity does not change for one or more groups of timing packets, the information in a plurality of packets can be represented by a header and an information packet that describes a number of packets in which the activity or non-activity of the program counter does not change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome
  • Publication number: 20040153814
    Abstract: When a RESET signal is generated in a target processor during a test procedure, a reset sync marker is generated in a program counter trace stream. The reset sync marker includes a plurality of packets, the packets identifying that the reset sync marker is the result of a RESET signal. The packets identify the program counter address at the time of the generation of the RESET signal and relate the reset sync marker to a timing trace stream. When the RESET signal is removed, a second (reset-off) sync marker is generated identifying the removal of the RESET signal, identifying the program counter address, and relating the second sync marker to the timing trance stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Bryan Thome, Manisha Agarwala
  • Publication number: 20040153808
    Abstract: A method of tracing program counter activity in a data processor periodically transmits a program counter sync point including the current program counter address. Between sync points the program counter address is indicated by a program counter offset relative to the last program counter sync point. The program counter offset is sent as integral number of sections of a predetermined number of bits. Program counter sync points are transmitted often enough so that the program counter offset requires at most one less section than the program counter address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Manisha Agarwala, Bryan Thome, John M. Johnsen, Gary L. Swoboda, Lewis Nardini, Maria B. H. Gill