US6041406A — Parallel and serial debug port on a processor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 136 words

A processor comprising: a processor core; a serial debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive signals to and from external debug equipment; a parallel debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive signals to and from external debug equipment; a plurality of debug registers accessible to said serial port and said parallel debug port, and coupled to said processor core for receiving and providing debug data and control signals; an on-chip trace memory coupled to said processor core and said serial debug port, said trace memory for storing trace information indicative of program execution order in said processor core; wherein said processor core performs debug operations in response to signals from said external debug equipment sent over one of said parallel and serial debug ports.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 136 words

A processor comprising: a processor core; a serial debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive signals to and from external debug equipment; a parallel debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive signals to and from external debug equipment; a plurality of debug registers accessible to said serial port and said parallel debug port, and coupled to said processor core for receiving and providing debug data and control signals; an on-chip trace memory coupled to said processor core and said serial debug port, said trace memory for storing trace information indicative of program execution order in said processor core; wherein said processor core performs debug operations in response to signals from said external debug equipment sent over one of said parallel and serial debug ports.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 19 words

The processor of claim 1, wherein said serial debug port includes conventional JTAG signals TMS, TCK, TDI and TDO.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 31 words

The processor of claim 1, wherein the contents of said debug registers are coupled to be examined by said debug equipment without halting normal processor operation via said serial debug port.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 38 words

The processor as recited in claim 1 wherein said pins of said parallel debug port includes pins providing a read/write control line, a bus request line and a bus grant line for coupling to said external debug equipment.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

The processor as recited in claim 1 wherein said pins of said parallel debug port includes pins providing 16 bits of data in parallel.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

The processor as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor is coupled to said debug equipment via both said serial and parallel debug ports.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 154 words

A method of sending and receiving debug information between a processor-based device and external debug equipment, comprising: sending debug information serially to and from a serial debug port in the processor-based device; providing a trace memory in said processor-based device, said trace memory storing information indicative of an order in which instructions are executed by said processor based device; providing a parallel debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive debug signals in parallel; accessing one of a plurality of debug registers via one of said serial and parallel debug ports, said debug registers being accessible to both said serial debug port and said parallel debug port; performing a debug operation in said processor-based device in response to signals received at one of said parallel and serial debug ports; and communicating results of said debug operation from said processor-based device over one of said parallel and serial debug ports.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 154 words

A method of sending and receiving debug information between a processor-based device and external debug equipment, comprising: sending debug information serially to and from a serial debug port in the processor-based device; providing a trace memory in said processor-based device, said trace memory storing information indicative of an order in which instructions are executed by said processor based device; providing a parallel debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive debug signals in parallel; accessing one of a plurality of debug registers via one of said serial and parallel debug ports, said debug registers being accessible to both said serial debug port and said parallel debug port; performing a debug operation in said processor-based device in response to signals received at one of said parallel and serial debug ports; and communicating results of said debug operation from said processor-based device over one of said parallel and serial debug ports.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said serial debug port provides data over a serial data out line to said external software debug controller and receives data over a serial data in line from said external software debug controller.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising providing, a read/write control line, a bus request line and a bus grant line on said parallel port for coupling to said external software debug controller.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said parallel debug port sends and receives at least 16 data bits in parallel.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising sending a debug command via said serial debug port to enable said parallel debug port.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising sending debug information to and from said parallel debug port after said parallel debug port has been enabled via said debug command sent via said serial debug port.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 68 words

A method for enabling a debug port in a processor-base device, the processor-based device including a serial debug port and a parallel debug port, the method comprising: receiving debug information serially into said serial debug port to enable said parallel debug port; and accessing one of a plurality of debug registers in said processor-based device via said parallel debug port after said parallel debug port has been enabled.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 68 words

A method for enabling a debug port in a processor-base device, the processor-based device including a serial debug port and a parallel debug port, the method comprising: receiving debug information serially into said serial debug port to enable said parallel debug port; and accessing one of a plurality of debug registers in said processor-based device via said parallel debug port after said parallel debug port has been enabled.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 104 words

A processor comprising: a processor core; a serial debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive signals to and from external debug equipment; a parallel debug port formed of a plurality of pins for communicating with external debug equipment, wherein said pins of said parallel debug port include a read/write control line, a bus request line and a bus grant line for coupling to said external debug equipment; and a plurality of debug registers for receiving and providing debug data and control signals accessible to said serial port and said parallel debug port, and coupled to said processor core.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 104 words

A processor comprising: a processor core; a serial debug port formed of a plurality of pins configured to send and receive signals to and from external debug equipment; a parallel debug port formed of a plurality of pins for communicating with external debug equipment, wherein said pins of said parallel debug port include a read/write control line, a bus request line and a bus grant line for coupling to said external debug equipment; and a plurality of debug registers for receiving and providing debug data and control signals accessible to said serial port and said parallel debug port, and coupled to said processor core.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-03-21	2003-09-20	2004-03-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-03-21	2007-09-20	2008-03-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-03-21	2011-09-20	2012-03-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Parallel and serial debug port on a processor

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