MicroCoreLabs
Experienced Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2016
- Messages
- 283
Hi,
I am considering developing a debugger which would be a CPU drop-in replacement which contains an FPGA and a microcontroller to diagnose motherboard issues down to the chip level. The software would run on an Adruino/Teensy and the FPGA would generate the bus cycles and would communicate with the user via the USB/UART.
The software would first try to access each device on the motherboard similar to existing diagnostic ROMs. But when it encounters a failure, the software will prompt the user to attach a probe wire to the pins of specific ICs to observe if the signal is toggling as expected. If so, the software will ask to look at other signals until the failed component is found so the user can replace it.
The ultimate goal would be for the software to be sophisticated enough to diagnose and isolate failures for every IC on these vintage motherboards without the user needing oscilloscopes, schematics, or
debugging skills.
Any thoughts/suggestions?
Thanks,
-Ted
I am considering developing a debugger which would be a CPU drop-in replacement which contains an FPGA and a microcontroller to diagnose motherboard issues down to the chip level. The software would run on an Adruino/Teensy and the FPGA would generate the bus cycles and would communicate with the user via the USB/UART.
The software would first try to access each device on the motherboard similar to existing diagnostic ROMs. But when it encounters a failure, the software will prompt the user to attach a probe wire to the pins of specific ICs to observe if the signal is toggling as expected. If so, the software will ask to look at other signals until the failed component is found so the user can replace it.
The ultimate goal would be for the software to be sophisticated enough to diagnose and isolate failures for every IC on these vintage motherboards without the user needing oscilloscopes, schematics, or
debugging skills.
Any thoughts/suggestions?
Thanks,
-Ted