Patent Application
20130308247
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring characteristics of a circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
In developing computer systems, such as personal computer systems, an embedded controller is used to measure characteristics of various components on motherboards. Measuring methods include using a plurality of GPIO pins on the embedded controller to detect voltage values of the various components. The characteristics of various components are then analyzed by a CMOS chip on the motherboard. However, such testing methods require a plurality of embedded controllers to complete the test, which is costly.
Therefore there is a need for improvement in the art.
Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.”
The embedded controller 100 includes an analog to digital (A/D) conversion terminal 101. The A/D conversion terminal 101 receives a direct current (DC) voltage via the first resistor R1. The A/D conversion terminal 101 is grounded via the second resistor R2. Resistances of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2 indicate different characteristics of the motherboard. The A/D conversion terminal 101 detects a DC voltage value between a connection point of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2 and ground. Various possible DC voltages respectively correspond to a plurality of reference binary codes. The embedded controller 100 determines a binary code corresponding to characteristics of the motherboard according to the voltage value and the reference binary code. The embedded controller 100 determines characteristics of the motherboard according to the binary code. In one embodiment, the DC voltage is +3.3V. The reference binary code is 1111111111. The A/D conversion terminal 101 is a ten bits A/D conversion terminal. The reference binary code is a ten bit binary code. Each bit of the ten bit reference binary code indicates status of a particular characteristic of the motherboard. The characteristics of the motherboard include developing process information (type of the motherboard), video chip information, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) information, and network chip information. In other embodiments, any of various other kinds of circuit boards can be measured and analyzed instead of the motherboard.
S201: the A/D conversion terminal 101 measures the voltage value between the connection point of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2 and ground;
S202: the embedded controller 100 analyzes the binary code of characteristics of the motherboard according to the voltage value and the reference binary code;
S203: the embedded controller 100 determines characteristics of the motherboard according to the binary code;
S204: the embedded controller 100 sets default values and operating parameters of the motherboard according to the characteristics of the motherboard.
For example, when the A/D conversion terminal 101 detects the voltage value is 2.58V, a decimal code of the reference binary code is 1023. A decimal code of the voltage value 2.58V is calculated with the following formula: 2.58÷3.3×1023=800. A binary code of the decimal code 800 is 1100100000, which indicates the motherboard is a PV type motherboard having a 100 mbps network chip, a HDMI, and a independent video chip.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101117921 | May 2012 | TW | national |
