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  Communications interface database for electronic diagnostic apparatusRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Database And File Management Or Data Structures, File Or Database MaintenanceThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060167947. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This patent application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 60/451,301 filed Mar. 1, 2003. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to electronic diagnostic or data acquisition apparatus. More specifically, the invention is an improvement to such diagnostic apparatus comprising database methods and apparatus for tabulating various models or classes of equipment ("unit under test" or "UUT") that can be tested and, for each such class of UUT equipment, tabulating: (1) each diagnostic attribute whose value can be transmitted by that UUT; and (2) the ID (e.g., physical signal line, physical address, or logical address) and other communications interface parameters required for a diagnostic apparatus to retrieve the value of that attribute from that UUT. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Diagnostic apparatus, also called data acquisition or data collection apparatus, is commonly used to test and troubleshoot various types of electronic equipment. The diagnostic apparatus monitors the values of electrical data generated by the electronic equipment under test ("unit under test" or "UUT"). This data generally represents various sensor measurements and/or operating conditions of the UUT, all of which are collectively referred to as "diagnostic attributes," "collectible attributes," or simply "attributes" of the UUT. Maintenance personnel analyze the attribute data to troubleshoot or optimize the performance of the UUT. [0004] Maintenance personnel typically are assigned to test and troubleshoot a variety of types of such electronic equipment. Different types and models of UUT equipment generally impose different interface requirements for connection to a diagnostic apparatus, because they differ from each other regarding the number and kind of data communications interfaces, the attributes they output at the data interfaces, and the ID's (physical signal line, physical address, or logical address) required for a diagnostic apparatus to retrieve the values of selected attributes from the UUT. In fact, different interface requirements may even exist among different production versions of the same model of equipment. [0005] Some conventional diagnostic apparatuses are adapted to interface with only a narrow range of UUT equipment models. Other conventional diagnostic apparatuses are programmable to enable them to interface with a broader range of UUT equipment, but such programming must be manually entered by the maintenance personnel each time the apparatus is intended to be connected to a different model of UUT. [0006] A need exists for a diagnostic apparatus capable of interfacing with a broad range of UUT equipment models without requiring manual reprogramming by maintenance personnel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The invention is a diagnostic instrument or data acquisition apparatus having a database (the "attribute database") for storing communications interface specifications and other properties of diagnostic attributes outputted by various classes (models and/or versions) of equipment to be tested ("unit under test" or "UUT"). The attribute database includes a plurality of attribute data records, each of which includes at least a first field identifying a class of UUT equipment and a second field identifying (e.g., by name or description) a diagnostic attribute whose value is outputted by that class of equipment. The attribute values (i.e., attribute data) outputted by a UUT can include sensor measurements and operating conditions. [0008] In one aspect of the invention, an attribute data record further includes a third field identifying an ID (e.g., physical signal line, physical address, or logical address) that enables a diagnostic apparatus to retrieve the value of the attribute identified by the second field from the class of UUT equipment identified by the first field of the record. For example, the ID may identify (a) a physical signal line or connector pin at which the UUT outputs the attribute value, (b) a logical or physical address that a diagnostic apparatus must send to the UUT to command the UUT to output the attribute value, or (c) a logical or physical address that the UUT outputs along with the attribute value in order to identify which attribute the value represents. [0009] In a second aspect of the invention, at least one class of UUT equipment identified in the database includes a plurality of communication interfaces via which a diagnostic apparatus can retrieve attribute data, and an attribute data record further includes a field identifying one of said communication interfaces; [0010] In a third aspect of the invention, an attribute data record further includes a field identifying a chamber position or other configuration parameter that distinguishes attributes within a class of attributes. [0011] In a fourth aspect of the invention, an attribute data record further includes a field containing one or more conversion parameters, such as a scale factor, for converting an electrical signal outputted by the equipment to a physical unit of measurement for the attribute value identified by the second field. [0012] In a fifth aspect of the invention, the aforesaid first field of some or all of the attribute data records is a compound field that includes a plurality of subordinate fields (sub-fields) that collectively identify a range of equipment models, a range of equipment versions, or a range of equipment revision dates that define the class of equipment identified by the first field. [0013] In addition to the aforesaid diagnostic apparatus, other aspects of the invention are the aforesaid attribute database, the methods of storing data in the attribute database as summarized above, and data processing apparatuses for performing the methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the diagnostic apparatus of the invention connected to a conventional UUT which is a semiconductor manufacturing mainframe having six process chambers. [0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the fields in an attribute record of an attribute database according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Subordinate fields are depicted below the compound field to which they belong. [0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the values stored in three attribute records which represent an exemplary attribute whose ID changes in different versions of an exemplary model of UUT. [0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of two attribute records which can represent the same information as the three records of FIG. 3. [0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a system in which the attribute database is remote from the diagnostic apparatus. [0019] FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the steps by which the diagnostic apparatus retrieves attribute data from a UUT using information stored in the attribute database. Continue reading... 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