On Computer Self-Diagnosis Part I-Experimental Study of a Processor

The problem considered is the derivation of self-diagnosis procedures for digital computers. A self-diagnosis procedure is defined as an experiment of two outcomes: 1) all transistor-diode logic is failure-free; or 2) card or module X has a fault of type Y. Also, the procedure must be sufficiently fast to permit execution every few hours by nontechnical personnel. A method for the production of self-diagnosis procedures is given. The method was experimentally applied to the problem of self-diagnosis of the central processor of an existing computer. Work was carried far enough to verify validity, and to obtain estimates of certain parameters. These were used in turn to develop an estimate of total length for the complete procedure, which indicated that execution time would be acceptably short. The experimental results will also be used in a companion paper to develop more extensive estimates.