Abstract:
A power cycle test method for testing an electronic equipment ( 30 ) includes: configuring a total test count and a current test count; updating the current test count by incrementing the current test count by a value; utilizing a corresponding AC control signal, a corresponding DC control signal, and a reboot control signal to control the electronic equipment in sequence; checking whether the electronic equipment is in a workable condition when the electronic equipment is respectively controlled under the control signals; repeating the updating step, the utilizing step and the checking step until the current test count is equal to the total test count; and generating a result message if the current test count is equal to the total test count. A related system is also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to power test methods for testing electronic equipments, and more particularly to a power cycle test method for testing an electronic equipment. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   An electronic equipment, such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, or a server, must be tested on performance before the electronic equipment is distributed into the consumer market. In order to control and improve the performance of the electronic equipment, one or more power cycle tests should be performed to test the electronic equipment. 
   Once electronic equipments use alternating current (AC) power supplies and the working current of the electronic equipments is direct current (DC), the AC supplied by the AC power supplies must be transformed into DC so that the electronic equipments can be powered, and each of the one or more power cycle tests includes an AC test, a DC test, and a reboot test. 
   However, presently, the one or more power cycle tests must be performed individually, and a lot of manual work are required during each power cycle test. That is, the efficiency and correctness of each power cycle test are never ensured. 
   What is needed, therefore, is a power cycle test method that can automatically test an electronic equipment, and that can exactly and effectively test an electronic equipment. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A power cycle test method for testing an electronic equipment in accordance with a preferred embodiment includes the steps of: providing a hardware configuration consisting of a host computer, a single chip processor, a relay, and a power supply; predefining a total test count, and resetting a current test count; updating the current test count by incrementing the current test count by a value; checking whether the electronic equipment passes an alternating current (AC) test under a first AC control signal, the first AC control signal being transmitted to the single chip processor; powering off the electronic equipment under a first direct current (DC) control signal if the electronic equipment passes the AC test, the first DC control signal being transmitted to the single chip processor; checking whether the electronic equipment passes a DC test under a second DC control signal, the second DC control signal being transmitted to the single chip processor; checking whether the electronic equipment passes a reboot test under a reboot control signal if the electronic equipment passes the DC test, the reboot control signal being transmitted to the single chip processor; powering off the electronic equipment under a second AC control signal if the electronic equipment passes the reboot test, the second AC control signal being transmitted to the single chip processor; determining whether the current test count is equal to the total test count; and displaying a result message if the current test count is equal to the total test count. 
   A power cycle test method for testing an electronic equipment in accordance with a preferred embodiment includes the steps of: configuring a total test count and a current test count; updating the current test count by incrementing the current test count by a value; utilizing a corresponding AC control signal, a corresponding DC control signal, and a reboot control signal to control the electronic equipment in sequence; checking whether the electronic equipment is in a workable condition when the electronic equipment is respectively controlled under said control signals; repeating said updating step, said utilizing step and said checking step until the current test count is equal to the total test count; and generating a result message if the current test count is equal to the total test count. 
   Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a hardware configuration of a power cycle test method for testing an electronic equipment in accordance with a preferred embodiment; and 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a power cycle test method for testing an electronic equipment in accordance with a preferred embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a hardware configuration of a power cycle test method for testing one or more electronic equipments in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The hardware configuration includes a host computer  10 , a single chip processor  20 , one or more electronic equipments  30  (only three shown in  FIG. 1 ), a relay  40 , and a power supply  50 . The host computer  10  is connected with the single chip processor  20 , and connected with the electronic equipments  30 . The relay  40  is connected with the single chip processor  20 . The power supply  50  is connected with the electronic equipments  30  through the relay  40 . Each electronic equipment  30  has a power switch  301 , and a reboot switch  302 . The electronic equipments  30  are selected from the group consisting of a personal computer (PC), a notebook computer, a server, and a television. 
   The host computer  10  is configured (structured and arranged) for performing power cycle tests on the electronic equipments  30  by employing each part of the hardware configuration. Each of The power cycle tests include an alternating current (AC) test, a direct current (DC) test, and a reboot test. The AC test is used for testing performance of each of the electronic equipments  30  when AC is suddenly supplied to or discontinued from the electronic equipments  30  correspondingly. The DC test is used for testing performance of each of the electronic equipments  30  when DC is suddenly supplied to or discontinued from the electronic equipments  30  correspondingly. The reboot test is used for testing performance of each of the electronic equipments  30  when the electronic equipments  30  are rebooted. 
   The single chip processor  20  is a microcontroller unit (MCU), and is configured for receiving control signals that are transmitted from the host computer  10 . The control signals include AC control signals, DC control signals, and a reboot control signal. The single chip processor  20  is further configured for enabling/disabling the relay  40  according to the AC control signals, thereby powering on/powering off the electronic equipments  30 , for actuating/activating the power switch  301  of each of the electronic equipments  30  according to the DC control signals, thereby powering on/powering off (turning on/turning off) the electronic equipments  30 , and for actuating the reboot switch  302  of each of the electronic equipments  30  according to the reboot control signal. 
   The power supply  50  is configured for supplying power to the electronic equipments  30 . In the preferred embodiment, the power supply  50  is an AC power supply, and the value of the voltage value supplied by the power supply  50  falls into a predetermined range between 200 volt and 240 volt. At the beginning of each of the power cycle tests, the relay  40  is disabled, and the power switch  301  of each of the electronic equipments  30  is actuated to power on the electronic equipments  30 . 
   The power switch  301  of a corresponding electronic equipment  30  is used as a controller, and is configured for controlling the corresponding electronic equipment  30  to be supplied with/discontinued from DC. The DC is transformed from the AC supplied by the power supply  50 . The reboot switch  302  of the corresponding electronic equipment  30  is configured for performing the reboot test on the corresponding electronic equipment  30 . 
   The relay  40  is used to control (create/interrupt) connections between the electronic equipments  30  and the power supply  50 . That is, the relay  40  creates the connections between the electronic equipments  30  and the power supply  50  if the relay  40  is enabled and vice versa. 
     FIG. 2  is a flowchart of the power cycle test method for testing one or more electronic equipments  30  in accordance with the preferred embodiment. At the beginning of each of the power cycle tests, the relay  40  is disabled, and the power switch  301  of each of the electronic equipments  30  is actuated to power on the electronic equipments  30 . 
   In step S 21 , a total test count “n” (e.g. 500) is manually inputted to initialize a total of the power cycle tests to be performed by utilizing the host computer  10 . The host computer  10  further resets a current test count “M” to “0”. 
   In step S 22 , the host computer  10  updates the current test count “M” by incrementing the current test count “M” by “1”. 
   In step S 23 , the host computer  10  performs the AC test. In detail, the host computer  10  transmits a first AC control signal to the single chip processor  20  to enable the relay  40 . The single chip processor  20  receives the first AC control signal and then enables the relay  40  according to the first AC control signal. Once the relay  40  is enabled, the electronic equipments  30  are suddenly supplied with the AC. 
   In step S 24 , the host computer  10  detects test results from the electronic equipments  30 . In the preferred embodiment, each of the test results is a bootup success message from each of the electronic equipments  30 . The host computer  10  determines whether all the electronic equipments  30  pass the AC test by detecting if the test results from all the electronic equipments  30  have been received. 
   If all the electronic equipments  30  pass the AC test, in step S 25 , the host computer  10  performs the DC test. In detail, the host computer  10  transmits a first DC control signal for actuating the power switch  301  of each of the electronic equipments  30  to the single chip processor  20 . The first DC control signal is used to power off the electronic equipments  30 . The single chip processor  20  receives the first DC control signal, and actuates the power switch  301  of each of the electronic equipments  30  according to the first DC control signal thereby powering off the electronic equipments  30 . Thus, the DC supplied to the electronic equipments  30  is suddenly discontinued. 
   If any of the electronic equipments  30  does not pass the AC test, in step S 213 , the host computer  10  displays an error message, the current test count “M”, and a name of a current test. In the preferred embodiment, the error message indicates that one of the electronic equipments  30  is an unqualified product. The name of the current test can be “AC test,” “DC test,” or “reboot test” if the current test is the AC test, the DC test, or the reboot test respectively. 
   In step S 27 , the host computer  10  transmits a second DC control signal for actuating the power switch  301  of each of the electronic equipments  30  to the single chip processor  20 . The second DC control signal is used to power on the electronic equipments  30 . The single chip processor  20  receives the second DC control signal, and actuates the power switch  301  of each of the electronic equipments  30  according to the second DC control signal thereby powering on the electronic equipments  30 . Then, the DC to power on the electronic equipments  30  is suddenly supplied. 
   In step S 28 , the host computer  10  detects the test results from the electronic equipments  30 . The host computer  10  determines whether all the electronic equipments  30  pass the DC test by detecting if the test results from all the electronic equipments  30  have been received. 
   If all the electronic equipments  30  pass the DC test, in step S 29 , the host computer  10  performs the reboot test. In detail, the host computer  10  transmits the reboot control signal for actuating the reboot switch  302  of each of the electronic equipments  30  to the single chip processor  20 . The single chip processor  20  receives the reboot control signal, and actuates the reboot switch  302  of each of the electronic equipments  30  according to the reboot control signal. Then, the electronic equipments  30  are rebooted. 
   If any of the electronic equipments  30  does not pass the DC test, the procedure goes directly to step S 213  described above. 
   In step S 210 , the host computer  10  detects the test results from the electronic equipments  30 . The host computer  10  determines whether all the electronic equipments  30  pass the reboot test by detecting if the test results from all the electronic equipments  30  have been received. 
   If all the electronic equipments  30  pass the reboot test, in step S 211 , the host computer  10  transmits a second AC control signal to the single chip processor  20  to disable the relay  40 . The single chip processor  20  receives the second AC control signal and then disables the relay  40  according to the second AC control signal. Once the relay  40  is disabled, the electronic equipments  30  are suddenly discontinued with the AC. 
   If any of the electronic equipments  30  does not pass the reboot test, the procedure goes directly to step S 213  described above. 
   In step S 212 , the host computer  10  determines whether the current test count “M” is equal to the total test count “n”. 
   If the current test count “M” is equal to the total test count “n”, in step S 214 , the host computer  10  displays a result message that indicates all the electronic equipments  30  are qualified products, and the procedure ends. 
   If the current test count “M” does not equal to the total test count “n”, the procedure returns directly to step S 22  described above. 
   It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the preferred embodiments, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described preferred embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the above-described preferred embodiment(s) and protected by the following claims.