METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A FAULT CONDITION AND RESTORATION THEREAFTER USING USER CONTEXT INFORMATION

摘要

A co-processing unit of a system detects a fault condition associated with the co-processing unit and, upon detection, restores the processing unit using stored user context information. During normal operation, user context information used to execute operation commands are stored by the co-processing unit in memory and maintained after fault detection. A fault condition is detected when at least a portion of the processing unit is rendered non-operational due to a discharging electrostatic event. Fault conditions may be detected by receiving information by the co-processing unit indicative of a fault condition, or by checking at least one memory location associated with processing unit to determine if information stored therein indicates a fault condition. The co-processing unit returns the processing unit to a known, workable state by using the stored user context information to restore the pre-fault detection state information to the memory locations associated with the processing unit.