System and method for providing an interface for scripting programs to communicate with embedded systems

Abstract

A system and method for providing seamless communication with threads executing on an embedded computer. Using a DAT system, a programmer can test the communication interfaces of a thread via either a scripting program, any COM-compliant program, or a graphical test utility. The DAT system automatically formats a block of data that is transmitted between the embedded computer and a host computer and accounts for machine specific enumeration sizes, machine specific pointer sizes, machine specific structure alignment boundaries, machine specific integer sizes, and machine specific byte ordering.

1 . A system for providing communication between a host computer and an embedded computer, the system comprising: 
 an embedded computer configured to execute a plurality of threads;    a script engine configured to execute script instructions;    a communication database, wherein the communication database is automatically generated, at least in part, from an interface description file;    a communication module configured to provide an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interface, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based upon information from information from the communication database; and    wherein the script instructions are configured to transmit and receive parameter data to and from the threads via the communication module.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the host computer is configured to formatting the parameter based at least in part upon the machine characteristics of the embedded computer.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the script engine is configured to retrieve parameter data from a persistent data object that is stored on the host computer.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the script engine is configured to execute on the host computer.  
     
     
         5 . A system for providing communication between a host computer and an embedded computer, the system comprising: 
 an embedded computer configured to execute a plurality of routines;    a communication database configured to store information about the types of parameter data that is associated with the routines;    a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the routines; and    wherein the script instructions identify at least one of the routines and invoke a function with respect to routine via the application programming interface.    
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the function is selected from the group comprising: setting a field, reading a field, and testing a field.  
     
     
         7 . A method of providing communication with a thread, the method comprising: 
 retrieving a reference to a communication object, wherein the communication object provides an application programming interface for a scripting program to access a thread that is executing on an embedded computer;    storing data in at least one data field via the application programming interface; and    transmitting the stored data to the thread via application programming interface.    
     
     
         8 . A method of providing communication with a thread, the method comprising: 
 retrieving a reference to a communication object, wherein the communication object provides a read method for a scripting program to access data from a thread that is executing on an embedded computer; and    invoking the read method of the communication object thereby receiving data from the thread that is executing on an embedded computer.    
     
     
         9 . A method of providing communication, the method comprising: 
 retrieving a reference to a communication object, wherein the communication object provides an application programming interface for a scripting program to access a routine that is executing on an embedded computer; and    transmitting data to the thread that is executing on the embedded computer via the use of the application programming interface of the communication object.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the communication object automatically formats data based upon the machine characteristics of the embedded computer and a host computer, which performs the retrieving and transmitting steps.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the process of formatting data for transmission comprises: 
 determining whether the data is to be transmitted between different threads on the same computer, and    transmitting the data without modification where the data transmission is intended to occur between different threads on the same computer.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the process of formatting data comprises: 
 determining whether the data is to be transmitted between threads on the host computer and the embedded computer,    performing the following steps where the data is to be transmitted between a thread on the host computer and a thread on the embedded computer, or between a thread on the embedded computer and a thread on the host computer: 
 copying data in payload and data referenced by pointers into a message for transmission,  
   formatting, if necessary, the byte order of the data elements in the payload,    formatting, if necessary, the size of the data types in the payload, and    adjusting alignment of the data structures.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the process of formatting data for transmission is performed solely by the host computer.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the process of formatting data for transmission is performed solely by the embedded computer.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the process of formatting data for transmission comprises copying data in payload and data referenced by pointers into a message for transmission.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the process of formatting data for transmission comprises formatting the byte order of the data elements in the payload.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the process of formatting data for transmission comprises formatting the size of the data types in the payload.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the process of formatting data for transmission comprises adjusting alignment of the data structures.  
     
     
         19 . A system for providing communication, the system comprising: 
 an embedded computer configured to execute a plurality of threads;    a script engine configured to execute script instructions;    a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interface, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based upon information from information from an interface description file; and    wherein the script instructions are configured to transmit and receive parameter data to and from the threads via the communication module.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the host computer is configured to format the parameter based at least in part upon the machine characteristics of the embedded computer.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the script engine is configured to retrieve parameter data from a persistent data object that is stored on the host computer.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the script engine is configured to execute on the host computer.