Appendix
A- 2
A2 ERROR
TYPES
There are six classes of errors in the N-3100 as indicated in Table A-1.
Table A-1: Error Types
Error Type
Description
1. Generic POST/
microprocessor
failure.
In this case, nothing may happen, or a shrill
continuous alarm may sound and the display may
go blank. This represents a severe hardware
failure. For example, the UIF microprocessor could
not activate the display or speaker facilities.
2. Initialization failure.
An EEExxx code representing the failure is
displayed and a low-priority alarm sound is
produced, but no entry is made in the Error Log.
POST has proceeded to the point that the UIF
microprocessor has control of the display and
speaker facilities. The error cannot be logged
because the Error Log portion of the EEPROM has
failed, or internal communications to the Error
Log cannot be established.
3. Failure error at the
end of initialization
or during steady
state operation.
An EEExxx code representing the failure is
displayed, a low-priority alarm sound is produced,
and a failure type error entry is made in the Error
Log.
4. Internally corrected
error.
These errors do not appear on the display and they
do not cause an alarm. However, they are entered
in the Error Log. These errors represent events
that have occurred in the instrument that are
undesirable, but for which the instrument has
effective means of recovery. Examples of these
types of errors include such things as watchdog
resets, data stream restarts due to data underrun
or stoppage, and resource exhaustion, for example,
not enough memory buffers or not enough CPU
cycles.
