Crystal oscillator emulator

• US 20070188254A1
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sehat Sutardja
• Inventors: Sutardja, Sehat
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 331/176
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/027 by using frequency conversion means which is variable with temperature, e.g. mixer, frequency divider, pulse add/substract logic circuit H03L1/023, H03L1/026 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/1974 for fractional frequency division
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/1976 using a phase accumulator for controlling the counter or frequency divider

Abstract

A crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit comprises a first temperature sensor that senses a first temperature of the integrated circuit. Memory stores calibration parameters and selects at least one of the calibration parameters based on the first temperature. A semiconductor oscillator generates an output signal having a frequency that is based on the calibration parameters. A heater adjusts the first temperature to a predetermined temperature. A disabling circuit disables the heater after the calibration parameters are stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit, comprising:

a first temperature sensor that senses a first temperature of said integrated circuit;

memory that stores calibration parameters and that selects at least one of said calibration parameters based on said first temperature;

a semiconductor oscillator that generates an output signal having a frequency that is based on said calibration parameters;

a heater that adjusts said first temperature to a predetermined temperature; and

a disabling circuit that disables said heater after said calibration parameters are stored in said memory.

2. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising an adaptive calibration circuit that adaptively adjusts a calibration approach for generating said calibration parameters based on a number of temperature test points input thereto.

3. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising a select input that selects said frequency of said output signal frequency as a function of an external passive component.

4. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein said heater operates in response to said first temperature sensor.

5. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein said heater is selected from a group consisting of transistor heaters and resistive heaters.

6. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein when test data consists of a single temperature test point, said adaptive calibration circuit employs at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

7. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, said adaptive calibration circuit employs at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

8. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, said adaptive calibration circuit adjusts at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

9. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein when said test data comprises three temperature test points, said calibration circuit adjusts at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

10. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein said memory includes one time programmable memory.

41. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor oscillator comprises:

an LC tank circuit;

cross-coupled transistors that communicate with said LC tank circuit;

an amplitude monitoring module that monitors an amplitude of an output of said semiconductor oscillator and that generates a control signal based thereon; and

a current bias adjusting module that adjusts a current bias to said cross-coupled transistors based on said control signal.

45. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor oscillator comprises an inductance that includes one of Gold or Copper.

11. A crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit, comprising:

first temperature sensing means for sensing a first temperature of said integrated means;

storing means for storing calibration parameters and for selecting at least one of said calibration parameters based on said first temperature;

semiconductor oscillating means for generating an output signal having a frequency that is based on said calibration parameters;

heating means for adjusting said first temperature to a predetermined temperature; and

disabling means for disabling said heating means after said calibration parameters are stored in said storing means.

12. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 11 further comprising adaptive calibration means for adaptively adjusting a calibration approach for generating said calibration parameters based on a number of temperature test points input thereto.

13. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 11 further comprising select input means for selecting said frequency of said output signal frequency as a function of an external passive component.

14. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein said heating means operates in response to said first temperature sensing means.

15. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein said heating means is selected from a group consisting of transistor heaters and resistive heaters.

16. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 12 wherein when test data consists of a single temperature test point, said adaptive calibration means employs at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

17. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 12 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, said adaptive calibration means employs at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

18. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 12 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, said adaptive calibration means adjusts at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

19. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 12 wherein when said test data comprises three temperature test points, said calibration means adjusts at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve, and adjusts a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

20. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein said storing means includes one time programmable storing means.

42. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein said semiconductor oscillating means comprises:

an LC tank circuit;

cross-coupled transistors that communicate with said LC tank circuit;

amplitude monitoring means for monitoring an amplitude of an output of said semiconductor oscillating means and for generating a control signal based thereon; and

current bias adjusting means for adjusting a current bias to said cross-coupled transistors based on said control signal.

46. The crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein said semiconductor oscillating means comprises inductance means for providing inductance that includes one of Gold or Copper.

21. A method comprising:

sensing a first temperature of an integrated circuit;

storing calibration parameters;

selecting at least one of said calibration parameters based on said first temperature;

providing a semiconductor oscillator that generates an output signal having a frequency that is based on said calibration parameters;

adjusting said first temperature to a predetermined temperature using a heater; and

disabling said heater after said calibration parameters are stored in said memory.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising adaptively adjusting a calibration approach for generating said calibration parameters based on a number of temperature test points input thereto.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising selecting said frequency of said output signal frequency as a function of an external passive component.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising operating said heater in response to said first temperature.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said heater is selected from a group consisting of transistor heaters and resistive heaters.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein when test data consists of a single temperature test point, further comprising:

employing at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, further comprising:

employing at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein when test data comprises three temperature test points, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein said memory includes one time programmable memory.

43. The method of claim 21 wherein said semiconductor oscillator comprises:

providing an LC tank circuit;

providing cross-coupled transistors that communicate with said LC tank circuit;

monitoring an amplitude of an output of said semiconductor oscillator and generating a control signal based thereon; and

adjusting a current bias to said cross-coupled transistors based on said control signal.

47. The method of claim 21 wherein said semiconductor oscillator comprises an inductance that includes one of Gold or Copper.

31. A method comprising:

providing an integrated circuit that includes a semiconductor oscillator that generates an output signal having a frequency;

sensing a first temperature of said integrated circuit;

adjusting said first temperature to a predetermined temperature using a heater;

measuring a frequency of said output signal using an external device;

calculating and storing calibration parameters based on said frequency; and

disabling said heater after said calibration parameters are stored in said memory.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

sensing a temperature of said integrated circuit using a temperature sensor integrated with said integrated circuit; and

selecting at least one of said calibration parameters based on said temperature, wherein said frequency of said output signal of said semiconductor oscillator is based on said selected one of said calibration parameters.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising adaptively adjusting a calibration approach for generating said calibration parameters based on a number of temperature test points input thereto.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising selecting said frequency of said output signal frequency as a function of an external passive component.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein said heater is selected from a group consisting of transistor heaters and resistive heaters.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein when test data consists of a single temperature test point, further comprising:

employing at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, further comprising:

employing at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein when test data consists of two temperature test points, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein when test data comprises three temperature test points, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of a slope of a predetermined temperature characteristic line and a curvature of a predetermined temperature characteristic curve; and

adjusting a location of said at least one of said predetermined temperature characteristic line and said predetermined temperature characteristic curve based on said test data.

40. The method of claim 31 wherein said memory includes one time programmable memory.

44. The method of claim 31 wherein said semiconductor- oscillator comprises:

providing an LC tank circuit;

providing cross-coupled transistors that communicate with said LC tank circuit;

monitoring an amplitude of an output of said semiconductor oscillator and generating a control signal based thereon; and

adjusting a current bias to said cross-coupled transistors based on said control signal.

48. The method of claim 31 wherein said semiconductor oscillator comprises an inductance that includes one of Gold or Copper.