Method and Circuit Arrangement for the Self-Testing of a Reference Voltage in Electronic Components

• US 20070216395A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kadner, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,394,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/76.770
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 17/14 with indication of measured value by calibrated null indicator, e.g. percent bridge, tolerance bridge G01R17/12, G01R17/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16547 voltage or current in AC supplies switching for protection H02H; circuits for emergency power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence

Abstract

To provide a method for the self-testing of a reference voltage in electronic components, by means of which method there is specified a circuit arrangement for a self-test of the reference voltage that can be implemented in the form of an on-chip test, i.e. for which no external reference voltage source is required, provision is made for the reference voltage (U_ref) to be fed to a voltage-controlled oscillator whose output forms the input to a Wien-Robinson bridge whose output signal is checked in a phase detector for its phase shift relative to the input to the Wien-Robinson bridge to check the balance of the Wien-Robinson bridge, the Wien-Robinson bridge being set to be balanced at a frequency (Ω_ref.test) that is generated in the oscillator at the nominal value _(Uref.tes) selected for the reference voltage (U_ref), and a pass signal is generated if the bridge is balanced and a fail signal is generated if it is not.

Claims

1. A method for the self-testing of a reference voltage in electronic components, characterized in that the reference voltage is fed to a voltage-controlled oscillator whose output forms the input to a Wien-Robinson bridge whose output signal is checked in a phase detector for its phase shift relative to the input to the Wien-Robinson bridge to check the balance of the Wien-Robinson bridge, the Wien-Robinson bridge being set to be balanced at a frequency that is generated in the oscillator at the nominal value selected for the reference voltage, and a pass signal is generated if the bridge is balanced and a fail signal is generated if it is not.

2. A circuit arrangement for the self-testing of a reference voltage in electronic components, characterized in that it has a voltage-controlled oscillator whose output voltage is fed to a Wien-Robinson bridge whose output forms the input to a phase detector, the bridge being set to be balanced at a frequency that is generated in the oscillator at the nominal value selected for the reference voltage and the output of the phase detector generates a fail signal if a threshold value is exceeded, and a pass signal if it is not.