Multi-threshold reset circuit

• US 20080122499A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WISeKey Semiconductors
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frew, Louis, Kincaid, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/207 also responsive to under-voltage window comparators for indication G01R19/165

Abstract

A device can include one or more circuits that are configured to be powered by a supply voltage having a specified minimum operating value and a specified nominal operating value; and a reset circuit having a first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, the first voltage threshold having a value between the specified minimum operating value and the specified nominal operating value, the second voltage threshold having a value that is less than the specified minimum operating voltage. The reset circuit can be configured to a) reset the one or more circuits when the device is functioning in a first mode and the supply voltage drops below the first threshold and b) reset the one or more of circuits when the device is functioning in a second mode and the supply voltage drops below the second threshold.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more circuits that are configured to be powered by a supply voltage; and

a reset circuit having a first mode and a second mode, the first mode having a first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, the second mode having a third voltage threshold;

the reset circuit being configured to a) reset the one or more circuits in response to a level of the supply voltage relative to the first voltage threshold or second voltage threshold when the reset circuit is in the first mode and b) reset the one or more circuits in response to the level of the supply voltage relative to the third voltage threshold when the reset circuit is in the second mode.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the reset circuit is configured to assert the reset signal when the reset circuit is in the first mode and the supply voltage drops below the second threshold.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the reset circuit is configured to assert the reset signal when the reset circuit is in the second mode and the supply voltage drops below the third threshold.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the third threshold is lower than a specified minimum voltage for one of the one or more circuits.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the reset circuit is configured to assert the reset signal during a power-up phase and deassert the reset signal when the supply voltage exceeds the first threshold.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the reset circuit is configured to assert the reset signal when the reset circuit is in the first mode and the supply voltage exceeds the second threshold.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the reset circuit is configured to assert the reset signal when the reset circuit is in the second mode and the supply voltage exceeds the third threshold.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the third threshold is higher than a specified maximum voltage for one of the one or more circuits.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more circuits comprise at least one of a memory circuit or an embedded microcontroller.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a reset mode selector to configure the reset circuit to function in either the first mode or the second mode.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the reset mode selector is configured to disable the second mode until the supply voltage has initially exceeded the first threshold.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein configuring the reset circuit to function in either the first mode or the second mode comprises providing a signal to the reset circuit that has either a first state or a second state, respectively.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first state is a logic ‘

1’ and

the second state is a logic ‘

0.’

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the reset mode selector comprises a switching element having a first switching state and a second switching state and that, when in the second switching state, disables one of the first mode or the second mode.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein once in the second switching state, the switching element remains in the second switching state, such that either the first mode or the second mode is irreversibly disabled.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the switching element is a fuse element, the first switching state is a closed state and the second switching state is an open state.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the fuse element is configured to be transitioned from a closed state to an open state at the end of a manufacturing test process.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the reset mode selector comprises a register whose current value configures the reset circuit to function in either the first mode or the second mode.

19. The device of claim 10, wherein the reset mode selector comprises an external pin whose input configures the reset circuit to function in either the first mode or the second mode.

20. A device comprising:

one or more circuits in a device that are configured to be powered by a supply voltage having a specified minimum operating value and a specified nominal operating value; and

a reset circuit having a first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, the first voltage threshold having a value between the specified minimum operating value and the specified nominal operating value, the second voltage threshold having a value that is less than the specified minimum operating voltage;

the reset circuit being configured to a) reset the one or more circuits when the device is functioning in an operating mode and the supply voltage drops below the first threshold and b) reset the one or more of circuits when the device is functioning in a test mode and the supply voltage drops below the second threshold.

21. A method of resetting a device comprising:

determining when a device is in a first mode, and if so, asserting a reset signal to one or more circuits in the device based on a level of a supply voltage relative to a first threshold; and

determining when the device is in a second mode, and if so, asserting the reset signal to the one or more circuits based on the level of the supply voltage relative to a second threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein asserting the reset signal based on the value of the supply voltage relative to the first threshold comprises asserting the reset signal when the level of the supply voltage exceeds the first threshold.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein asserting the reset signal based on the value of the supply voltage relative to the second threshold comprises asserting the reset signal when the level of the supply voltage exceeds the second threshold, wherein the second threshold is higher than the first threshold.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein asserting the reset signal based on the value of the supply voltage relative to the first threshold comprises asserting the reset signal when the level of the supply voltage drops below the first threshold.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein asserting the reset signal based on the value of the supply voltage relative to the second threshold comprises asserting the reset signal when the level of the supply voltage drops below the second threshold, wherein the second threshold is lower than the first threshold.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first threshold is a specified minimum operating value of device, the specified minimum operating value being a voltage value at which instances of the device from different production lots have a likelihood that exceeds a minimum threshold of functioning in a deterministic manner.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the minimum threshold is at least 95%.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein determining when the device is in the first mode comprises determining whether a reset mode selector circuit is currently outputting a signal having a first state.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising initially asserting the reset signal in a power-up phase during which the supply voltage increases from a low value toward a specified nominal operating value, and deasserting the reset signal when the supply voltage increases above a third threshold.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the third threshold and the first threshold differ by a first, non-zero voltage;

and the third threshold and the second threshold differ by a second, greater absolute voltage.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising disabling the second mode until the supply voltage initially increases above the third threshold.

32. A method of resetting a device comprising:

determining when a device is in a first mode, and if so, asserting a reset signal to one or more circuits associated with the device when a supply voltage decreases below a first threshold, the first threshold having a value between a specified minimum operating value and a specified nominal operating value; and

determining when the device is in a second mode, and if so, asserting the reset signal to the one or more circuits when the supply voltage decreases below a second threshold, the second threshold having a value that is less than the specified minimum operating value.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first mode is a normal operating mode and the second mode is a production test mode.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the production test mode is one in which the device is adapted be tested at voltages lower than the specified minimum operating value.

35. A method of testing a device comprising:

providing to a device a reduced supply voltage, the reduced supply voltage having a value that is less than a specified minimum operating value of the device;

testing the device at the reduced supply voltage; and

preventing a reset signal from being asserted when the provided supply voltage is less than the specified minimum operating level but more than a threshold level.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising allowing the reset signal to be asserted when the provided supply voltage is less than the threshold level.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising configuring a mode selector to activate a test mode for circuitry corresponding to the reset signal.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising reconfiguring the mode selector to disable the test mode after testing the device at the reduced supply voltage.