VOLTAGE MONITORING CIRCUIT AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20180172758A1
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: KASHIMA, Issei
• Application Number:
  US15/729,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20180172758A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16566 Circuits and arrangements for comparing voltage or current with one or several thresholds and for indicating the result not covered by subgroups G01R19/16504, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2836 Fault-finding or characterising G01R31/2822 - G01R31/2831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3004 Current or voltage test
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/58 Structural electrical arrangements for semiconductor devices not otherwise provided for , e.g. in combination with batteries H01L23/49593, H01L23/49596 take precedence

Abstract

A voltage monitoring circuit and a semiconductor device that can reduce time required for self-diagnosis are provided. A selection circuit selects one of a determination threshold voltage for normal use, a determination threshold voltage for self-diagnosis, and a determination threshold voltage for boost having a potential difference larger than that of the determination threshold voltage for normal use. A comparison circuit detects a presence or absence of a specification violation of the voltage to be monitored by comparing a selected voltage selected by the selection circuit and the voltage to be monitored. Here, the selection circuit forcibly outputs a detection result indicating that there is a specification violation by defining the determination threshold voltage for normal use as an initial state and sequentially selecting the determination threshold voltage for self-diagnosis, the determination threshold voltage for boost, and the determination threshold voltage for normal use when the self-diagnosis is performed.

Claims

1. A voltage monitoring circuit that detects a presence or absence of a specification violation of a voltage to be monitored by comparing the voltage to be monitored with a first determination threshold voltage and can output a detection result indicating that there is a specification violation in response to a request when a self-diagnosis is performed, the voltage monitoring circuit comprising:

a selection circuit that selects any one of the first determination threshold voltage, a second determination threshold voltage that is a voltage having a polarity reverse to that of the first determination threshold voltage with reference to the voltage to be monitored, and a third determination threshold voltage that is a voltage having the same polarity as that of the first determination threshold voltage with reference to the voltage to be monitored and has a potential difference larger than that of the first determination threshold voltage; and

a comparison circuit that detects the presence or absence of the specification violation by comparing a selected voltage selected by the selection circuit and the voltage to be monitored,

wherein when the self-diagnosis is performed, the selection circuit defines the first determination threshold voltage as an initial state and sequentially selects the second determination threshold voltage, the third determination threshold voltage, and the first determination threshold voltage.

2. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the comparison circuit has a differential amplifier circuit including a first transistor and a second transistor which are differential pair transistors,

wherein the first transistor is driven by the selected voltage, and

wherein the second transistor is driven by the voltage to be monitored.

3. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 2,

wherein the first transistor includes a first A transistor, a first B transistor, and a first C transistor, whose one ends are coupled in common,

wherein the first A transistor is driven by the first determination threshold voltage,

wherein the first B transistor is driven by the second determination threshold voltage,

wherein the first C transistor is driven by the third determination threshold voltage, and

wherein the selection circuit has

a first A switch that is inserted into a current path of the first A transistor,

a first B switch that is inserted into a current path of the first B transistor, and

a first C switch that is inserted into a current path of the first C transistor.

4. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 3,

wherein a size of the first A transistor is the same as a size of the second transistor, and

wherein a size of the first B transistor or the first C transistor is smaller than the size of the first A transistor.

5. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 3,

wherein a size of the first A transistor is the same as a size of the second transistor, and

wherein sizes of the first B transistor and the first C transistor are smaller than the size of the first A transistor.

6. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 5,

wherein the size of the first C transistor is smaller than the size of the first B transistor.

7. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 1,

wherein as the first determination threshold voltages, a first A determination threshold voltage having a potential lower than that of the voltage to be monitored and a first B determination threshold voltage having a potential higher than that of the voltage to be monitored are provided, and

wherein the selection circuit and the comparison circuit have

a first selection circuit and a first comparison circuit that detect whether or not the voltage to be monitored falls below the first A determination threshold voltage based on the first A determination threshold voltage, and

a second selection circuit and a second comparison circuit that detect whether or not the voltage to be monitored rises above the first B determination threshold voltage based on the first B determination threshold voltage.

8. A voltage monitoring circuit that detects a presence or absence of a specification violation of a voltage to be monitored by comparing the voltage to be monitored with a determination threshold voltage and can output a detection result indicating that there is a specification violation in response to a request when a self-diagnosis is performed, the voltage monitoring circuit comprising:

a resistance element that generates a first voltage to be monitored, a second voltage to be monitored, and a third voltage to be monitored by resistance-dividing the voltage to be monitored;

a selection circuit that selects any one of the first voltage to be monitored, the second voltage to be monitored, and the third voltage to be monitored; and

a comparison circuit that detects the presence or absence of the specification violation by comparing a selected voltage selected by the selection circuit and the determination threshold voltage,

wherein when the self-diagnosis is performed, the selection circuit defines the first voltage to be monitored an initial state and sequentially selects the second voltage to be monitored, the third voltage to be monitored, and the first voltage to be monitored,

wherein the second voltage to be monitored is a voltage having a polarity reverse to that of the first voltage to be monitored with reference to the determination threshold voltage, and

wherein the third voltage to be monitored is a voltage having the same polarity as that of the first voltage to be monitored with reference to the determination threshold voltage and has a potential difference larger than that of the first voltage to be monitored.

9. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 8,

wherein the comparison circuit has a differential amplifier circuit including a first transistor and a second transistor which are differential pair transistors,

wherein the first transistor is driven by the determination threshold voltage, and

wherein the second transistor is driven by the selected voltage.

10. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 9,

wherein the second transistor includes a second A transistor, a second B transistor, and a third C transistor, whose one ends are coupled in common,

wherein the second A transistor is driven by the first voltage to be monitored,

wherein the second B transistor is driven by the second voltage to be monitored,

wherein the second C transistor is driven by the third voltage to be monitored, and

wherein the selection circuit has

a second A switch that is inserted into a current path of the second A transistor,

a second B switch that is inserted into a current path of the second B transistor, and

a second C switch that is inserted into a current path of the second C transistor.

11. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 10,

wherein a size of the second A transistor is the same as a size of the first transistor, and

wherein a size of the second B transistor or the second C transistor is smaller than the size of the second A transistor.

12. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 10,

wherein a size of the second A transistor is the same as a size of the first transistor, and

wherein sizes of the second B transistor and the second C transistor are smaller than the size of the second A transistor.

13. The voltage monitoring circuit according to claim 12,

wherein the size of the second C transistor is smaller than the size of the second B transistor.

14. A semiconductor device composed of one semiconductor chip, the semiconductor device comprising:

a voltage monitoring circuit that detects a presence or absence of a specification violation of a voltage to be monitored by comparing the voltage to be monitored with a first determination threshold voltage and can output a detection result indicating that there is a specification violation in response to a request when a self-diagnosis is performed;

a self-diagnosis control circuit that controls the voltage monitoring circuit; and

a reference voltage generation circuit that generates the first determination threshold voltage, a second determination threshold voltage that is a voltage having a polarity reverse to that of the first determination threshold voltage with reference to the voltage to be monitored, and a third determination threshold voltage that is a voltage having the same polarity as that of the first determination threshold voltage with reference to the voltage to be monitored and has a potential difference larger than that of the first determination threshold voltage,

wherein the voltage monitoring circuit includes

a selection circuit that selects any one of the first determination threshold voltage, the second determination threshold voltage, and the third determination threshold voltage, and

a comparison circuit that detects the presence or absence of the specification violation by comparing a selected voltage selected by the selection circuit and the voltage to be monitored, and

wherein the self-diagnosis control circuit controls the selection circuit when the self-diagnosis is performed and thereby causes the selection circuit to define the first determination threshold voltage as an initial state and sequentially select the second determination threshold voltage, the third determination threshold voltage, and the first determination threshold voltage.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein the comparison circuit has a differential amplifier circuit including a first transistor and a second transistor which are differential pair transistors,

wherein the first transistor is driven by the selected voltage, and

wherein the second transistor is driven by the voltage to be monitored.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 15,

wherein the first transistor includes a first A transistor, a first B transistor, and a first C transistor, whose one ends are coupled in common,

wherein the first A transistor is driven by the first determination threshold voltage,

wherein the first B transistor is driven by the second determination threshold voltage,

wherein the first C transistor is driven by the third determination threshold voltage, and

wherein the selection circuit has

a first A switch that is inserted into a current path of the first A transistor,

a first B switch that is inserted into a current path of the first B transistor, and

a first C switch that is inserted into a current path of the first C transistor.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 16,

wherein a size of the first A transistor is the same as a size of the second transistor, and

wherein sizes of the first B transistor and the first C transistor are smaller than the size of the first A transistor.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein a plurality of the voltage monitoring circuits are provided according to a plurality of the voltages to be monitored.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein the voltage to be monitored is a power supply voltage supplied from outside the semiconductor device.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein the self-diagnosis is preformed when the semiconductor device is started.