Digital Sensor with Embedded Reference Clock
First Claim
1. A circuit comprising:
- a sensor circuit configured to sense a local voltage and a local temperature, wherein the sensor circuit includes;
a first ring oscillator having a first circuit topology;
a first counter coupled to receive a first output signal from the first ring oscillator, wherein the first counter is configured to determine a frequency of the first output signal;
a second ring oscillator having a second circuit topology different from the first circuit topology;
a second counter coupled to receive a second output signal from the second ring oscillator, wherein the second counter is configured to determine a frequency of the second output signal;
a local clock circuit configured to provide a clock signal exclusively to circuitry within the sensor circuit including the first and second counters; and
a shift register coupled to receive the clock signal from the local clock circuit, and further coupled to receive a first count value from the first counter and a second count value from the second counter.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor circuit and integrated circuit having the same is disclosed. In one embodiment, a sensor circuit includes first and second ring oscillators having different circuit topologies. A first counter is coupled to receive an output signal from the first ring oscillator, while a second counter is coupled to receive an output signal from the second ring oscillator. The sensor circuit further includes a local clock circuit that provides a clock signal to the first and second counters. Furthermore, the local clock circuit is coupled to provide the clock signal exclusively to circuitry within the sensor circuit, the circuitry including the first and second counters.
6 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A circuit comprising:
a sensor circuit configured to sense a local voltage and a local temperature, wherein the sensor circuit includes; a first ring oscillator having a first circuit topology; a first counter coupled to receive a first output signal from the first ring oscillator, wherein the first counter is configured to determine a frequency of the first output signal; a second ring oscillator having a second circuit topology different from the first circuit topology; a second counter coupled to receive a second output signal from the second ring oscillator, wherein the second counter is configured to determine a frequency of the second output signal; a local clock circuit configured to provide a clock signal exclusively to circuitry within the sensor circuit including the first and second counters; and a shift register coupled to receive the clock signal from the local clock circuit, and further coupled to receive a first count value from the first counter and a second count value from the second counter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9)
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6. (canceled)
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10. A method comprising:
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a first ring oscillator of a sensor circuit producing a first output signal; a second ring oscillator of the sensor circuit producing a second output signal; receiving, at first and second counters, a clock signal from a local clock circuit implemented in the sensor circuit; determining a frequency of the first output signal using the first counter coupled to receive the first output signal; and determining a frequency of the second output signal using the second counter coupled to receive the second output signal; wherein the method further comprises determining voltage and temperature values based on respective frequencies of the first and second output signals; wherein the method further comprises the local clock circuit providing the clock signal exclusively to circuitry implemented in the sensor circuit, the circuitry including the first and second counters. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a plurality of functional circuit blocks each including functional circuitry; and a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of functional circuit blocks includes at least one of the plurality of sensors implemented therein, and wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes; a first ring oscillator having a first circuit topology; a first counter coupled to receive a first output signal from the first ring oscillator; a second ring oscillator having a second circuit topology different from the first circuit topology; a second counter coupled to receive a second output signal from the second ring oscillator; a local clock circuit configured to provide a clock signal exclusively to circuitry within its respective one of the plurality of sensors, the circuitry including the first and second counters; a shift register coupled to receive a first count value from the first counter and a second count value from the second counter, wherein the shift register is coupled to receive the clock signal from the local clock circuit. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification