Digital integrated circuit propagation delay regulator
First Claim
1. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
- temperature varying means on the integrated circuit for varying the temperature of the integrated circuit; and
means for sensing propagation delay time and coupled to the temperature varying means for controlling the temperature varying means to selectively vary the temperature of the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with the present invention, a heater is included on an integrated circuit, together with a circuit for controlling the heater to selectively heat the integrated circuit and control the propagation delay time of signals passing through the integrated circuit. In a specific form of the invention, the propagation delay time of signals passing through at least a portion of an integrated circuit is measured and compared with a reference propagation delay time. The heater is controlled to increase the heat it produces when the measured propagation delay time is less than the reference propagation delay time. In addition, the heater is controlled to decrease the heat it provides when the measured propagation delay time is greater than the reference propagation delay time.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
-
temperature varying means on the integrated circuit for varying the temperature of the integrated circuit; and means for sensing propagation delay time and coupled to the temperature varying means for controlling the temperature varying means to selectively vary the temperature of the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time.
-
-
2. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
-
a heater on the integrated circuit; means coupled to the heater for controlling the heater to selectively heat the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time; delay measuring means for measuring the signal propagation delay time of signals passing through at least a portion of the integrated circuit; and the means for controlling the heater being coupled to the delay measuring means and comprising means responsive to the delay measuring means for controlling the heater to produce a first level of heating when the measured signal propagation delay time is of a first magnitude, to produce a second level of heating greater than the first level of heating when the measured signal propagation delay time is of a second magnitude which is less than the first magnitude, and to generate third level of heating less than the first level of heating and less than the second level of heating when the measured signal propagation delay time is of a third magnitude which is greater than the first magnitude and greater than the second magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (3)
-
-
4. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
-
a heater on the integrated circuit; means coupled to the heater for controlling the heater to selectively heat the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time; reference propagation delay signal means for providing a reference signal output corresponding to a reference propagation delay time; delay measuring means for measuring the signal propagation delay time of signals passing through at least a portion of the integrated circuit, the delay measuring means comprising means for producing a measured signal output corresponding to the measured propagation delay time; comparator means coupled to the reference propagation delay signal means and to the delay measuring means for comparing the reference signal output and the measured signal output and for producing a comparator output signal corresponding to the difference between the reference signal and measured signal outputs; and the means for controlling the heater comprising means coupled to the comparator means and responsive to the comparator output signal for controlling the heater to increase the heat provided by the heater when the measured propagation delay time is less than the reference propagation delay time and to decrease the heat provided by the heater when the measured propagation delay time is greater than the reference propagation delay time. - View Dependent Claims (5)
-
-
6. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
-
a heater on the integrated circuit; means coupled to the heater for controlling the heater to selectively heat the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time; and in which the heater comprises plural integrated circuit heat generating elements which generate heat when energized, the means for controlling the heater comprising means for controlling the energization of the heat generating elements to control the heat from the heater. - View Dependent Claims (7)
-
-
8. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
-
a heater on the integrated circuit; means coupled to the heater for controlling the heater to selectively heat the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time; delay measuring means for measuring the signal propagation delay time of signals passing through at least a portion of the integrated circuit; the means for controlling the heater being coupled to the delay measuring means and comprising means responsive to the delay measuring means for controlling the heater to produce a first level of heating when the measured signal propagation delay time is of a first magnitude, to produce a second level of heating greater than the first level of heating when the measured signal propagation delay time is of a second magnitude which is less than the first magnitude, and to generate a third level of heating less than the first level of heating and less than the second level of heating when the measured signal propagation delay time is of a third magnitude which is greater than the first magnitude and greater than the second magnitude; test signal source means for generating propagation time delay test signals; the delay measuring means having a test signal input and comprising an oscillator having a gating input and N logic elements of the integrated circuit connected in series to form a ring with the output of each logic element being connected to the input of the succeeding logic element such that a pulse continuously circulates around the ring in response to a test signal delivered to the test signal input from the test signal source means applied to the gating input, the oscillator logic elements having propagation delay characteristics typical of the other logic elements on the integrated circuit, the output of the oscillator being a delay measuring signal comprised of pulses of a frequency which is a function of the propagation delay of each logic element of the ring, the propagation delay of the logic elements being in part a function of the temperature of the integrated circuit; and the means for controlling the heater including frequency counter means coupled to the output of the oscillator for producing a frequency counter output signal corresponding to the frequency of the delay measuring signal and also including means coupled to and responsive to the frequency counter output signal for controlling the heat from the heater means. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit composed of logic elements, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
-
test signal source means for generating propagation time delay test signals; delay measuring means for measuring the signal propagation delay time of signals passing through at least a portion of the integrated circuit, the delay measuring means having a test signal input and comprising an oscillator having a gating input and N logic elements of the integrated circuit connected in series to form a ring with the output of each logic element being connected to the input of the succeeding logic element such that a pulse continuously circulates around the ring in response to a test signal delivered to the test signal input from the test signal source means applied to the gating input, the oscillator logic elements having propagation delay characteristics typical of the other logic elements on the integrated circuit, the output of the oscillator being a delay measuring signal comprised of pulses of a frequency which is a function of the propagation delay of each logic element of the ring, the propagation delay of the logic elements being in part a function of the temperature of the integrated circuit; first storage means for storing a reference frequency value corresponding to a reference propagation delay time; means coupled to the first storage means for varying the reference frequency value stored in the first storage means; a heater on the integrated circuit; means coupled to the heater for controlling the heater to selectively heat the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time, the means for controlling the heater including frequency counter means coupled to the output of the oscillator for producing a frequency counter output signal corresponding to the frequency of the delay measuring signal; the frequency counter means comprising means coupled to the first storage means for receiving the reference frequency value from the first storage means at the start of each test signal and for decrementing the received reference frequency value in response to each pulse of the delay measuring signal, the frequency counter output signal corresponding to the value to which the reference frequency value is decremented at the end of each test signal; means coupled to the frequency counter means and responsive to the frequency counter output signal for controlling the heat from the heater, the means responsive to the frequency counter output signal comprising heater counter means for storing an initial heater value, the heater counter means being responsive to the frequency counter output signal for incrementing and decrementing the heater value between limits in response to the frequency counter output signal, the heater counter means comprising means for producing a heater control signal corresponding to the value to which the initial heater value is incremented and decremented in response to the frequency counter output signal; and the heater being coupled to the heater counter means and comprising means for generating heat which varies with the heater control signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. A circuit for monitoring and controlling the propagation delay time of signals passing through an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being of the type in which propagation delay time varies with variations in the temperature of the integrated circuit, comprising:
-
temperature varying means on the integrated circuit for varying the temperature of the integrated circuit; delay time sensing means for continuously sensing the propagation delay time; means coupled to the temperature varying means and to the delay time sensing means for controlling the temperature varying means in response to the delay time sensing means to selectively vary the temperature of the integrated circuit to control the propagation delay time.
-
Specification