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Apparatus employing predictive failure analysis based on in-circuit FET on-resistance characteristics

  • US 7,248,979 B2
  • Filed: 05/09/2005
  • Issued: 07/24/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus comprising:

  • a processor having access to a non-volatile memory;

    a semiconductor having a measurable on-resistance while sourcing/sinking current to/from components of the apparatus; and

    a sensor which is coupled to said processor and said semiconductor and which measures the on-resistance of said semiconductor during normal operations of the apparatus;

    wherein, the processor is effective to;

    monitor the on-resistance of said semiconductor over a predetermined portion of the life of the semiconductor;

    predict that the semiconductor is likely to fail based on the monitoring; and

    report a predictive failure to the apparatus based on the prediction, wherein the prediction is made by comparing a recent on-resistance value to a stored on-resistance value and determining that the recent on-resistance value exceeds an allowable deviation from the stored on-resistance value which is stored in the non-volatile memory, wherein the recent, and stored, on-resistance values are produced by the monitoring.

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