Integrated circuit having built-in self-test features

• US 7,800,389 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: David, Paul, Scheller, P. Karl, Foletto, Andrea, Friedrich, Andreas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, MINH NHUT
• Application Number:
  US11/777,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20090019330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/750.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318511 Wafer Test
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3187 Built-in tests

Abstract

An integrated circuit includes a sensor for providing a sensor output signal and a diagnostic circuit coupled to the sensor for providing a self-diagnostic signal. The self-diagnostic signal comprises the sensor output signal during a first time duration and an inverted sensor output signal during a second different time duration.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a sensor for providing a sensor output signal; and

a diagnostic circuit coupled to the sensor for providing a self-diagnostic signal, wherein the self-diagnostic signal comprises the sensor output signal during a first time duration and an inverted sensor output signal during a second different time duration.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the inverted sensor signal includes a DC offset signal.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an input port and including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuit comprises:

an oscillator for providing an oscillator output signal having first and second states, wherein the first and second states of the oscillator output signal have unequal time durations; and

a switching circuit coupled to the sensor and to the oscillator, wherein the switching circuit achieves a first switched position when the oscillator output signal is in the first state, and wherein the switching circuit achieves a second switched position when the oscillator output signal is in the second state, wherein the switching circuit is configured to cause the sensor to generate the sensor output signal when in the first switched position, and wherein the switching circuit is configured to cause the sensor to generate the inverted sensor output signal when in the second switched position.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an input port and including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 4, further comprising a comparator circuit coupled to receive a comparator circuit input signal representative of the self-diagnostic signal, the comparator circuit for providing a comparator circuit output signal, wherein the comparator circuit output signal has a first state in response to the self-diagnostic signal provided as the sensor output signal, and wherein the comparator circuit output signal has a second state in response to the self-diagnostic signal provided as the inverted sensor signal.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the comparator circuit comprises a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein a difference between the first and second thresholds corresponds to a hysteresis.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the first and second thresholds achieve first and second threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the first state, and wherein the first and second thresholds achieve third and fourth threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the second state, wherein the third and fourth threshold values are generated by mirroring the first and second threshold values about a predetermined DC value, respectively, to achieve first and second intermediate threshold values and then interchanging the first and second intermediate threshold values.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the comparator circuit also comprises a control node coupled to receive the oscillator output signal, wherein the first and second thresholds achieve first and second threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the first state, and wherein the first and second thresholds achieve third and fourth threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the second state.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the sensor output signal comprises a quiescent sensor output signal value, wherein the first threshold value is a first predetermined amount above the quiescent sensor output signal value, wherein the second threshold value is a second predetermined amount above the quiescent sensor output signal value, wherein the third threshold value is approximately the second predetermined amount below the quiescent sensor output signal value, and wherein the fourth threshold value is approximately the first predetermined amount below the quiescent sensor output signal value.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second time durations repeat periodically.

14. A circuit method in an integrated circuit, comprising:

from a sensor, generating a sensor output signal; and

generating a self-diagnostic signal comprising the sensor output signal during a first time duration and comprising an inverted sensor output signal during a second different time duration.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, adding a DC offset signal to the inverted sensor signal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an input port and including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating the self-diagnostic signal comprises:

from an oscillator, generating an oscillator output signal having first and second states, wherein the first and second states of the oscillator output signal have unequal time durations; and

communicating the oscillator output signal to a switching circuit coupled to the sensor and to the oscillator, wherein the switching circuit achieves a first switched position when the oscillator output signal is in the first state, and wherein the switching circuit achieves a second switched position when the oscillator output signal is in the second state;

generating the sensor output signal when the switching circuit is in the first switched position; and

generating the inverted sensor output signal when the switching circuit is in the second switched position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an input port and including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating first and second thresholds, wherein a difference between the first and second thresholds corresponds to a hysteresis;

comparing a signal representative of the self-diagnostic signal to the first and second thresholds; and

generating a comparison output signal in accordance with the comparing, wherein the comparison output signal has a first state in response to the self-diagnostic signal provided as the sensor output signal, and wherein the comparison output signal has a second state in response to the self-diagnostic signal provided as the inverted sensor signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an input port and including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the generating the first and second thresholds compromises:

generating the first and second thresholds with first and second threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the first state; and

generating the first and second thresholds with third and fourth threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the second state, wherein the generating the third and fourth threshold values comprises;

mirroring the first and second threshold values about a predetermined DC value, respectively, to achieve first and second intermediate threshold values; and

interchanging the first and second intermediate threshold values.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the generating the first and second thresholds comprises:

generating the first and second thresholds with first and second threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the first state; and

generating the first and second thresholds with third and fourth threshold values, respectively, in response to the oscillator output signal being in the second state.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor including an input port and including an output port at which the sensor output signal is provided.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the sensor output signal comprises a quiescent sensor output signal value, and wherein the generating the first and second thresholds further comprises

generating the first threshold value a first predetermined amount above the quiescent sensor output signal value;

generating the second threshold value a second predetermined amount above the quiescent sensor output signal value;

generating the third threshold value approximately the second predetermined amount below the quiescent sensor output signal value; and

generating the fourth threshold value approximately the first predetermined amount below the quiescent sensor output signal value.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second time durations repeat periodically.