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Digital thermal sensor test implementation without using main core voltage supply

  • US 8,027,798 B2
  • Filed: 11/08/2007
  • Issued: 09/27/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for calibrating digital thermal sensors in an analog voltage domain, the method comprising:

  • powering test logic and a plurality of digital thermal sensors, in a processor chip, with an analog voltage and without enabling a core voltage to any remaining components in the processor chip in order to eliminate any effect of self-heating due to leakage current in the remaining components of the processor chip;

    receiving, in the test logic, a clock signal;

    outputting a value of a register, on each clock cycle from the clock signal, to each digital thermal sensor in the plurality of digital thermal sensors; and

    for each digital thermal sensor in the plurality of digital thermal sensors;

    responsive to the value of the register received in the digital thermal sensor failing to equal the temperature threshold of the digital thermal sensor, incrementing the value of the register on each clock cycle from the clock signal, wherein the value of the register is incremented by one on each clock cycle by an incrementer; and

    responsive to the value of the register received in the digital thermal sensor equaling a temperature threshold of the digital thermal sensor, transitioning an output state of the digital thermal sensor, wherein the value of the register at the point of transition is used to calibrate the digital thermal sensor.

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