Apparatus and method for tamper protection of a microprocessor fuse array

• US 8,341,472 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Henry, G. Glenn, Jain, Dinesh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabone, Jr., John J
• Application Number:
  US12/823,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 714/726, 714/727, 714/742, 714/745, 327/525, 327/540, 326/8, 326/37
• US Class Current: 714/726
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/0275 Structural association with a printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/0241 Structural association of a fuse and another component or apparatus switches with built-in fuses H01H9/10, spark-gap arresters H01H85/44, transformers and inductances H01F27/402, capacitors H01G2/14, lamps H01K1/66, semiconductors H01L23/5256 or H01L23/62

Abstract

An apparatus in an integrated circuit for precluding the use of extended JTAG operations. The apparatus has a JTAG control chain, a feature fuse, a level sensor, and an access controller. The JTAG control chain is configured to enable/disable the extended JTAG operations. The feature fuse is configured to indicate whether the extended JTAG features are to be disabled. The level sensor is configured to monitor an external voltage signal, and configured to indicate that the external voltage signal is at an illegal level. The access controller is coupled to the feature fuse, the level sensor, and the JTAG control chain, and is configured to determine if the feature fuse is blown, and is configured to direct the JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations if the external voltage signal is at an illegal level regardless of whether the feature fuse is blown.

Claims

1. An apparatus in an integrated circuit for precluding the use of extended JTAG operations, the apparatus comprising:

a JTAG control chain, configured to enable/disable the extended JTAG operations;

a feature fuse, configured to indicate whether the extended JTAG features are to be disabled;

a level sensor, configured to monitor an external voltage signal, and configured to indicate that said external voltage signal is at an illegal level; and

an access controller, coupled to said feature fuse, said level sensor, and said JTAG control chain, configured to determine if said feature fuse is blown, and configured to direct said JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations if said external voltage signal is at said illegal level regardless of whether said feature fuse is blown.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise reading of fuse states within a fuse array.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise blowing of fuses within a fuse array.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise reading of microinstructions stored within a microcode storage element.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said access controller receives a reset signal, and wherein said access controller determines if said feature fuse is blown following assertion of said reset signal, and wherein if said external voltage signal is at a legal level, said access controller directs said JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a microprocessor.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein only JTAG boundary scan and test operations are enabled when the extended JTAG operations are disabled.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a blow controller, coupled to a fuse array and said level sensor, configured to receive said external voltage, and configured to blow a selected fuse within said fuse array responsive to a value of said voltage, wherein blowing of said selected fuse is allowed only when the extended JTAG operations are enabled.

9. An apparatus in an integrated circuit for precluding the use of extended JTAG operations, the apparatus comprising:

a microprocessor, comprising;

a JTAG control chain, configured to enable/disable the extended JTAG operations;

a feature fuse, configured to indicate whether the extended JTAG operations are to be disabled;

a level sensor, configured to monitor an external voltage signal, and configured to indicate that said external voltage signal is at an illegal level; and

an access controller, coupled to said feature fuse, said level sensor, and said JTAG control chain, configured to determine if said feature fuse is blown, and configured to direct said JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations if said external voltage signal is at said illegal level regardless of whether said feature fuse is blown.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise reading of fuse states within a fuse array.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise blowing of fuses within a fuse array.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise reading of microinstructions stored within a microcode storage element.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said access controller receives a reset signal, and wherein said access controller determines if said feature fuse is blown following assertion of said reset signal, and wherein if said external voltage signal is at a legal level, said access controller directs said JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said microprocessor comprises an x86-compatible microprocessor.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein only JTAG boundary scan and test operations are enabled when the extended JTAG operations are disabled.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a blow controller, coupled to a fuse array and said level sensor, configured to receive said external voltage, and configured to blow a selected fuse within said fuse array responsive to a value of said voltage, wherein blowing of said selected fuse is allowed only when the extended JTAG operations are enabled.

17. A method for precluding the use of extended JTAG operations in an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

via blowing a feature fuse that is disposed within the integrated circuit, indicating that extended JTAG operations are to be disabled;

first determining if an external voltage signal is at an illegal level;

second determining if the feature fuse is blown;

if the external voltage signal is at the illegal level, directing a JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations; and

if the external voltage signal is at a legal level, and the feature fuse is blown, directing a JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise reading of fuse states within a fuse array.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise blowing of fuses within a fuse array.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the extended JTAG operations comprise reading of microinstructions stored within a microcode storage element.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said first and second determining comprises:

receiving a reset signal, and performing said first and second determining following assertion of the reset signal.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a microprocessor.

23. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

enabling only JTAG boundary scan and test when the extended JTAG operations are disabled.

24. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

when the extended JTAG operations are enabled, receiving the external voltage, and employing a blow controller within the integrated circuit to blow a selected fuse responsive to a value of the external voltage.