System that measures characteristics of output signal

• US 8,466,700 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Motz, Mario, Hainz, Simon, Bodner, Christof
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Application Number:
  US12/406,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/750.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2829 Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31709 Jitter measurements; Jitter generators measuring jitter, noise figure or signal-to-noise ratio per se G01R29/26; analysis of tester signals G01R31/31901

Abstract

A system including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes analog components configured to receive an input signal and provide an output signal based on the input signal. The second circuit is configured to measure characteristics of the output signal to test the first circuit. At least one of the output signal and another output signal is fed back to provide the input signal and generate an oscillation in the output signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first circuit including analog components that receive an input signal and provide one or more of a first output signal on a first path and a second output signal on a second path based on the input signal; and

a second circuit that measures characteristics of the first output signal to test the first circuit, wherein at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal is fed back to the first circuit via a feedback loop to provide the input signal and generate an oscillation in the first output signal.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a switch that prevents feedback of the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal in normal mode operation and facilitates feedback of the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal in test mode operation.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a sensor circuit that provides sensed signals, wherein the first circuit processes the sensed signals and provides sensed output signals in normal mode operation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit includes at least one of an amplifier, a filter, a comparator, and a digital component.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second circuit measures at least one of amplitude, frequency, duty cycle, jitter, noise, phase differences, offset, and switching pulses in the first output signal.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a hysteresis comparator, wherein the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal is fed back to the first circuit via the feedback loop to provide the input signal by the hysteresis comparator.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a delay circuit, wherein the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal is fed back to the first circuit via the feedback loop to provide the input signal via the delay circuit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein switching levels in the delay circuit are shifted to delay the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the delay circuit includes at least one of a digital delay, a filter, and an up/down counter.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the delay circuit includes a digital delay that is clocked via a clock generator and the analog components include a low pass filter having first resistor and capacitor characteristics and the clock generator uses a bandgap reference, wherein the clock generator and the bandgap reference provide second resistor and capacitor characteristics that are substantially the same as the first resistor and capacitor characteristics.

11. A system comprising:

a sensor circuit configured to provide sensed signals;

a first circuit including analog components configured to receive the sensed signals and provide a first output signal based on the sensed signals and to receive an input signal and provide a second output signal based on the input signal;

a second circuit configured to feed back the second output signal to the analog components and generate an oscillation in the second output signal, wherein the second circuit comprises a hysteresis comparator; and

a third circuit configured to measure characteristics of the second output signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor circuit is one of a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor and a resistive sensor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second circuit includes a delay circuit and the delay circuit includes at least one of a digital delay, a filter, and an up/down counter.

14. A system comprising:

a sensor circuit configured to provide sensed signals;

a first circuit including analog components configured to receive the sensed signals and provide a first output signal based on the sensed signals and to receive an input signal and provide a second output signal based on the input signal;

a second circuit configured to feed back the second output signal to the analog components and generate an oscillation in the second output signal; and

a third circuit configured to measure characteristics of the second output signal, wherein the third circuit measures characteristics of the second output signal during at least one of production test, power-up of the system, and application operations.

15. A method of testing a system comprising:

receiving an input signal at a circuit including analog components;

providing one or more of a first output signal and a second output signal based on the input signal via the analog components;

feeding back at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal to the circuit via a feedback loop to provide the input signal and to generate an oscillation in the first output signal; and

measuring characteristics of the first output signal to test the analog components.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein feeding back comprises:

delaying the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal to provide the input signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein feeding back comprises:

delaying the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal via a delay circuit.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising:

sensing via a sensor circuit;

providing sensed signals to the analog components; and

providing sensed output signals via the analog components.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring characteristics of the first output signal comprises:

measuring at least one of root-mean-square of amplitude, amplitude crest, amplitude peak, frequency, frequency components, phase differences, duty cycle, jitter, offset, and switching pulses in the first output signal.

20. A method of testing a system comprising:

receiving an input signal at a circuit including analog components;

providing an output signal based on the input signal via the analog components;

feeding back at least one of the output signal and another output signal to provide the input signal and to generate an oscillation in the output signal; and

measuring characteristics of the output signal to test the analog components, wherein feeding back comprises;

feeding back a hysteresis comparator output signal.

21. A method of testing a system comprising:

sensing via a sensor circuit;

providing sensed signals to analog components;

providing a first output signal based on the sensed signals via the analog components;

receiving an input signal via the analog components;

providing a second output signal based on the input signal via the analog components;

feeding back the second output signal to the analog components to generate an oscillation in the second output signal; and

measuring characteristics of the second output signal during at least one of production test, power-up of the system, and application operations.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein sensing comprises:

sensing changes in a magnetic field via magnetic sensing elements.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein feeding back the second output signal comprises:

delaying the second output signal to provide the input signal.

24. A system comprising:

a first circuit that operates in a normal mode and a test mode, wherein the first circuit receives a first input signal in the normal mode and provides a first output signal based on the first input signal and the first circuit receives a second input signal in the test mode and provides a second output signal based on the second input signal;

a second circuit that measures at least one characteristic of the second output signal to test the first circuit in the test mode; and

a delay circuit that operates in only the test mode, wherein the delay circuit receives the second output signal and feeds back the second output signal to the first circuit via a feedback loop to provide the second input signal to the first circuit to generate an oscillation in the second output signal.