Integrated system and method for testing system timing margin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054635-B2
Application number	US-201615149897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A built-in test circuit for testing a system timing margin of a processing device under-test is provided. The processing device includes a controller and first clock circuit, wherein the first clock circuit generates a first clock signal and the first clock signal is a main clock signal provided for operation of the processing device. The built-in test circuit includes a second clock circuit and a logic circuit, both of which are integrated with the processing device. The second clock circuit generates a second clock signal. The logic circuit processes the first and second clock signals and outputs a third clock signal. The third clock signal is used to determine system timing margin of the processing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An embedded built-in test circuit for testing a system timing margin of a processing device, the processing device having a controller and a first clock circuit, the first clock circuit generating a first clock signal, the first clock signal being a main clock signal provided for operation of the processing device, the built-in-test circuit comprising:
a second clock circuit that is integrated with the processing device and that generates a second clock signal, wherein the frequency of the second clock signal is adjustable; and
a logic circuit that is integrated with the processing device and that processes the first and second clock signals and outputs a third clock signal that is used to determine system timing margin of the processing device.

2. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second clock signal is asynchronous relative to the first clock signal.

3. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 1 , wherein the logic circuit includes a first logic gate that receives the second clock signal and the third clock signal and outputs a logic signal, the third clock being received as a feedback signal to the logic circuit.

4. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 3 , wherein the logic circuit further includes a second logic gate that receives the first clock signal and the logic signal and outputs the third clock signal.

5. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 4 , wherein the first logic gate is a logic OR gate and the second logic gate is a logic AND gate.

6. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the second clock signal is adjusted by a programmable PLL device.

7. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 6 , wherein the programmable PLL device is controlled by the controller.

8. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 6 , wherein pulse width of the third clock signal is based on the frequency of the second clock signal as adjusted by the programmable PLL.

9. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 1 , wherein a rising edge of the third clock signal is synchronized with a next rising edge of the second clock signal.

10. The embedded built-in test circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second clock circuit is configured to maintain the second signal at a steady value when the processing device is configured for normal operation of the processing device during which testing for system timing margin is disabled to cause the third clock signal output by the logic circuit to be synchronized with the first clock signal steady value.

11. A processing device comprising:
a controller;
a first clock circuit, the first clock circuit generating a first clock signal, the first clock signal being a main clock signal provided for operation of the processing device; and
a built-in-test circuit for testing a system timing margin of the processing device, the built-in-test circuit comprising:
a second clock circuit integrated with the processing device that generates a second clock signal that is asynchronous relative to the first clock signal, wherein the frequency of the second clock signal is adjustable; and
a logic circuit integrated with the processing device that processes the first and second clock signals and outputs a third clock signal that is used to determine system timing margin of the processing device.

12. The processing device of claim 11 , wherein the logic circuit includes:
a first logic gate that receives the second clock signal and the third clock signal and outputs a logic signal, the third clock being received as a feedback signal; and
a second logic gate that receives the first clock signal and the logic signal and outputs the third clock signal.

13. The processing device of claim 11 , wherein the second clock circuit includes:
an oscillator outputting an oscillation signal; and
a programmable PLL receiving and modifying frequency of the oscillation signal and outputting the modified oscillation signal as the second clock signal.

14. The processing device of claim 11 , wherein a rising edge of the third clock signal is synchronized with a next rising edge of the second clock signal.

15. The processing device of claim 11 , wherein the second clock circuit is configured to maintain the second signal at a steady value when the processing device is configured for normal operation of the processing device during which testing for system timing margin is disabled to cause the third clock signal output by the logic circuit to be synchronized with the first clock signal steady value.

16. A method of testing a system timing margin of a processing device under-test, the method comprising:
generating, internal to the processing device, a second clock signal that is asynchronous relative to a first clock signal, the first clock signal being a main clock signal provided for operation of the processing device, wherein the frequency of the second clock signal is adjustable;
processing, internal to the processing device, the first clock signal and the second clock signal;
outputting a third clock signal based on the processing of the first and second clock signals; and
determining system timing margin of the processing device using the third clock signal.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein processing the first and second clock signals includes processing the third clock signal as a feedback signal with the first and second clock signals, to hold the state of the third clock signal that is output until the first clock signal changes state.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein processing the first and second clock signals includes:
processing the second clock signal and the third clock signal as a feedback signal using a logic OR operation;
outputting a logic signal based on a result of the OR operation; and
processing the first clock signal and the logic signal using a logic AND operation, the output of the AND operation being the third clock signal.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
• Hamilton Sunstrand Corp

Inventors

• Lillestolen Kirk A
• Hess Gary L

Classifications

• G06F1/08

  Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency · CPC title

• G01R31/31727 Primary

  Clock circuits aspects, e.g. test clock circuit details, timing aspects for signal generation, circuits for testing clocks (G01R31/31725 takes precedence; concerning scan test G01R31/318552, for tester hardware G01R31/31922) · CPC title

• H03L7/16

  Indirect frequency synthesis, i.e. generating a desired one of a number of predetermined frequencies using a frequency- or phase-locked loop · CPC title

• G01R31/31922 Primary

  Timing generation or clock distribution (G01R31/3191 takes precedence) · CPC title