Power supply apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088858-B2
Application number	US-201715412791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Jan 28, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A power supply apparatus supplies a power supply voltage V DD . The power supply apparatus includes a compensation circuit in addition to a main power supply. The compensation circuit receives, via its input, as a feedback signal, a detection signal V S that corresponds to the power supply voltage V DD . The compensation circuit has input/output characteristics f IO that correspond to the characteristics of the main power supply and the characteristics of a target power supply to be emulated. The compensation circuit injects or otherwise draws a compensation current i COMP that corresponds to the detection signal V S to or otherwise from a node for generating the power supply voltage V DD .

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power supply apparatus being capable of emulating a target power supply, comprising:
a main power supply configured as a constant voltage source having its output terminal coupled to a semiconductor device via a power supply line and structured to control a voltage at its output terminal such that a power supply voltage to be supplied to the semiconductor device approaches a reference voltage; and
a compensation circuit having its input terminal coupled to receive, as a feedback signal, a detection signal that corresponds to the power supply voltage, having its output terminal coupled to the power supply line, and structured to inject or otherwise draw a compensation current that corresponds to the detection signal to or otherwise from the power supply line, wherein the compensation circuit has its input/output characteristics that correspond to characteristics of the main power supply and characteristics of the target power supply.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the input/output characteristics correspond to a conductance of the main power supply and a conductance of the target power supply.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the input/output characteristics correspond to a difference between the conductance of the main power supply and the conductance of the target power supply.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the compensation circuit comprises:
a calculation unit structured to generate a control signal that indicates a current that flows through a conductance that corresponds to the aforementioned difference when the power supply voltage indicated by the detection signal is applied; and
a current source structured to generate the compensation current that corresponds to the control signal.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the calculation unit comprises an analog filter or otherwise an analog amplifier.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the calculation unit comprises a digital filter structured to receive the detection signal in the form of a digital signal.

7. The power supply apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, in a case in which the main power supply and the target power supply can each be regarded as a plurality of electrically equivalent circuits in parallel, the compensation circuit comprises a plurality of calculation units each structured to calculate a compensation current for a corresponding circuit.

8. A test apparatus comprising the power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , structured to supply a power supply voltage to a power supply terminal of a device under test.

9. A method for supplying a power supply voltage, comprising:
coupling a main power supply configured as a constant voltage source to a semiconductor device to which the power supply voltage is to be supplied via a power supply line;
coupling a compensation circuit to the power supply line;
setting, for the compensation circuit, input/output characteristics that correspond to characteristics of the main power supply and characteristics of a target power supply to be emulated; and
inputting a detection signal that corresponds to the power supply voltage as a feedback signal to an input of the compensation circuit, so as to inject or otherwise draw a compensation current generated by the compensation circuit to or otherwise from the power supply line.

Assignees

• Advantest Corp
• Univ Tokyo

Inventors

• Ishida Masahiro
• Kusaka Takashi
• Ikeno Rimon
• Asada Kunihiro
• Nakura Toru
• Terao Naoki

Classifications

• G05F1/625 Primary

  wherein it is irrelevant whether the variable actually regulated is AC or DC · CPC title

• G01R1/02

  General constructional details · CPC title

• G01R31/28

  Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer ({EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002;} testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers {or computer components} G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 {; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00}) · CPC title

• G01R31/31721

  Power aspects, e.g. power supplies for test circuits, power saving during test (for scan test G01R31/318575) · CPC title