Semiconductor device, signal processing system, and signal processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10461766-B2
Application number	US-201816022190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A semiconductor device, a signal processing system, and a signal processing method are provided that regulate a change of characteristics in the event of aged deterioration. The semiconductor device of the present invention includes a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage, an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage, a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal, an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal, and a regulator circuit that regulates the output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal; and
a regulator circuit that regulates an output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal,
wherein the test signal output section outputs, as the test signal, one of the second processing signal and the reference voltage.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the analog signal processing circuit is a circuit including an amplifier, and
wherein the regulator circuit regulates a voltage of an input signal to the amplifier.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the regulator circuit regulates the output of the analog signal processing circuit by regulating the reference voltage.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal, and
a regulator circuit that regulates an output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal,
wherein the test signal output section receives an instruction for outputting the test signal from outside and then outputs the test signal in response to the instruction.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal;
a regulator circuit that regulates an output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal; and
an instruction section that instructs the test signal output section to output the test signal if a driving time of the analog signal processing circuit reaches a predetermined time.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal;
a regulator circuit that regulates an output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal; and
a memory section for storing the regulation signal,
the regulator circuit regulating the output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal stored in the memory section.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal;
a regulator circuit that regulates an output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal; and
a switching circuit that repeatedly performs a switching operation.

8. A signal processing system comprising:
a first semiconductor device including:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal; and
a regulator circuit that regulates an output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal; and

a second semiconductor device including:
an AD converter circuit that converts, into a digital signal, the test signal outputted from the first semiconductor device and then outputs the digital signal; and
a test circuit that compares the digital signal and a stored expected value and then outputs the regulation signal according to a difference value obtained as a comparison result,

wherein the test signal output section outputs, as the test signal, one of the second processing signal and the reference voltage.

9. The signal processing system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the analog signal processing circuit is a circuit including an amplifier, and
wherein the regulator circuit regulates a voltage of an input signal to the amplifier.

10. The signal processing system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the regulator circuit regulates the output of the analog signal processing circuit by regulating the reference voltage.

11. A signal processing system comprising:
a first semiconductor device including:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal; and
a regulator circuit that regulates an output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal; and

a second semiconductor device including:
an AD converter circuit that converts, into a digital signal, the test signal outputted from the first semiconductor device and then outputs the digital signal; and
a test circuit that compares the digital signal and a stored expected value and then outputs the regulation signal according to a difference value obtained as a comparison result,

wherein if a driving time of the analog signal processing circuit reaches a predetermined time, the test signal output section outputs the test signal, the AD converter circuit converts the test signal into the digital signal and outputs the digital signal, the test circuit compares the digital signal and the expected value and outputs the regulation signal, and the regulator circuit regulates the output of the analog signal processing circuit in response to the regulation signal.

12. A signal processing system comprising:
a first semiconductor device including:
a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage;
an analog signal processing circuit that outputs a first processing signal according to the reference voltage;
a test signal output section that outputs, as a test signal, a second processing signal having a lower voltage than the first processing signal;
an input section that receives a regulation signal for the outputted test signal; and

Assignees

• Renesas Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Kodama Hiroto
• Kudo Masaki
• Kusunoki Takeshi

Classifications

• H03K19/00315

  in field-effect transistor circuits · CPC title

• H03M1/0621 Primary

  with auxiliary conversion of a value corresponding to the physical parameter(s) to be compensated for · CPC title

• H03M1/1071 Primary

  Measuring or testing · CPC title

• H03M1/183 Primary

  the feedback signal controlling the gain of an amplifier or attenuator preceding the analogue/digital converter · CPC title

• H03K19/00369

  Modifications for compensating variations of temperature, supply voltage or other physical parameters · CPC title