Root monitoring on an FPGA using satellite ADCs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11709275-B2
Application number	US-201916506064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2019
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring a number of operating conditions of a programmable device are disclosed. In some implementations, the system may include a root monitor including circuitry configured to generate a reference voltage, a plurality of sensors and satellite monitors distributed across the programmable device, and a interconnect system coupled to the root monitor and to each of the plurality of satellite monitors. Each of the satellite monitors may be in a vicinity of and coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of sensors via a local interconnect. The interconnect system may include one or more analog channels configured to distribute the reference voltage to each of the plurality of satellite monitors, and may include one or more digital channels configured to selectively route digital data from each of the plurality of satellite monitors to the root monitor as data packets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a root monitor including circuity configured to generate a reference voltage;
a number of sensors distributed in various locations across the device, each of the sensors configured to measure operating conditions of an associated circuit at a corresponding one of the various locations;
a plurality of satellite monitors distributed in the various locations across the device, each of the satellite monitors coupled to one or more associated sensors located in a vicinity of the corresponding satellite monitor, wherein each of the plurality of satellite monitors comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), including an input to receive analog signals indicative of operating conditions measured by the one or more associated sensors, an output to provide digital data to an interconnect system, and a reference terminal to receive a local reference voltage; and
the interconnect system coupled to the root monitor and to each of the plurality of satellite monitors, wherein the interconnect system is configured to:
distribute the reference voltage from the root monitor to each of the plurality of satellite monitors; and
selectively route the digital data from each of the plurality of satellite monitors to the root monitor, wherein the digital data is indicative of the measured operating conditions.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operating conditions include at least one of a temperature or a voltage level.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the root monitor comprises a bandgap circuit configured to compensate the reference voltage for temperature variations.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a programmable logic device and further comprises:
a plurality of configurable logic resources distributed across one or more portions of the device.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the local reference voltage is based at least in part on the reference voltage distributed by the interconnect system.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the satellite monitors further comprises:
a memory including an input coupled to the output of the ADC, including an output coupled to the interconnect system, and configured to store the digital data provided by the ADC.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the satellite monitors further comprises:
a switch configured to selectively couple the reference voltage distributed by the interconnect system to the satellite monitor based on a control signal generated by the root monitor.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the control signals are configured to couple the reference voltage distributed by the interconnect system to only one of the satellite monitors at the same time.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of satellite monitors are integrated within the interconnect system.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the interconnect system further comprises:
one or more analog channels configured to distribute the reference voltage from the root monitor to each of the plurality of satellite monitors; and
one or more digital channels configured to selectively route the digital data from the satellite monitors to the root monitor as individually addressable data packets.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the root monitor further comprises:
a memory configured to store the digital data received from each of the plurality of satellite monitors; and
a controller configured to determine whether the measured operating conditions of at least one of the associated circuits are within a range.

12. A system for monitoring a number of operating conditions of a device, the system comprising:
a root monitor including circuity configured to generate a reference voltage;
a plurality of sensors distributed across the device, each of the sensors configured to generate analog signals indicative of operating conditions of an associated circuit;
a plurality of satellite monitors distributed across the device, each of the satellite monitors configured to convert the analog signals generated by one or more associated sensors into digital data, wherein each of the satellite monitors comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the analog signals generated by the one or more associated sensors into the digital data and a reference terminal to receive a local reference voltage; and
an interconnect system coupled to at least the root monitor and each of the plurality of satellite monitors, the interconnect system comprising:
one or more analog channels configured to distribute the reference voltage from the root monitor to each of the plurality of satellite monitors; and
one or more digital channels configured to selectively route the digital data from each of the plurality of satellite monitors to the root monitor.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the satellite monitors further comprises:
a switch configured to selectively couple the reference voltage distributed by the interconnect system to the satellite monitor based on a control signal generated by the root monitor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control signals are configured to couple the reference voltage distributed by the interconnect system to only one of the satellite monitors at the same time.

15. A method of monitoring a number of operating conditions of a device, the method comprising:
generating a reference voltage using a voltage generator associated with a root monitor provided within the device;
distributing the reference voltage to each of a plurality of satellite monitors using one or more analog channels of an interconnect system integrated within the device, wherein each of the plurality of satellite monitors comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an output to provide digital data to the interconnect system, and a reference terminal to receive a local reference voltage;
generating, using each of a number of sensors, analog signals indicative of operating conditions of an associated circuit;
providing the analog signals generated by the number of sensors to corresponding ones of the plurality of satellite monitors;
converting the analog signals into digital data using the plurality of satellite monitors; and
selectively routing the digital data from the plurality of satellite monitors to the root monitor using one or more digital channels of the interconnect system.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the operating conditions include at least one of a temperature or a voltage level.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein distributing the reference voltage further comprises:
selectively coupling each of the plurality of satellite monitors to the interconnect system based on a corresponding control signal generated by the root monitor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the control signals are configured to couple the reference voltage distributed by the interconnect system to only one of the satellite monitors at the same time.

Assignees

• Xilinx Inc

Inventors

• Farley Brendan
• Jennings John K
• O′Dwyer John G

Classifications

• G01S19/23 Primary

  Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements · CPC title

• G01R31/3167

  Testing of combined analog and digital circuits {(testing ADC's H03M1/1071)} · CPC title

• G01R31/318516

  Test of programmable logic devices [PLDs] · CPC title

• H03K19/1733 Primary

  Controllable logic circuits (H03K19/177 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03M1/1071

  Measuring or testing · CPC title