Testing integrated circuit designs containing multiple phase rotators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927489-B2
Application number	US-201414155937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2014
Priority date	Jan 15, 2014
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

Approaches for testing phase rotators are provided. A circuit for testing phase rotators includes a compare element including a first input and a second input, wherein the compare element is configured to compare a first phase of a first signal provided at the first input to a second phase of a second signal provided at the second input. The circuit also includes a first test bus connected to the first input and a second test bus connected to the second input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit for testing phase rotators, comprising:
a compare element including a first input and a second input, wherein the compare element is configured to compare a first phase of a first signal provided at the first input to a second phase of a second signal provided at the second input;
a first test bus connected to the first input; and
a second test bus connected to the second input,
wherein a first subset of the plurality of phase rotators are associated with and selectively connectable to the first test bus;
a second subset of the plurality of phase rotators are associated with and selectively connectable to the second test bus;
the compare element receives a control signal separate from the first input and the second input; and
the compare element comprises tunable logic, and the control signal provides control to the tunable logic including one of: timing control; minimum pulse width control; and dead-band control.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein:
a single one of the plurality of phase rotators is selectively connectable to the first test bus; and
all other ones of the plurality of phase rotators, other than the single one, are selectively connectable to the second test bus.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein an output of the compare element is a function a phase relationship between the first phase and the second phase.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a first latch and a second latch, wherein an output of the compare element is input to each of the first latch and the second latch.

5. The circuit of claim 4 , wherein an output of the first latch is connected to a scan-in port of the second latch.

6. The circuit of claim 4 , further comprising a unit that outputs a clock signal, wherein:
the clock signal is input at a clock port of the first latch;
the clock signal is input to an inverter; and
an output of the inverter is input at a clock port of the second latch.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the compare element comprises a tunable AND gate.

8. A circuit for testing phase rotators, comprising:
a compare element including a first input and a second input, wherein the compare element is configured to compare a first phase of a first signal provided at the first input to a second phase of a second signal provided at the second input;
a first test bus connected to the first input; and
a second test bus connected to the second input,
wherein the compare element comprises a tunable AND gate that receives a control signal separate from the first input and the second input, and the control signal provides one of:
timing control; minimum pulse width control; and dead-band control.

9. The circuit of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first set of phase rotators selectively connectable to the first test bus by a first set of switches; and
a second set of phase rotators selectively connectable to the second test bus by a second set of switches.

10. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein:
the first set of switches is configured to connect a first phase rotator of the first set of phase rotators to the first test bus while disconnecting all other phase rotators of the first set of phase rotators from the first test bus; and
the second set of switches is configured to connect a second phase rotator of the second set of phase rotators to the second test bus while disconnecting all other phase rotators of the second set of phase rotators to the second test bus.

11. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the compare element compares a first phase output by a first phase rotator in the first set of phase rotators to a second phase output by a second phase rotator in the second set of phase rotators.

12. A system for testing phase rotators, comprising:
a first test bus connected to a first input of a compare element;
a second test bus connected to a second input of the compare element; and
a control circuit configured to:
selectively connect, to the first test bus, an output of a first phase rotator of a plurality of phase rotators;
selectively connect, to the second test bus, an output of a second phase rotator of the plurality of phase rotators;
store an output of the compare element; and
provide inputs to the plurality of phase rotators,

wherein the compare element receives a control signal separate from the first input and the second input; and
the compare element comprises a tunable AND gate, and the control signal provides one of: timing control; minimum pulse width control; and dead-band control.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuit comprises a built-in-self-test (BIST) structure.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuit is configured to provide one of control signals and tuning signals to the compare element.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the inputs provided to the plurality of phase rotators by the control unit include phase and weight settings.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the output of the compare element is a function a phase relationship between the output of the first phase rotator and the output of the second phase rotator.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising logic configured to compare the output of the compare element to a predetermined expected phase relationship between the output of the first phase rotator and the output of the second phase rotator.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of phase rotators comprises:
a first set of phase rotators selectively connectable to the first test bus by a first set of switches; and
a second set of phase rotators selectively connectable to the second test bus by a second set of switches.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Gerowitz Robert G
• Higgins Sarah B
• Iadanza Joseph A

Classifications

• H04L7/042

  Detectors therefor, e.g. correlators, state machines (digital correlators in general G06F17/15) · CPC title

• H04L7/033

  using the transitions of the received signal to control the phase of the synchronising-signal-generating means, e.g. using a phase-locked loop · CPC title

• G01R31/31703

  Comparison aspects, e.g. signature analysis, comparators (concerning scan tests G01R31/318566; concerning testers G01R31/3193) · CPC title

• G06F30/36

  Circuit design at the analogue level · CPC title

• G01R31/317 Primary

  Testing of digital circuits · CPC title