Semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949333-B2
Application number	US-201715660512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes: a diagnosis portion which diagnoses, when the device is started up, whether an abnormality occurs in a component for setting that is externally connected; and a control portion which stops the startup of the device when the diagnosis portion diagnoses that an abnormality occurs, the diagnosis portion diagnoses whether an abnormality occurs in which the connection of the component for setting that is a resistor is disconnected, the semiconductor device further includes an external terminal which is connected to one end of the resistor and the diagnosis portion includes a constant current circuit which passes a constant current through the resistor via the external terminal, a comparator to which a voltage produced at the external terminal is input and a transistor which switches between the connection and interruption of a path along which the constant current is passed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a diagnosis portion which diagnoses, when the device is started up, whether an abnormality occurs in a component for setting that is externally connected; and
a control portion which stops the startup of the device when the diagnosis portion diagnoses that an abnormality occurs,
wherein the diagnosis portion diagnoses whether an abnormality occurs in which connection of the component for setting that is a resistor is disconnected,
the semiconductor device further comprises an external terminal which is connected to one end of the resistor and
the diagnosis portion includes a constant current circuit which passes a constant current through the resistor via the external terminal, a comparator to which a voltage produced at the external terminal is input and a transistor which switches between connection and interruption of a path along which the constant current is passed.

2. A semiconductor device comprising:
a diagnosis portion which diagnoses, when the device is started up, whether an abnormality occurs in a component for setting that is externally connected; and
a control portion which stops the startup of the device when the diagnosis portion diagnoses that an abnormality occurs,
wherein the diagnosis portion diagnoses whether an abnormality occurs in which a resistance value of the component for setting that is a resistor falls outside a specified range,
the semiconductor device further comprises an external terminal which is connected to one end of the resistor and
the diagnosis portion includes a voltage dividing resistor, one or two comparators to which a voltage produced at the external terminal by performing voltage division with the voltage dividing resistor and the resistor is input and a transistor which switches between connection and interruption of a path along which a power supply voltage is applied to the voltage dividing resistor.

3. A semiconductor device comprising:
a diagnosis portion which diagnoses, when the device is started up, whether an abnormality occurs in a component for setting that is externally connected; and
a control portion which stops the startup of the device when the diagnosis portion diagnoses that an abnormality occurs,
wherein the diagnosis portion diagnoses whether an abnormality occurs in which a capacitance value of the component for setting that is a capacitor falls outside a specified range,
the semiconductor device further comprises an external terminal which is connected to one end of the capacitor and
the diagnosis portion includes a first constant current circuit which discharges the capacitor with a constant current via the external terminal, a discharge control portion which makes the first constant current circuit discharge the capacitor only for a first predetermined time, a second constant current circuit which charges the capacitor with the constant current via the external terminal, a charge control portion which makes the second constant current circuit charge the capacitor only for a second predetermined time and a comparator to which a voltage produced at the external terminal is input.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the diagnosis portion further diagnoses whether an abnormality occurs in which a resistance value of the component for setting that is a resistor falls outside a specified range,
the semiconductor device further comprises the external terminal which is connected to the one end of the resistor and
the diagnosis portion includes a voltage dividing resistor, one or two comparators to which a voltage produced at the external terminal by performing voltage division with the voltage dividing resistor and the resistor is input and a transistor which switches between connection and interruption of a path along which a power supply voltage is applied to the voltage dividing resistor.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the diagnosis portion further diagnoses whether an abnormality occurs in which a capacitance value of the component for setting that is a capacitor falls outside a specified range,
the semiconductor device further comprises an external terminal which is connected to one end of the capacitor and
the diagnosis portion includes a first constant current circuit which discharges the capacitor with a constant current via the external terminal, a discharge control portion which makes the first constant current circuit discharge the capacitor only for a first predetermined time, a second constant current circuit which charges the capacitor with the constant current via the external terminal, a charge control portion which makes the second constant current circuit charge the capacitor only for a second predetermined time and a comparator to which a voltage produced at the external terminal is input.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5 ,
wherein when the diagnosis portion diagnoses that an abnormality occurs, the control portion makes an error signal output portion output an error signal indicating the abnormality to an outside of the device.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the error signal has a plurality of bits, and
the control portion makes the error signal output portion output the error signal of a different piece of bit data according to a type of abnormality.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a switch portion which is included in the error signal output portion; and
a plurality of external terminals which are respectively connected to a plurality of pull-up resistors that are provided outside the device,
wherein the switch portion includes a plurality of transistors which are respectively connected to the external terminals, and
the control portion controls turning on and off of the transistors.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the component for setting is a resistor which divides an output voltage of a switching power supply circuit so as to feed back the output voltage.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the component for setting is a resistor which divides an output voltage of a switching power supply circuit so as to detect an overvoltage of the output voltage.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an oscillator,
wherein the component for setting is a resistor which sets an oscillation frequency of the oscillator.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 further comprising:
an oscillator; and
a frequency spread portion which changes an oscillation frequency of the oscillator,
wherein the component for setting is a capacitor which sets the frequency spread portion.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a soft start portion which generates such a current limit value as to perform soft start of a switching power supply circuit,
wherein the component for setting is a capacitor which sets a soft start time of the soft start portion.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 ,
wherein a switching power supply circuit which includes the semiconductor device drives an LED (light-emitting diode),
the semiconductor device comprises a first feedback control mode in which an output voltage of the switching power supply circuit is controlled to be constant, a second feedback control mode in which a voltage on a cathode side of the LED is controlled to be constant and a constant current control circuit which turns on and off a current flowing through the LED according to a dimming signal in a shap

Assignees

• Rohm Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagao Kei
• Takahashi Toru

Classifications

• G09G2330/12

  Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof · CPC title

• G09G2330/02

  Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation · CPC title

• G09G2330/026

  Arrangements or methods related to booting a display · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• G09G3/006 Primary

  Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays (testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309) · CPC title