US 10,591,536 B1Granted

Apparatuses and methods involving error detection and correction of linear analog circuits

AssigneeNXP B.V.

InventorJan-Peter Schat

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Abstract

An apparatus includes a linear analog circuit and data-check circuit. The linear analog circuit receives analog input signals and provides processed analog output signals. The linear analog circuit includes voltage-changing and voltage-impedance circuitry that perform processing of the analog input signals by the linear analog circuit and an analog test bus circuit (ATB) that selectively passes different ones of a plurality of input ports to at least one output port. A data-check circuit is communicatively coupled to the ATB and includes a data-processing circuit that detects an error conveyed by the linear analog circuit by applying a control signal, while the linear analog circuit and the data-check circuit facilitate testing of the linear analog circuit, to cause the ATB to selectively pass the different ones of the plurality of input ports.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a linear analog circuit configured and arranged to receive analog input signals and provide processed analog output signals, the linear analog circuit including:
voltage-changing circuitry and voltage-impedance circuitry collectively configured and arranged to perform processing of the analog input signals by the linear analog circuit;
an analog test bus circuit including a plurality of input ports and configured and arranged to selectively pass different ones of the plurality of input ports to at least one output port;
the voltage-changing circuitry configured and arranged to modulate the analog input signals as provided at a plurality of voltage nodes and provide modulated analog signals at an output of the voltage-changing circuitry;
and
the voltage-impedance circuitry, including capacitive circuitry, configured and arranged to impede the modulated analog signals and provide impeded analog signals at an output of the voltage-impedance circuitry;
and
wherein the output of the voltage-changing circuitry is configured and arranged to drive an input of voltage-impedance circuitry and one of the plurality of input ports of the analog test bus circuit, and the output of the voltage-impedance circuitry is configured and arranged to drive another of the plurality of input ports of the analog test bus circuit;
and
a data-check circuit communicatively coupled to the at least one output port of the analog test bus circuit and including a data-processing circuit configured and arranged to detect an error conveyed by the linear analog circuit by applying a control signal, while the linear analog circuit and the data-check circuit facilitate testing of the linear analog circuit, to cause the analog test bus circuit to selectively pass the different ones of the plurality of input ports.

7 more elements

A method, comprising:

receiving, at an linear analog circuit, analog input signals and providing processed analog output signals, the linear analog circuit including voltage-changing circuitry and voltage-impedance circuitry collectively configured and arranged to perform processing of the analog input signals by the linear analog circuit, and an analog test bus circuit including a plurality of input ports;
modulating the analog input signals as provided at a plurality of voltage nodes of the voltage-changing circuitry and providing modulated analog signals at an output of the voltage-changing circuitry;
impeding the modulated analog signals, via the voltage-impedance circuitry, including capacitive circuitry, and provide impeded analog signals at an output of the voltage- impedance circuitry;
driving an input of voltage-impedance circuitry and one of the plurality of input ports of the analog test bus circuit via the output of the voltage-changing circuitry, and another of the plurality of input ports of the analog test bus circuit via the output of the voltage-impedance circuitry;
selectively passing different ones of the plurality of input ports to at least one output port of the analog test bus circuit responsive to a control signal;
and
detecting an error conveyed by the linear analog circuit, via a data-check circuit including an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) communicatively coupled to the at least one output port of the analog test bus circuit and including a data-processing circuit, by applying the control signal, while the linear analog circuit and the data-check circuit carry out testing of the linear analog circuit, to cause the analog test bus circuit to selectively pass the different ones of the plurality of input ports.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.