Circuit for testing monitoring circuit and operating method thereof
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsHyunseok Nam, Sangyoung Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A test circuit for testing a monitoring circuit includes: a ramp generator configured to generate a ramp signal in response to an activated first control signal; a counter configured to count pulses of a clock signal in response to the activated first control signal; at least one register configured to store an output value of the counter based on a change in at least one output signal generated by the monitoring circuit in response to the ramp signal in a test mode; and a controller configured to generate the first control signal and verify the monitoring circuit based on a ratio of a value stored in the at least one register to a duration during which the first control signal is activated.
Claims20
A test circuit for testing a monitoring circuit, the test circuit comprising:
- a ramp generator configured to generate a ramp signal in response to activation of a first control signal;
- a counter configured to count pulses of a clock signal in response to the activation of the first control signal;
- at least one register configured to store an output value of the counter based on a change in an output signal generated by the monitoring circuit in response to the ramp signal;
- and
- a controller configured to generate the first control signal, wherein the first control signal is configured to cause the monitoring circuit to be set to a test mode in response to the activation of the first control signal, and
- wherein the controller is further configured to verify operation of the monitoring circuit based on a ratio of at least one value stored in the at least one register, wherein the at least one value is obtained while the monitoring circuit is set to the test mode.
A system comprising:
- a main circuit configured to perform at least one function and generate an object signal;
- a monitoring circuit configured to monitor the object signal during a normal mode and monitor a ramp signal during a test mode;
- and
- a test circuit configured as a built-in, self-test for the monitoring circuit, and further configured to generate the ramp signal and test the monitoring circuit based on a ratio between a first period during which the ramp signal is generated, and a second period determined by a change in an output signal of the monitoring circuit in response to the ramp signal.
A method of testing a monitoring circuit, the method comprising:
- while the monitoring circuit is set to a first mode, monitoring, using the monitoring circuit, an object signal generated by a main circuit;
- setting the monitoring circuit to a second mode;
- and
- while the monitoring circuit is set to the second mode
- generating a ramp signal,
- providing the ramp signal to the monitoring circuit,
- counting pulses of a clock signal while the ramp signal is generated,
- storing a first count value based on a first period determined by a change in an output signal of the monitoring circuit, and
- verifying operation of the monitoring circuit based on a ratio of the first count value and a second count value based on a second period corresponding to generation of the ramp signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.