Semiconductor apparatus
AssigneeRohm Co., Ltd.
InventorTatsuro Shimizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A first circuit has a predetermined function with an output that has a small dependence on a certain operation condition. A second circuit has the same function as that of the first circuit with an output that has a large dependence on the certain operation condition. When the first circuit is operating normally, the main circuit operates according to the output of the first circuit. The main circuit is capable of generating a detection signal that indicates the certain operation condition based on a relative relation between the output of the first circuit and the output of the second circuit.
Claims18
A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
- a first circuit having a predetermined function, structured to generate an output having a relatively small dependence on a certain operation condition;
- a second circuit having the same function as the first circuit, structured to generate an output having a relatively large dependence on the certain operation condition;
- and
- a main circuit structured to operate according to the output of the first circuit when the first circuit operates normally, and to generate a detection signal indicative of the certain operation condition based on a relative relation between the output of the first circuit and the output of the second circuit,
- wherein the certain operation condition is temperature,
- wherein the predetermined function is generation of a clock signal,
- wherein the first circuit is a first oscillator, and the second circuit is a second oscillator,
- and wherein a temperature dependence of an oscillation frequency of the second oscillator is larger than that of the first oscillator.
A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
- a first circuit having a predetermined function, structured to generate an output having a relatively small dependence on a certain operation condition;
- a second circuit having the same function as the first circuit, structured to generate an output having a relatively large dependence on the certain operation condition;
- and
- a main circuit structured to operate according to the output of the first circuit when the first circuit operates normally, and to generate a detection signal indicative of the certain operation condition based on a relative relation between the output of the first circuit and the output of the second circuit,
- wherein the certain operation condition is temperature,
- wherein the predetermined function is generation of a constant voltage,
- wherein, the first circuit is a reference voltage source, and the second circuit is a voltage source,
- and wherein a temperature dependence of an output voltage of the voltage source is larger than that of the reference voltage source.
A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
- a reference circuit structured to generate a predetermined reference signal;
- a first circuit having a predetermined function, and structured to operate without depending on the reference signal;
- a second circuit having the same function as that of the first circuit, and structured to provide an output that depends on the reference signal;
- and
- a main circuit structured to be capable of operating according to an output of the first circuit and the reference signal when the first circuit and the reference circuit are operating normally, and of restoring the reference signal from the output of the second circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.