Method and circuit to perform a trimming phase
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorFrancesco Pulvirenti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is provided for carrying out a trimming operation on an integrated circuit having a trimming circuit portion which includes memory elements and a modification circuit for modifying the state of the memory elements, at least a first input or supply pin, an output pin, and a second supply pin. According to the method, a single pin is enabled to receive trimming data by biasing the pin to outside its operating range. A clock signal is obtained from a division of the bias potential of the pin, and the logic value of the trimming data is obtained from a different division of the bias potential of the pin. Serial acquisition of the data is enabled in accordance with the clock signal, and the data is transferred to the modification circuit.
Claims21
A method for carrying out a trimming operation on an integrated circuit having a trimming circuit portion which includes memory elements and a modification circuit for modifying the state of the memory elements, at least a first input or supply pin, an output pin, and a second supply pin, said method comprising the steps of:
- enabling a single pin to receive trimming data by biasing the pin to outside its operating range;
- obtaining a clock signal from a division of the bias potential of the pin;
- obtaining the logic value of the trimming data from a different division of the bias potential of the pin;
- enabling serial acquisition of the data in accordance with the clock signal;
- transferring the data to the modification circuit.
An electronic circuit for carrying out a trimming operation on circuit portions of an integrated circuit having at least a first input or supply pin, an output pin, and a second supply pin, the circuit comprising:
- memory elements;
- means for modifying the state of the memory elements;
- and
- first and second comparators having their inputs connected to a trimming pin to produce a clock signal for the trimming operation and a sequence of trimming data, wherein a single trimming pin is used.
An information processing system including at least one electronic circuit for carrying out a trimming operation on circuit portions of an integrated circuit having at least a first input or supply pin, an output pin, and a second supply pin, the circuit comprising:
- memory elements;
- means for modifying the state of the memory elements;
- and
- first and second comparators having their inputs connected to a trimming pin to produce a clock signal for the trimming operation and a sequence of trimming data,
- wherein a single trimming pin is used.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.