On-die signal timing measurement
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsIgor V. MOLCHANOV, Matthew W. HEATH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a timing relationship between two signals on an integrated circuit is measured using a ring oscillator on the die of the integrated circuit. The measured time difference is outputted in a digital form. A delay line coupled to the ring oscillator may be used to reduce uncertainty in measurement which may result from the effects of latch circuit metastability. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
Claims24
A method, comprising:
- measuring a timing relationship between two signals on an integrated circuit, comprising:
- measuring a time difference between transitions of the two signals on an integrated circuit using a ring oscillator of said integrated circuit;
- and
- outputting the measured time difference in a digital form.
11 The method of claim 10 wherein said distinguishing is a function of the expected distance between the ring oscillator transition and the delay line transition at the end of said measurement interval being equal to the number of stages of the ring oscillator.
A device, comprising:
- an integrated circuit on a die having an timing measurement circuit onboard said die and adapted to measure the timing relationship between two signals on said integrated circuit, said timing measurement circuit comprising:
- a ring oscillator adapted to measure a time difference between transitions of the two signals on said integrated circuit;
- and
- a calculation circuit coupled to the output of the ring oscillator and adapted to output data which is a function of the measured time difference of the ring oscillator in a digital form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.