Capacitor power source tamper protection and reliability test

A method for verifying a capacitor power supply, comprising:

• (a) measuring at least two voltages across the terminals of the capacitor at two points in time, the two points in time defining a time interval dT;
• (b) determining a change in voltage dV over the time interval dT, the change in voltage defined by the two voltages that are measured;
• and
• (c) determining whether to initiate an operation powered by the capacitor, by deriving a total required time or a total required voltage for completing the operation from the time interval dT or the voltage change dV respectively, and comparing the total required time or total required voltage to a pre-determined necessary total time or predetermined necessary total voltage, respectively, for completing the operation;
• wherein the acts performed in (a)-(c) are collectively a “time interval test”.

An memory system including a primary power supply and a backup capacitor power supply, comprising:

• a controller;
• an nvSRAM;
• and
• (a) logic to measure at least two voltages across the terminals of the capacitor at two points in time, the two points in time defining a time interval dT;
• (b) logic to determine a change in voltage dV over the time interval dT, the change in voltage defined by the two voltages that are measured;
• and
• (c) logic to determine whether to initiate an autostore operation on the nvSRAM, the autostore operation powered by the capacitor, the determination to initiate the autostore operation made by deriving a total required time or a total required voltage for completing the autostore operation from the time interval dT or the voltage change dV, respectively, and comparing the total required time or total required voltage to a pre-determined necessary total time or predetermined necessary total voltage, respectively, for completing the autostore operation;
• wherein the acts performed in (a)-(c) are collectively a “time interval test”.