Voltage regulator over-voltage detection system, method and apparatus
AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated
InventorPieter Schieke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Monitoring of a core logic internal voltage regulator output is performed to detect, alarm and put an integrated circuit device into a safe mode when the voltage on the core logic exceeds a safe operating voltage value. This allows putting the integrated circuit devise into a predictable, detectable and safe mode, and to alarm the over-voltage condition to a system monitor to alert on a fault and subsequent fault disposition.
Claims23
An integrated circuit device having an internal voltage regulator over-voltage detection circuit, said integrated circuit device comprising:
- an internal voltage regulator coupled to external connections for a filter capacitor and a supply voltage;
- an over-voltage detection circuit having an input coupled to a regulated voltage output of the internal voltage regulator;
- core logic circuits receiving operating voltage from the regulated voltage output of the internal voltage regulator;
- and
- at least one output driver having a failsafe circuit for maintaining the at least one output driver in a safe operating condition;
- wherein when the over-voltage detection circuit detects a high voltage at the regulated voltage output of the internal voltage regulator, the core logic circuits and the at least one output driver are put into a safe operating mode.
A method for detecting an internal voltage regulator over-voltage condition in an integrated circuit device, said method comprising the steps of:
- measuring a voltage at an external connection of an integrated circuit device coupled to an internal voltage regulator;
- determining whether the measured voltage at the external connection is greater than a reference voltage;
- and
- placing core logic and at least one output driver of the integrated circuit device into a safe mode when the measured voltage at the external connection is greater than the reference voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.